In September 2002, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a light therapy device for the treatment of moderate inflammatory acne . The ClearLight Acne PhotoClearing System emits high-intensity blue (415nm) light that kills the bacteria that cause this particular form of acne. ClearLight is only one of several similar commercial products released for this use. Dermatologists are currently investigating a variety of treatment techniques involving light.
How It Works and What It Costs
ClearLight treatments are given in 15-20 minute sessions twice a week for four to eight weeks. Patients simply lie on a bed in the dermatologists office for 15 minutes while the ClearLight device is directed at their acne-affected skinmost often the face, neck, back, or chest. Each treatment costs about $50, so the total cost of treatment is about $200.
Not everyone in studies of the ClearLight system responded to treatment, though. According to the FDAs Neil Ogden, about half of the patients who finished all eight treatments saw at least a 50% decrease in the number of pimples.
A Possible Alternative to Medications
Medications to treat acne range from topical ointments to antibiotics, and in very severe cases, the drug Accutane. But drugs dont work for everyone and many have unwanted side effects. An extreme example is Accutane, which causes severe birth defects in children born to women taking the drug. (For this reason the women taking the drug are required to use highly reliable contraception.) In addition, while antibiotics are a mainstay in acne treatment, many of the bacteria that cause acne are resistant to antibiotics.
