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Laser therapy is thought to work by inhibiting the activity of skin oil (sebaceous) glands, killing acne bacteria, and reducing inflammation.

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Laser therapy is thought to work by inhibiting the activity of skin oil (sebaceous) glands, killing acne bacteria, and reducing inflammation.

It is usually performed about 5 times in 2 to 4-week intervals.

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16.3%
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21.1%
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19.6%
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21.5%
1
21.5%

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February 10, 2008

Pros:

After just two treatments my skin cleared up for almost a year. It also firmed up my skin and softened fine lines so I looked a bit younger, so I was told. My skin looked and felt great.

Cons:

Expensive! I paid $300 a treatment at a high end Santa Monica Derm. Office. I should have continued with the treatments because now I have to start all over again. My skin has become excessively oily again and the break outs are flaring up.

It works better than any of the other treatments that I have tried, but I will probably have to have treatments every so often for the rest of my life to maintain clear skin. I don't think that it cures acne, but is a very effective temporary treatment. If the price were to come down a bit I probably would be treated more often in spite of the pain.
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January 30, 2008

Pros:

None

Cons:

Definitely the cost,raised hopes, travelling to clinic

Having suffered with acne for 30 + years,and tried everything there is to try,I truly believed this would end the years of torment.The operator came across with all this medical spiel and told me that this would DEFINITELY work, paid my £1200 for 6 sessions and was full of hope for an acne free future. 1st 3 sessions, came away with nothing but very red skin followed by huge cystic breakouts, told this was to be expected. 4th,5th treatment, no better, was told I should have glyclocic peels once a week .then it would work, hand over more hard earned money.At the end of all this, my acne is no better, probably worse, its cystic now, and I am still paying back the credit card bills. So very,very dissapointed.Since found out that it only works for about 40% of people, wish theyd told me that before I handed over the cash!
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December 22, 2007

Pros:

My skins is in really nice and fairly wrinkle free for someone 62. It could possibly be from the different treatments I had done, ie photo rejuv (did remove most brown spot, yag, and 2 fraxel treatments. But my skin was nice to begin with.

Cons:

Yag a waste of money. Fraxel disappointed in results with fine lines around eyes and mouth. Recovery longer and more painful than advertised

It seems to make more sense to do one tratment with a heavy duty laser like the co2and do one recovery than 5 treatments and 5 recoveries.
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December 11, 2007

Pros:

Um.....Um......nope

Cons:

The cost. The dashed hopes!

I can't speak for everyone but I think as with any acne treatment some things work for some people and not for others. I had to travel 2 hours each way to my nearest provider of NLite. It cost £150.00 a session. (A non refundable cost is also the £25.00 pre consultation - at your 1st session) The 'nurses' at the place I went to in Exeter were not particularly friendly either. Any way I had 1 treatment and was told to expect a breakout followed by improvement at 2 weeks. I had a breakout but no improvement. My 2nd session was at that 2 week mark. I was treated by a different girl who told me after the 2nd I could REALLY start to see improvement...my 3rd session was booked in for 4 weeks later. 3 days before, I cancelled as my skin had only become progressively worse! As I say I think for some it probably does work. I wasn't one of the luck ones though....NEXT? P.S. That 2nd treatment was about 2 months ago.
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November 21, 2007

Pros:

None after first treatment. I also had some cortisone injections into the cystic acne, so perhaps they are slightly less inflamed.

Cons:

Skin is red and tender from treatment and some breakout. The emotional stress of cystic acne probably doesn't help the cure.

No acne treatment has ever worked for me longterm. I am now in my mid 30s and have had acne on and off for years. It is now worse than ever with cystic acne on my jawline. This was my last resort as I started a treatment of accutane and was half way through the course when I went to another Dr who said that I shouldn't be on the Accutane for at least 6 months prior to having a baby. Therefore, fingers crossed this works, but I am skeptical.
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October 26, 2007
I had my first Nlite treatment today and am slightly alarmed. I was advised that the treatment would take 15 mins, but I was actually only on the table for 3 mins, at most! That seems like a very short period of time for a payment of £200! I questioned this and was told that the 15 mins they inform people about, actually inclues the chat they have with your prior to laying you down and putting the goggles on. Has anybody else, has good results, for such a short duration of time?! My next session is in 2 weeks time and I have to say that I am very dubious now! I will let you know how I get on.
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August 13, 2007

Pros:

when i was actually on the treatment, it seemed to work and there was no down time at all.

Cons:

now, about 5 months later, my acne's back like nothing ever happened.

my doctor probably wasn't the best, and i'm pretty sure i got ripped off bigtime. sit down if you're not already - the way my doctor charged me was 1,000 dollars per treatment ("as part of the procedure, i always do a microdermabrasion before") and i was charged for a numbing cream that i had to use or he wouldn't do the treatment on me. after my fifth of six treatments, he finally "remembered" to say "sometimes, when people don't get as many treatments as they need, it comes back" and apparently that was the case for me. make your doctor isn't a conniving piece of crap before you commit to this.
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July 14, 2007

Pros:

reduced the look of some scars

Cons:

MADE MY ACNE WORSE BIG TIME!

smoothbeam did, in fact, make my acne much worse than what is was pre-smoothbeam. i've had three total smoothbeams done by an excellent, well-known dermatologist in my area. very disappointed. i am now looking forward to starting accutane and seeing some real results. my advice, if you want to get rid of active acne, is to go straight to accutane and ditch the smoothbeam, which is an experimental piece of crap. also, i wouldn't have another treatment done if they paid me to have one.
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March 29, 2007

Pros:

I have not noticed many pros but then I may be too early to judge as I have only had two so far. Not that painful and no downtime.

Cons:

It is very expensive. It has also exasperated my acne. I am getting more cystic acne now.

I am a bit frustrated with the procedure. I have spent so much money on procedures over my life time to try to "cure" my acne and nothing has worked. I am 38 years old and still break out! I am hoping after the third or fourth time, I will notice a difference in oiliness, and cystic break outs. I will definately write back after my third treatment and update my opinion.
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February 11, 2007

Pros:

Quick?

Cons:

Expensive, slightly painful

I had my first treatment two weeks ago and have not seen any results. I instead have been breaking out even more. She concentrated on my chin since that is my "problem area" and that is where I am breaking out. And it is a pretty bad breakout too. But you "aren't suppose to see results until after your thrid treamtment" so I am keeping that in mind. I am hoping this is a treamtment where it "gets worse before it gets better." I will be sure to update after the second treamtent. I paid for three treatments and a chemical peel for $675. As far as pain goes, I applied the numbing cream ($50) an hour before, then a half hour before. This helped because it probably would be pretty painful without that. My doctor also used an icepack. The pain was no big deal if you have a tolerance for it. No changes where made in my skin - no extra redness, scarring, nothing. I look exactly the time, if not worse.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website