But before you rush out looking to blast your pimples with a laser, know that there is no miracle acne cure – it’s more about acne control. Acne requires a diligent 24/7 management approach, which includes using personalized products that have been selected by a qualified skin pro, making skin-friendly diet choices, and even receiving weekly skin treatments to safely exfoliate and extract blocked follicles, soothe red bumps, and zap that zit-forming bacteria.
However, if your acne is severe – what we term grade 3 or 4 in the trade – then medical intervention might be required. Savvy dermatologists don’t just write prescriptions, but also recommend a combination of programs that, beyond the at-home product regimen, may be comprised of in-office procedures (think chemical peels, steroid injections, or light therapies), and according to your grade of acne, a prescription for oral or topical acne meds.
Over the past few years, lasers and light therapies have become the new acne treatment darlings. Some people find their breed of bacteria is unresponsive to antibiotics or seek a safer alternative to oral Isotretinoin, which has pretty scary side effects. The science behind lasers — their mechanism and wavelength — while fascinating to me, takes too long to explain, so I’ve simplified the details here.
Bring Out the Laser
This brings us back to Kendall Jenner. Kendall says she received Laser Genesis treatments, and while this sounds fancy, it’s just a consumer-friendly name for the company that makes the laser. The type of laser used was the Nd-YAG which can be used in multiple ways, from removing hairs or vascular lesions to plumping tissues. It bypasses the epidermis and works deeper in the dermis. I liken this to “baking” versus “frying”. When the wavelength is longer and the intensity lower, it is not only less painful with less downtime, but also has skin benefits like boosting collagen and elastin to smooth lines and acne scars, fixing capillaries to reduce redness, and lightening pigment to diminish those post-pimple marks. So does this really help clear up acne? I’d say no, but if you have post-acne scars, it will certainly help. If you are on a tighter budget than Kendall though, a microencapsulated retinol cream will also work very nicely.
This brings us back to Kendall Jenner. Kendall says she received Laser Genesis treatments, and while this sounds fancy, it’s just a consumer-friendly name for the company that makes the laser. The type of laser used was the Nd-YAG which can be used in multiple ways, from removing hairs or vascular lesions to plumping tissues. It bypasses the epidermis and works deeper in the dermis. I liken this to “baking” versus “frying”. When the wavelength is longer and the intensity lower, it is not only less painful with less downtime, but also has skin benefits like boosting collagen and elastin to smooth lines and acne scars, fixing capillaries to reduce redness, and lightening pigment to diminish those post-pimple marks. So does this really help clear up acne? I’d say no, but if you have post-acne scars, it will certainly help. If you are on a tighter budget than Kendall though, a microencapsulated retinol cream will also work very nicely.
Turn On the Lights
The most popular and scientifically proven type of light therapy for clearing acne is blue LED, especially when combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT is a drug applied to the skin to increase its sensitivity to light and intensify the treatment. It works when the blue light reaches your sebaceous glands and excites porphyrins, which are components of acne bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes). When activated, reactive oxygen molecules are released by the porphyrins and kill the acne bacteria from the inside out. You might also want to give red LED a try, as it helps accelerate wound repair and is often used in combination with blue to encourage healing and lessening of acne scars. So, if you want to try a light therapy to help clear up breakouts, I’d go for this instead. If your pocketbook is looking bare, products with 5% Benzoyl Peroxide will also help to kill bacteria.
The most popular and scientifically proven type of light therapy for clearing acne is blue LED, especially when combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT is a drug applied to the skin to increase its sensitivity to light and intensify the treatment. It works when the blue light reaches your sebaceous glands and excites porphyrins, which are components of acne bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes). When activated, reactive oxygen molecules are released by the porphyrins and kill the acne bacteria from the inside out. You might also want to give red LED a try, as it helps accelerate wound repair and is often used in combination with blue to encourage healing and lessening of acne scars. So, if you want to try a light therapy to help clear up breakouts, I’d go for this instead. If your pocketbook is looking bare, products with 5% Benzoyl Peroxide will also help to kill bacteria.
Regardless of which acne treatments you try, it is important to be patient — it can take months to see visible results. Find a great skin coach to help you through the process and, although daily management and regular treatments aren’t sexy, they are realistic.
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