What is blue light therapy?
Blue light therapy is a non-surgical treatment for skin damage. Also called photodynamic therapy, the treatment uses a combination of photosensitizing agents and targeted wavelengths of blue light to eliminate abnormal skin cells.
Island Dermatology uses the BLU-U® PDT Illuminator stick with LEVULAN® KERASTICK® medication to minimize abnormal lesions.
How does blue light therapy work?
Your Island Dermatology dermatologist starts the treatment by applying LEVULAN KERASTICK, which contains aminolevulinic acid (ALA) directly to your lesion. ALA is a topical treatment that can treat skin damage when combined with blue light therapy.
Once your dermatologist activates the aminolevulinic acid solution with specific wavelengths of blue light, it destroys abnormal skin cells without harming the surrounding tissue.
What can blue light therapy treat?
Blue light therapy primarily treats precancerous lesions, but it can minimize the appearance of other skin conditions. Ask Island Dermatology about this non-invasive treatment if you have:
Actinic keratosis
Actinic keratosis is a common type of pre-cancer that develops from prolonged sun exposure. The lesion presents as a rough, scaly patch of skin. It can occur anywhere on your body, but actinic keratosis most often appears on the face, ears, forearms, neck, scalp, and hands — areas that receive frequent sun exposure.
Acne
Blue light kills acne-causing bacteria to reduce inflammatory acne. It’s an effective treatment for cystic acne that hasn’t responded well to topical treatments alone.
Rosacea
Blue light therapy helps reduce inflammation, which can help treat inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea. Patients with rosacea typically have redness on their nose, cheeks, and chin. They may also have tiny pimples and visible broken capillaries.
How many blue light therapy treatments will I need?
How many treatments you need depends on the type and severity of your skin condition. It’s important to space out the treatments by two to four weeks to protect your skin from additional damage.
Blue light therapy most commonly treats actinic keratosis. Most patients need between one and four treatments for actinic keratosis and four to six treatments for acne. To reduce redness in patients with rosacea, blue light therapy typically takes one to three treatments.
To learn more about blue light therapy, call Island Dermatology or request an appointment online.