Phototherapy
Acne.org’s Real World Take
PDT as it’s called is an incredibly painful procedure, but one that may produce lasting results. It’s a less invasive option than isotretinoin for severe acne that doesn’t cause so many potentially lifelong side effects. However, it works by permanently disabling skin oil glands, and what happens long term when you do that remains 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 Photodynamic Therapy? Rate It:
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August 30, 2010
Cons:
1 week downtime- serious painful redness and peeling. Treatment itself is painful while the Levulan is activated by light.
Expensive, but worth it if you can afford it.
August 12, 2010
Pros:
Skin less oily
Pimples even if they appear, are so small and not that much as before.
Acne scars diminished a lil bit
Cons:
3 days of ugly face
So i have been reading these reviews and finally decided to have one myself. I have hormonal acne ( i'm 25,f) and lot of acne scars, ice picks and so on, oily skin.... you name it I had it. So before trying laser I gave it a chance and sooo happy I did. If you're like me desperate and every dollar counts, try this you shouldn't be disappointed. Skin is so much better. Do it on friday, so on monday you would be ready to go to work. Redness for the first 2-3 days and then peeling starts. But it's so worth it!!!!
Before you concider laser try this. I'm going back for 2nd appointment on satturday.
Good luck to all of you!
July 23, 2010
Pros:
It works when nothing else does!
Cons:
Not cheap;
uncomfortable;
takes at least a week to recover
Levulan is the latest treatment I have used in my decades-long battle with acne. I tried everything under the sun: topicals, oral antibiotics, Accutane (twice), and the acne persisted. I tried Murad, which was expensive and ineffective; and I was ferociously allergic to ProActiv (probably the benzoyl peroxide). I had my hormones tested, altered my diet, tried meditation, visualization; you name it, I've probably done it. The breakouts had been worsening lately, including cysts. Even photofacials did not make much of a difference.
Levulan is supposed to shut down the sebaceous glands that create acne. The reviews on Levulan are mixed, but leaning toward positive results, so I decided to get the treatment late last month.
You will definite need at least a week to heal. No sunlight allowed! (You will be hypersensitive to sun exposure and at greater risk for skin damage, pigmentation and swelling). During my appointment, I had the Levulan on my face for about an hour, and then had the light procedure. Afterwards, my face stung. It was uncomfortable but not intolerable. I made the mistake of drinking coffee before my appointment'"it will make you more sensitive to the pain. The next day, my face was very pink, puffy, scabby, blotchy, and even blistered in small areas. I was forewarned, so it was not upsetting or shocking to me. Be prepared to look pretty bad for a few days while your skin works to heal itself. Three days later, the swelling was nearly gone and my skin was less pink, but I had lots of dark pigmentation. My face looked like mottled French toast. Four days after, I experienced significant peeling. Still looked scary. A week and a half after the procedure, most of the peeling was over.
A month later, I am happy with the results'"my skin is MUCH softer & clearer. As a veteran of nearly every product on the market, I only wish that this procedure had existed when I was a teen'"it would have spared many of us years of frust
May 7, 2010
Pros:
Reduces pimples and excess oil, improves skin tone. I don't wear any make-up anymore!!! I feel confident and beautiful now.
Cons:
Skin looks REALLY bad for about two weeks: scabs, dry flakey skin, redness, splotchy color, and painfully sensitive spots. I was terrified at first! But it goes away.
This treatment works! My skin is almost flawless now. But if you plan on getting the treatment or just had it done, you must know what to expect. Plan to not show your face in public for a while! Your skin looks TERRIBLE for about two weeks after the treatment while it heals. It gets worse before it gets better. You may experience scabbing, bumps, more acne, redness, dry/flakey skin. I expeienced ALL of this! At this stage, I felt so self concious and I was terrified that this is how my skin would look forever! But it goes away to reveal beautiful skin. The second time around, I used AcneFree Severe System retinol ointment and it cut the healing time in half! The retinol promotes skin cell repair and regeneration. It does make your skin peel more when you first start but that's part of the rejuvenation process. I also used Vinegar, it helps balance the pH of your skin, promotes circulation, and is a natural antiseptic so your skin doesn't get infected. Smells awful but works wonders! Wash your face with a mild soap, don't scrub, be gentle!
Pat dry.
Soak a cotton ball with vinegar and apply to face. It will sting, so beware!
Let your skin dry for 15 minutes then put the retinol ointment on.
Let that soak in for about 5 minutes and then use a very good sensitive skin moisturizer!
