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.
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
September 11, 2018
Temporary moderate results
I suffer from cystic acne and have sensitive, but oily skin. After receiving 4 smoothbeam treatments, I didn't notice any results at first. However, after a month or so after my final treatment, once the acne I had started to clear, I experienced a noticeable reduction in new cysts, specifically on my forehead (where I am oiliest). I also suffer from pretty severe hormonal acne along my jawline, which I don't believe the treatments helped much. It has been ~5-6 months since my last laser and I was getting quite oily again in my t-zone and suddenly got a cystic breakout on my forehead (about 2-3 cysts, which is still much less than I would experience prior to laser treatments). I knew that my aesthetician mentioned maintenance treatment after about 6 months, so last week I went in for another smoothbeam treatment. Already, my skin is much less oily and my forehead breakout has cleared up. I want to emphasize that I do not think smoothbeam is a cure-all but it may be a solution for a very specific skin-type and type of acne.
September 13, 2012
Cons:
slow process
expensive products that i have been advised to use alongside treatments
N-lite comes in 3 treatments. increasing the power each time. i have just finished my second treatment. The treatment itself is not painful maybe a slight bit uncomfortable on my cystic spots. However, my acne is very painful anyways
August 6, 2011
Sorry, me again! Judge to add that 4 days after n lite I have four nasty sores on my face where spots had been. Hoping these will clear soon, just thought I'd mention this side effect too. Im hoping it's a simple case of getting worse before it gets better! Xx
June 5, 2011
Pros:
Smoother skin, gets rid of acne.
Cons:
This is not a long term solution.
Leaves the skin irritated and red for a few hours/days depending on how sensitive or how bad your acne is.
Very expensive.
I had had acne on my face for around five years during which time the acne had progressively got worse until it covered all of my face except some parts of my forehead. The spots seemed to grow on top of each other making my skin extremely painful to live with. I leaned about the N-Lite treatment watching television and thought I would try it considering by that time I had tried everything the Doctors could throw at me (creams, lotions, tablets etc, etc, etc...). I went to a very nice clinic in Nottingham. I was told for the N-Lite to take full effect I would have to have many treatments, so I booked in bulk. I think it was by the third treatment that I noticed a difference. The spots were still there, especially on my cheeks which was the worst area, but they were not as bad. There were definitely no results after the first time. After a few more treatments, the spots on my chin had gone and my skin was so much smoother. I felt better in myself and had more confidence. Anyway, the bottom line with N-Lite is that it's great when you are having the treatments constantly but as soon as you stop them the acne will come back. You only treat the external problems with this treatment and not the inner ones. Also, the scars left behind by the acne will still be there meaning that the clinic will say that you need another type of treatment to get rid of the scars. More money. I still have spots on my cheeks and chin but the harsh acne has gone. It seems like the treatment lulled me into a false sense of security and to be honest the whole thing was so costly that I'm not sure it was worth it. Now I know that it would have been better to be learning other kinder ways to help my skin rather than taking the quick and short term solution.
November 23, 2009
Pros:
5% improvement from the first treament.
Cons:
Nothing negative to say about it so far because Ive only had one treatment.
I will post a final review after all my treatments are done, but here is what I can say for now: I reall thought my face was going to be red after the first treament but no, no redness whatsoever. I did have minor swelling though, but that disappeared after 3 hours. I did see a minor improvement right after the treatment and I cant wait until Im done with all treatments.
October 1, 2009
Pros:
It did clear up my breakouts, but who knows what it will do in a couple months from now.
Cons:
Told me the redness would only be a couple hours after treatment.Its been 3 days & Im BEYOND red,burnt&bruised.I called them today,& they want to see me as soon as I get out of work.I cant believe I worked for the past 3 days looking like this!!!
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't have severe acne because their face may turn out like mine. All of this redness, bruising, burntness......I don't even know if it's going to go away. It looks the same as when the treatment was finished, except much worse. Hopefully they will figure out something for my face tonight.
September 22, 2009
Pros:
Only thing that has truly worked for me (in combination with topical treatments and Spiro)
Cons:
Expensive
I've had acne since I was in my early teens and I'm now almost 30. I've tried everything from antibiotics to accutane to lotions etc etc. N lite is the only thing that has worked for me. I now wash with Cetaphil morning and night followed by Zindaclin in the morning and Retina in the evening. I go for regular N lite laser treatments (every 2-3months) and also take low doses of Spiro. This has cleared up my acne (which was very severe), reduced redness and improved texture of my skin. It's reduced the look/colour of red scars. I use mineral make up which I think works really well for acne prone skin.
July 30, 2009
Pros:
After 5 sessions of of Smoothbeam (immediately followed by V-Beam) laser my face was totally clear! I only needed minimal skin care to keep it looking great. I had clear skin for 2 years.
Cons:
Very expensive (about $350 per session for full face), can be painful, I couldn't go anywhere the rest of the day after having a treatment because of redness (which was gone the next day). It's not permanent (lasts about 1-2 years).
I'm 30, and while I had acne as a teenager it didn't get very bad until my mid 20s. This was the first treatment I had that really worked (after trying many treatments, prescriptions, etc.). I went to the Baylaser Clinic in Toronto. The doctor who administered treatment told me it wasn't permanent, and I'd need maintenance treatments about every 1.5 yrs. In the last 2 months (2 years after the last session) my acne has returned full force. I've started another round of treatments with the same doctor and laser clinic. I've recently realized that my acne is a symptom of an underlying hormonal disorder (with which I'm in the process of being diagnosed - possibly PCOS). So while I'm treating the acne again with the laser treatment, I will also be actively trying to get to the root cause and treating that. So, if you can afford this treatment I do recommend it. You must stick with it for all the sessions. Find a clinic that has a medical doctor administer the treatment.
July 11, 2009
Pros:
smoother skin (temporarily)
covered by insurance
effectively treated acne while getting treatments
Cons:
redness and swelling 1-3 days after (only 2 of 4 treatments)
Once laser treatments were stopped, acne returned
The sunbeam/vbeam worked great while being treated (aside from the inconveniences of taking off of work, etc). However, my dermatologist was able to get my insurance to cover the laser treatment by writing a letter stating that I had tried numerous accutane treatments and they were not effective.. In the year since I finished my 4 treatments and my skin atarted to break out again a month or two after my last treatment. Ironically, I actaully then ended up going back on accutane because that has longer lasting results and less side effects (at least for me) than the laser did. If you can get your insurance to pay for the treatments I would recommend them, but if you have to pay for it I would probably say its not worth it, unless you have unlimited funding or something. IMO it seems like this is for maintenance rather than treatment.
July 5, 2009
Pros:
Skin feels really smooth.
Cons:
Still getting oily skin which causes my breakouts.
I am 23 years old and have had moderate acne since I was 15 years old. I mainly breakout around the chin, neck line where I shave, forehead, and corner of nose (t-zone areas) because my skin produces way too much oil. I am planning to do 3 smoothbeam treatments at $250 piece six weeks apart. I have had one treatment so far at a medium setting with multiple passes. I did not experience any pain during my first treatment ( it actually felt pretty cool). My skin is looking better, however, I am still one oily son of a b**ch, and I constantly have to use those oil absorbing pads or else my face shines like a star. I thought this was suppose to reduce oil (which is the main reason I got the treatment). Hopefully, after a couple of months and treatments I will start to notice the oil reducing. I am looking forward to my 2nd and 3rd treatments as I think my skin will only get better. I hope this works!!! I will post a couple of weeks after my 2nd treatment.
Pros:
Have seen an improvement