UV Light for Acne Treatment
Acne is one of the most common skin problems that people face. Although the skin disorder plagues teenagers, many adults struggle with it as well. Through the years, physicians have developed a variety of treatments in an attempt to control and cure acne. Ultraviolet light (UV light) is one such treatment.
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History
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For decades, people have thought that exposure to light reduced acne. When dermatologists started providing UV light acne treatments, the public received it well. But over time, the side effects became evident. Researchers discovered that frequent exposure to UV light increases the risk of skin cancer. Eventually, physicians stopped using UV light in treating acne. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, “UV light can damage the skin and is no longer used to treat acne.”
Basics
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In acne-afflicted skin, bacteria that live on the surface of healthy skin, Propionobacterium acnes or P. acnes, infect the follicle. Once the bacteria become trapped beneath a layer of dead skin and oil, they produce inflammation and the condition known as acne. The acne bacteria release substances called porphyrins. A UV acne treatment releases a wavelength of light, which passes through the infected follicle. Porphyrins absorb the light and produce a free radical that kills the P. acnes bacteria.
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Dangers
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The free radicals generated by UV light also eliminate healthy vitamin C and vitamin A from the skin. These vitamins promote healthy skin by building collagen, which keeps skin looking young, supple and wrinkle-free. UV treatments also can cause sleep disorders, headaches and nausea. In addition, regular exposure to certain wavelengths of UV light can lead to cancer. Other methods have been developed that use light therapy to treat acne but do not use harmful UV light.
Alternatives
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As an alternative to using UV light to treat acne, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of another form of light therapy: blue light therapy. The blue light therapy used today does not contain the harmful UV rays that light therapy previously used. Another procedure involving light, pulsed light and heat energy therapy, combines light and heat to target the principal causes of acne. These light therapies, when done in junction with certain medications, prove more effective against acne. Some people mistakenly refer to these treatments as UV light treatments.
Procedure
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Typical light-based treatment sessions for acne take a minimal amount of time, perhaps 15 minutes, three times a week, over the course of several weeks. Your doctor may instruct you to apply a topical medicine to increase your skin's sensitivity to the light. Depending on the treatment, a doctor or technician may use a wand attached to a machine to deliver pulses of light to the skin. Or he may have you sit in front of a light box that delivers the rays of light.
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