Keep your skin well moisturized! I put lotion on about every half hour just to keep my skin from scabbing. I used Jergens Ultra Healing during the day and baby oil gel at night for EXTRA hyration.
Don't go out into the sun. This will FRY your skin and make it hurt and look worse! Use the highest SPF you can find, if you must go outside. Anyway, good luck and hang in there! :)
April 29, 2010
Pros:
Will clear acne, reduce hyperpigmentation and discoloration, removes sun damage underneath your skin
Cons:
Can make you break out at first (gets worse before it gets better), the day after the treatment is painful, skin looks weird for 4-5 days
bottom line, this will work. You may need more than one treatment, and it may cause you to breakout for a week or so after getting the treatment done, but it will work. IF you have only just barely had this treatment and have not fully recovered, or if you have not given it enough time, please dont review this. YES is will be nasty for a few days to a week, YES it might get worse before it gets better, but it DOES work, and those of you on here complaining when your only your 4th day in are just wasting everyones time and ruining the reviews for something that really does work!! Talk to your dermatologist/aesthetician, and try this out. Just make sure you have a couple weeks before any major event so your skin can recover. Oh, it was $350 per treatment where I went. So it isnt all that expensive.
March 23, 2010
Pros:
It took pretty much all of my acne away. I went from having moderate-severe acne to light and under. The treatment isnt very painfull when your under the bluelight. I dont wash my face very often and since i have gotten this treatment i dont wash my face and it has hardly any acne.
Cons:
The after math is extremly painful. The first day it is just red and a little bit inflamed. The second day your face is is very red and sensitive. The third day my face was starting to scab over and become hard. I coudnt open my mouth very wide on this day. The third it starts peeling. Redness being to fade on the fourth day. Fifth you can see the acne and scrs have left your face as you peeled.
This is my third treatment and my doctor said i wont need the fourth because my skin looks so good. After trying every drug store product and salcitic acid peels and a handfull of over the counter products this is the only thing that really got rid of my acne for good. I believe that most people should get the same results i have gotten.
January 10, 2010
Pros:
Gets rid of acne, scars, redness, uneven texture
Cons:
A lot of downtime (must stay out of light), very expensive, time commitment, acne came back after months of not using it
Accutane got rid of my major cysts, but when i had my first blue light treatment my face was terribly broken out. After 4 treatments i was as clear as i had ever been. It lasted for a long time, but my face started getting worse eventually. Im sure if i had random treatments for upkeep i would have stayed clear. If you have the money, and dont mind a red, irritated, and sensitive for a couple of days, definitely do it!
August 3, 2009
Pros:
i am now doing my 2nd treatment, just got done sitting the 16 minutes, the first time i did it was about two months ago and it really cleared my skin up, reduced some redness and shrunk my pores....
Cons:
not being able to go out in public for about a week, the peeling, the burning.....but its not too bad. its DEF. worht it.
i could do 100 of these treatments, they are wonderful and not too painful, easy clearing of the skin!
June 24, 2009
Pros:
Clear, smoother, poor size reduced skin. I would do this again if I needed to. My skin never looked better and it's been 4 years sense the treatment and I have little to no acne issues.
Cons:
It's a little painful and the recovery time takes around 4 weeks. You MUST stay out of the sun completely the first week of treatment or it will activate again and burn you further. This can cause the scaring and intense pain some people talk about.
You MUST follow the instructions that the doctor provides you and stay out of the sun while recovering from the treatment. You should also expect to have severe brake out's after treatment because it's pushing ALL of your skins impurities to the surface all at once. I broke out for a good three weeks after but took very good care of my skin during this time. The pain was much like a bad sunburn but while I was home for three days after treatment I just used a small fan and a spray bottle of water to help cool my skin. It was worth it. Just like any procedure there could be some skin discoloration, however this heals with time as your skin rejuvenates it's self. I would suggest this for anyone with skin cancer or acne. My skin continues to look youthful and amaizing late into my 20's.
January 5, 2009
Pros:
I did the Levulan with a photo facials, two times. My face has been very clear for one year. I just recently started getting cysts. It is time to go back.
Cons:
It's kind of expensive. I spent $500 total so that comes to 42$ a month. It is well worth it!! The price has gone up since I did it last year.
I highly recommend it! The lazer feels like a rubberband snapping on your face. That part was not fun. The sun feels very hot on your face afterwards, even just reflections. It takes a few weeks for your face to look really good. I only had a tiny white head on occasion which is way better than the daily 5 plus cysts.
Pros:
Major improvement in skin texture, pore size and oilyness.