The Truth About Light Therapy for Acne

Are you frustrated with over-the-counter and prescription acne treatments that don't work? Well people like you are turning to blue light therapy for acne. But does it work? How can shining a blue light on your face make any difference? Are there any side effects? And what does it cost? This article will answer these questions so you can decide if light therapy is for you.

It's unbelievable but it's claimed that shining a blue light on your skin kills the bacteria that cause acne. And red light rejuvenates the skin. So a combination of blue and red is best for treating acne. Of course this isn't just any old blue or red light. It's finely tuned to very specific properties, including dose. And it's been evaluated and approved by the FDA. So it must work… right? Well it does to some extent.

There has been some scientific research that shows blue/red combination light therapy does work for some people. Studies show that on average, there's a 73% reduction in acne after 8 weeks of treatment rising to 82% reduction after 12 weeks. There's also anecdotal evidence that it works for some but not for others. This is normally only used for people with mild to moderate acne. Whether it works for you or not, there's one piece of really good news… there's absolutely no side effects.

That's right, not a single reported side effect. That's most unusual for an acne treatment. The light doesn't burn or irritate the skin, and there's no pain or discomfort either. Of course you do have to wear safety goggles to protect your eyes during treatment. There is one problem and that is the cost of treatment.

Professional treatment at a dermatologist typically costs $50 to $150 per session. Typically you might need one or two treatments a week, so the cost quickly mounts up. A cheaper way to go is to buy a home blue/red light box which can be as effective but needs daily use because of the lower power level. This will still set you back around $500. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing if it will work for you until you try it.

So there you have it. If you have mild to moderate acne and other treatments haven't worked for you, you can give blue light acne a go. Just so long as you don't mind forking out some significant cash. But at least there are no adverse side effects to worry about. There are of course other alternatives with higher success rates and lower costs that you could try instead.