Phototherapy
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Laser therapy works by harming skin oil glands. That can lead to some improvement in acne, and perhaps even long-term relief of some acne symptoms. However, evolution gave us skin oil glands for a reason and what happens long term when you permanently disable them is still unknown. Proceed with caution.
Phototherapy
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this procedure done. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Lasers? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
June 15, 2008
Cons:
Due to oil gland shrinking I felt like aging started taking place at a faster rate
I finally got results from manual lymph drainage.I spent thousands of dollars for years trying to clear adult acne. My skin is finally healthy from the inside out.
June 10, 2008
Pros:
firmer skin, fewer wrinkles on forehead
Cons:
horrible, disfiguring swelling, longer down time. Now have cystic acne and red lines on face.
Highly overrated. Was initially going to have IPL to remove some "age" spots and sun damage. Was told I was a great candidate and for the same money, could have Active fx, which would give better and faster results. Was told to expect a "bad sunburn" and after a couple of days, the skin would "flake off." My face was so swollen that my friends did not recognize me. I also go an eye infection. My face oozed and was horribly painful for 3 days. When the scabbing came off my chin, it exposed pockets of pus. I have never seen anything like it. I was immediately put on anitbiotics. I now have cystic acne and have funny red lines on the side of my face. The doctor and staff at the medspa have been nice, but at the last visit I felt dismissed.
June 3, 2008
Pros:
one small spot diminished on nose
Cons:
acne worsened dramatically since treatment, new spots in places where i was clear before (cheek, side of face, jawline)
risky! it sounds like it works for other people, but it certainly made my skin worse.
April 19, 2008
Pros:
none
Cons:
Caused triple size area of redness, hyperpigmentation and itchy flaky spots.
I am 5 weeks post laser resurfacing of 3 brown spots on my face. It looks so much worse, much bigger and because the laser went too deep, it will leave scars and i dont know if it will ever be gone. I am very upset and depressed and before, with a little concealer and foundation, no one even knew i had brown spots. Now, no matter how i try to cover it(the surface is uneven and flaky) it looks really bad so that i just cover it with bandaids to go out. I have tried aloe, vit E, mederma, 2% hydroquine creams, calendula, moisterizer, vaseline, on the spot and it doesnt change.
March 31, 2008
Pros:
dries out skin effectively
Cons:
too expensive, somewhat painful, did not clear the acne
I had 7 lasers done over the course of 4 months. the treatment was only a little painful, something that can be tolerated. my dermatologist said my cysts decreased in size, but the majority of my acne is still there.
January 19, 2008
Pros:
Brown age spots are much lighter.
Cons:
Expensive. Texture of skin looks worse. Crepe paper. New wrinkles around mouth and eyes that weren't there before.
Paid for 4 treatments for a total of $3400. I've done two, and I don't think I'm going to finish the other two, because I think it's making the wrinkles and texture of skin worse.
December 16, 2007
Pros:
none
Cons:
-expensive
-painful
-ineffective
I only went for two treatments before deciding to stop. For one, the treatments are extremely painful. The procedure feels like someone is snapping a rubber band on your face (repeatedly) and in my case, didn't yield results worth $250 per treatment. There are newer technologies available to dermatologists which are more effective. I went for these treatments about four years ago. Save your money.
December 15, 2007
Pros:
none
Cons:
it was a total waste of money
it cost me 2k. i looked horrendous for months. i can't notice any noticeable difference AT ALL.
December 9, 2007
It was my second intensive treatment, the machine kept cutting out and I wonder if this was a factor or had the machine been put on the wrong frequency because a few days later I ended up with the most awful eruptions - I had never had acne this bad before - pustules upon painful pustules and I remained like this for three months of the summer of 2005 - working with a bandaged chin and no social life! Two years down the line I am now experiencing another bout of terrible eruptions in one of those very sites - I am on 2000mg of antibiotics presently, bandaged chin again. I know this laser damaged my skin and intend to get it checked out. If the pain and the unsightly looking afflicted area bad enough I have concerns that there could be more sinister effects of this treatment. Whatever you do - stay away from the N-light laser treatment - please!
September 23, 2007
I finished my course of treatment a while ago and have to say that there is no improvement in my skin at all. I feel that I have wasted my money, and that my desperation for clear skin has been exploited. I have more spots than I had before the treatment, and they have spread to areas of my face that used to be relatively clear. I would recommend that people think very carefully before trying n-lite, as it is a lot of money for very little result. I suspect that the clinic relies on the effectiveness of the Jan Marini products that it prescribes and that the n-lite is a con. I was suspicious of the products at first as they were quite harsh, but I have recently started to use them properly and have to say that they work quite well. You might as well just buy the products and use them, as I am fairly sure that the treatment itself is of no benefit whatsoever.
Pros:
50%improvement