13 replies to this topic

[Quinton]

For those of you who have tried Levulan Blue Light Photodynamic therapy,I just have a few questions for you:

1) How long it took your skin to return to normal?

2) How severe was the peeling and redness after the treatment?

3) Were the peeling and redness so bad that you were to embarrased to go to school or work for a couple days?

I am mainly just curious because i am having Levulan Blue Light Photodynamic therapy done next week and i am wondering if i will have to take a couple days off school after the treatment.

[blacksheiladog]

Hi Quinton:

My daughter just had the third such treatment in three years (one per year). Basically, you will not be able to go out for about 5 -6 days. Her treatment involved cleaning with acetone, microdermabrasion, and the levulan was applied and left on for 2 hours, and then 10 min under the light. Your treatment may or may not include microdermabrasion, so the time might be shorter than our experience.

She said the levulan stings but it really ramps up when the light is applied. You might want to consider a pain medicine before treatment (not aspirin!) and something to help you sleep that first night. The first day and night are the hardest, as you are basically very red and stinging, and probably in some pain (although everyone is different). The 2nd day starts to have your skin turn kind of dark and blotchy, with brown patches and skin that seems like you want to shed (i.e. a snake skin) depending on whether you have any microdermabrasion before the levulan is applied. Peeling usually starts on the third day (you need to stay in the dark and definitely out of the sun for the first 2 days, and limited light the 3rd day on. No sunlight period. Peeling becomes significant on the fourth day and 5th day, and for most, there is only a little peeling left to happen by day 6. But in those days, you will not want to go to school due to appearance. It is kind of shocking but do not fear, you will recover!

The redness and blotchiness fades pretty fast after peeling is complete. By end of day 6 you are usually good to go out, with strong sunsreen! There can be some slight pink areas lasting a few more days or even a week, but probably not something others might notice. If you have microdermabrasion as part of it, then it might take a few weeks for skin to seem pretty normal.

This treatment has been effective when my daughter's acne became severe and it usually gives her control for about 6-8 months more or less. She is not doing the treatment as recommended, as they usually say to do 3 treatments, close together in time. She was unwilling to go through this that close in time.

There have been no long term issues with any of the three treatments my daughter had using levulan. BUT the key is to AVOID light of ANY type for the first 48 hours for sure. If you leave the doctor office during the day, be sure you have total face coverage with a bandana, hat etc. NO light that day or the next or even the next. Even bright interior lights should be avoided.

Hope this info helps! You are strong person to do this and I am sure you will do well.
-Dan

[Quinton]

thank you very much for the information. It will definetly come in handy when i go for my treatment

[livluvlaf]

I have to agree completely with Blacksheiladog, except I didnt have any discomfort during the treatment. It was like the final minutes of a tanning bed, where you feel really the radiation and really hot ... but no stinging. My treatment did not include microabrasion, and only 1hr of soaking with lulevan. And I didnt have very much active acne, I was doing it to reduce oil production & pore size. It was only one treatment, but it didnt do much for either. And I wasn't happy with my Doctor (Cynthia Blair, Oakville).

If I was to do it all over again, stay indoors and away from any UV. Seriously - live in the basement for a full 48hrs post treatment. Even windows let in UV. After my treatment I was in an industrial building for about 5hrs, working on a computer. I had absolutely no redness or pain, I looked completely normal. I concluded I wasn't going to react, so I got brave and drove home before dark, sun was just setting. During the 15 min drive, my face started burning like nothing I've ever experienced before ... and it was downhill from there.

After that, it felt like someone was blowtorching my face for 2 days, it looked like someone took a blowtorch to my face for 5 days. The redness started to diminish around day 5 and by day 7 I was only pink. After day 3, my facial skin got very loose and wanted to come off ... Try to keep it moisturized (lots of vasoline) and leave it on as long as possible. It's itchy, and you'll feel so slimey, but the longer the new skin underneath has to grow, the sooner you will heal. If you remove the damaged layer too soon, the fresh skin will also emerge pink, and you'll have to wait till the third layer is ready to surface.

You should "search" leluvan or blue light on this website ... there are lots of others who have writen about their experiences with this treatment.

[Quinton]

thanks for the advice. Im definetly going to stay indoors for 48 hours

[blacksheiladog]

Try to keep it moisturized (lots of vasoline) and leave it on as long as possible. It's itchy, and you'll feel so slimey, but the longer the new skin underneath has to grow, the sooner you will heal. If you remove the damaged layer too soon, the fresh skin will also emerge pink, and you'll have to wait till the third layer is ready to surface.

You should "search" leluvan or blue light on this website ... there are lots of others who have writen about their experiences with this treatment.

I agree and thanks for reminding me to emphasize that you do NOT want to ever pull off the dead skin, no matter how much you want to. That is definitely bad for your new skin. Let that stuff fall off on its own, as you are correctly advised above! Protect yourself from any sunburn or tanning for at least 4 weeks to let the new skin get its own layer of protection needed. Best of luck to you!

[bluejeans]

so glad i checked this topic. i just had the procedure done on tuesday (today is thursday) i havent been outside since then, (which is becoming a bit depressing but hopefully it is for the best) my redness is subsiding and my skin is beginning to peal. BUT i have found it really difficult not to pick....but i will definitely stop that.
also, i found that hydro cortisone cream is extremely helpful with the healing process.

[bluejeans]

also i wanted to add that i experienced quite a bit of stinging/burning during the process. i didnt realize that going into it so just thought i should warn ya

[blacksheiladog]

also i wanted to add that i experienced quite a bit of stinging/burning during the process. i didnt realize that going into it so just thought i should warn ya

Hang in there! It's a hard 4-5 days living like a cave dweller, but if you take care of yourself (NO SUNLIGHT or bright lights) your result will be better. It definitely tests your ability to watch DVDs .....

[bluejeans]

im trying, it definitely sucks though ha. im worried because i am supposed to work tonight and i will be partially outside. hopefully it wont be too damaging...(ah).. thank you for the support!
days have been feeling like weeks lately...

[blacksheiladog]

im trying, it definitely sucks though ha. im worried because i am supposed to work tonight and i will be partially outside. hopefully it wont be too damaging...(ah).. thank you for the support!
days have been feeling like weeks lately...

Having gone through this with my daughter (3 times), and keeping her company for the week following each treatment, I can definitely say "I feel your pain". You are not alone. Better times are ahead. I believe one day acne will be like polio--no one will even believe anyone ever suffered from it. -Dan

[bluejeans]

ha! i wish

[Quinton]

Alright i had my first ala/pdt treatment on wednesday. I had the Levulan left on my face for an hour and then went under the blue light for 8 minutes. Today on day 4 my face is slightly red but no pealing has occured. My acne however has gotten slightly worse sicne the treatment.

Just wondering how long until i can return to my dan kern regimen?

[blacksheiladog]

Alright i had my first ala/pdt treatment on wednesday. I had the Levulan left on my face for an hour and then went under the blue light for 8 minutes. Today on day 4 my face is slightly red but no pealing has occured. My acne however has gotten slightly worse sicne the treatment.

Just wondering how long until i can return to my dan kern regimen?

Acne can continue for a few weeks, and as to when to put BP on again, I don't know when your skin is strong enough for that. Better run it by your doc for sure or maybe others know. Having taken off several layers of skin, you want to be cautious about putting harsh things on in the first weeks...