What do you guys think about this article?

Do you combine light therapy with your acne facials?

If so, what is your experience or opinion with this technique?

Photodynamic Therapy

The combination of light therapy and topically applied photosensitizers, such as 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), has additional efficacies in light-based therapy of acne. A combination of ALA and red light has been shown to reduce oil production and improve acne just three weeks after treatment and lasts for at least 20 weeks. Sebaceous glands also reduce in size by approximately 45 percent.

Blue light PDT has also shown efficacy. After three sessions of high intensity blue light application with pre-treatment ALA, a five-fold reduction in bacterial viability, as measured by culture, was observed.

Medical spas can offer significant help to patients with mild to moderate acne, many of whom are already clients. Acne is a medical disease, and all patients should be offered treatment by a physician experienced in the treatment of acne. Patients with moderate acne should and those with severe and/or cystic acne must see a qualified dermatologist for medical treatment. Despite medication being the mainstay of treatment, adjunctive light-based therapies and chemical peels remain an efficacious and supplemental treatment modality for the physician-supervised medical spa leading to potentially high patient satisfaction.—Edward P. Miranda, M.D.

http://www.spatrade.com/americanspa/spa-treatments/targeting-acne