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Acne
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Edmonton's Cosmetic Surgery Clinic
What is Blu-U Light Therapy for Acne?
The Blu-U Light device uses new light based technology to remove acne lesions safely and effectively. It is a non-invasive, pain-free treatment with no side effects. There is no use of any chemicals or drugs. Blu-U Light is the first acne treatment device to receive clearance for acne. It is suitable for all body areas including face and neck acne, chest acne, and back acne.
How does Blu-U Light Therapy work?
Blu-U Light therapy for acne is designed to improve acne without causing significant side effects. In fact it is one of the safest methods to treat acne available today. The bacteria that is present within the hair/oil gland apparatus creates the compounds that are largely responsible of the acne lesions. One of those compounds can interact with the special light that Blu-U emits. This interaction leads to decrease in bacteria count and improvement in acne lesions.
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Inflamed Acne
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Light Penetrates Into the Skin |
P. Acnes Bacteria Decreased |
How many Blu-U Light treatments do I need?
The frequency and the number of Blu-U treatments depend on whether it is used as a standalone treatment (more frequent sessions are needed) or as a part of a combination treatment with topical creams, chemical peels or oral medications. When Blu-U is used as a standalone therapy, twice weekly sessions for six weeks are needed. More frequently, Dr. Sapijaszko recommends combination treatments with creams, chemical peels or even oral medications. In this case less Blu-U treatments are needed.
How long will each Blu-U Light treatment take?
Each session with Blu-U Light phototherapy will take about 16 minutes. If the treatments are combined with other modalities such as chemical peels, then more time per visit is required.
What are the side effects of Blu-U Light Therapy?
Blu-U Light therapy is very safe and with no chemical or drug use the side effects are virtually nonexistent. Specifically, there is no downtime, no irritation, no redness, no peeling, no scarring, or photosensitivity.
How does the Blu-U Light system compare to other acne removal treatments?
Blu-U Light therapy works best for acne that is characterized by blackheads, whiteheads and red/inflamed pimples. In these circumstances, Blu-U can be used alone and unlike oral therapies that require continuous treatment (over at least 3 months), it has proven to work much faster. Unlike oral therapies and topical drug therapies, the Blu-U Light treatments demonstrate no side effects and avoid the possibility of developing antibiotic resistance. In cases were the acne lesions are deeper and the possibility of scar formation is present, Dr. Sapijaszko may recommend a combination approach. In that case, Blu-U can be used with oral or topical preparations as well as chemical peels. Each patient is unique and the treatment approach depends on thorough examination.
TREATMENTS FOR ACNE SCARRING
Although acne eruption is temporary, the disfigurement persists for life and the prevention of acne scarring and improvement of unsightly acne lesions is the most common reason for patients to seek medical attention. Early and appropriate therapy is needed to prevent long-term sequelae (scarring, dyspigmentation, and psychological impact) from occurring. Once acne scarring is present, both patient and I are left with a number of therapeutic alternatives that can improve scar appearance. Over the past two decades, great advances have been made in conventional surgical therapy, filler substances, as well as laser phototherapy. These therapies, alone or in combination, can be used to significantly improve the appearance of acne scarring.
Prior to proceeding with any treatment, an appropriate classification of the scarring type is necessary.
Acne scars can be divided into ice-pick, rolling, and boxcar scars. In brief summary:
- Ice-pick scars are deep scars 1 to 2 mm in diameter that tend to taper at the bottom
- Rolling scars are generally caused by adhesive bands from the dermal subcutaneous junction [junction between skin and the fat layer] to tougher tissues close to the muscle layer.
- Boxcar scars are wider than ice-pick scars, measuring more than 3 mm in diameter and having vertical sides producing chicken pox-like scars
All these scars can be further divided into shallow and deep. In addition to these three basic types of scars, the patient can present with hypertrophic [thick] scars either of a keloidal or non-keloidal type. Decreased and increased pigmentation as well as persistent scar redness are also a frequent feature of post-acne sequelae.
Treatment of acne scars must be individually directed for each patient depending on the types of scars present. Frequently, several procedures may need to be performed either at the same time or on multiple visits. When surgical procedures require separate visits, a minimum of four to six weeks between the treatments is needed for adequate healing to occur.
The good news is that most acne scarring can be improved with one or more of the above methods. There is hope for improving skin scarring once the active acne eruptions are controlled.
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