Types of Laser Acne Treatment and How It Works

Laser Acne Treatment is usually done as the last resort for acne that doesn’t respond well to other types of medication or remedies.

There are a few types of laser light treatment that you could undergo, and each of them has their pros and cons.

Using Laser Acne Treatment For Treating Stubborn Acne

Acne treatment comes in many forms, from topical medication to antibiotics as well as natural acne treatment for removing as many causes of acne as possible. But sometimes, they just don’t work well for you. It can be frustrating that whatever you do, you still suffer from acne.

With the use of laser treatment for acne, you have another option on the table.

How Laser Acne Treatment Works

Laser acne treatment works by targeting the deeper layers of your skin. It penetrates past the surface, and depending on the type of laser being used, you get different results. What do we mean?

Some laser treatments work to target the oil glands. By damaging these glands to lower oil production, acne that is caused by excessive oil production is reduced. Other types of laser target Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), the bacteria that causes acne inflammation.

Whether you have acne or acne scars, some people like the idea of using laser to treat their acne. Using laser to treat acne has its benefits like giving you smoother skin and reducing scars.

What typically happens during laser treatment is this: A laser pen is positioned just above the area infected by acne or that has acne scars. As the laser is moved across the skin tissue, the uppermost layer of skin is vaporized, leaving behind new skin tissue that is just underneath the surface. This creates the space for new, smoother skin to grow.

In essence, you are using a laser to do skin resurfacing to allow new skin and collagen to form.

Types of Laser Acne Treatment

You might think that laser therapy is similar across the board. However, there are different types of laser used for different purposes. They are:

  • Blue light therapy
  • Pulsed light and heat energy therapy
  • Diode laser therapy
  • Photodynamic therapy
  • Photopneumatic therapy

Blue Light Therapy

In blue light therapy, your skin is exposed to a painless procedure where a low intensity blue light source is used to destroy Propionibacterium acnes. Propionibacterium acnes tends to multiply rapidly, which means that you require more than one session to keep acne at bay.

With blue light therapy, some of the side effects that you may experience are temporary redness and dryness.

Pulsed Light and Heat Energy Therapy

Another form of laser acne treatment is the use of pulsed light and heat energy. It has two purposes, which is to destroy the Propionibacterium acnes as well as shrink the sebaceous glands to reduce oil production. If your acne is caused by excessive oil production, then this is the laser treatment that you can consider using.

Diode Laser Therapy

This particular form of laser therapy can be painful. It reaches into the dermis, which is the thick middle layer of your skin, to destroy the sebaceous glands that produce oil. If you are sensitive to pain, you can always speak with your dermatologist or doctor and they can arrange for anesthetic to be used.

Using diode laser therapy can avoid harming the outer layer of skin, but side effects include both the swelling of the treated areas as well as some temporary redness of skin during recovery.

Photodynamic Therapy

During photodynamic therapy, a photosensitizing agent is applied to your skin for increase the effects of light therapy. Once this topical medication is applied to your skin, a laser light treatment is then used. Just like the other therapies, you can expect redness of your skin, swelling and even crusting. In some cases, you may also experience acne flare-ups.

Photopneumatic Therapy

In this two stage acne treatment, suction is used to remove oil and dead skin cells from your sebaceous glands. Once the vacuum treatment is done, blue and red light therapy is applied to the area to destroy P. acnes and help to reduce acne inflammation.

Pros and Cons of Laser Acne Treatment

Laser treatment for acne does not only have to be for severe acne cases. If you have mild acne, laser treatment is still an option for you to consider.

These are some of the advantages of laser therapy:

  • Blue light therapy is fast and painless compared to diode laser therapy
  • Rapid results usually within 2-3 sessions for mild therapy and 4-6 weeks for severe cases.
  • Destroy acne causing bacteria on the surface and within the skin layers
  • Reduce excessive oil production by damaging the glands that produce oil.
  • Control or reduce inflammation due to acne through the destruction of P. acnes and reduction of natural oil production.

As with any treatment type, there are also some cons for you to consider:

  • Swelling of the skin. With use of laser acne treatment, your skin could also become more sensitive over time.
  • Increased dryness of skin – some laser acne treatments can cause your skin to become dryer. If your skin dries out too much, it may lead to other skin problems as well as making your skin less responsive when you use other topical creams.
  • The use of laser treatment hits acne at the deeper layers of your skin. This causes redness and discomfort which may take longer than a few days to recover. If you are treating areas on your face, this is something you may have to consider if you need to be in front of people.

Laser Acne Treatment Can Be Very Effective

In the fight against acne, laser acne treatment is a powerful tool available to you. Depending on where you live and the type of treatment you require, the cost of using laser therapy may be a factor in your considerations. However, if all else fails, then you can still use laser therapy for both acne and treating acne scars.