Acne.org Products
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:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
July 18, 2009
Cons:
MUST stay inside for at least 24 hours, 48 is better.
Expensive
After reading reviews, a lot of the problems people have with this are a result of not staying COMPLETELY out of the sun for the recommended time. If you do that, after two days your skin will be back to normal. I stayed inside for a full two days after all 3 of my treatments and it did help.
December 24, 2008
Pros:
helped clear up my acne by about 60-70%! My miracle!
Cons:
a little pricey, and you have to hibernate for a few days
Totally worth it! i did my "super blue light" treatment (thats what my derm calls it) 3 weeks ago today. I had a moderate case of acne and most of it was cystic acne. Since i had the treatment, i havent had even one of those big painful pimples! i had a couple baby whiteheads while i was healing from it (the first 3 days), and a couple little pimples since. Huge improvement! I went in today for my follow up and the dr thought i was wearing makeup! woohoo!
It sucked having to stay inside those first 48 hours. i had it done on a tuesday morning. Tuesday night i was feeling pretty sunburned, but not bad enough to use the aloe they gave me. All day Wednesday i was pink, but not red. By Thursday i could have put makeup on and gone outside, but i opted to stay inside one more day (luckily i have that option). Friday i was able to put on my normal makeup. I was a little flakey, but not bad. I dont think anyone even noticed.
This was my miracle!
January 3, 2008
Pros:
Worked very well for me.
Cons:
Redness and swelling for 3-4 days. Does not "cure" acne but merely substantially reduces it for 1-5 years.
Most of the reviewer who are dissatisified with PDT had it for less than 48 hours and fewer than 3 treatments. For most people with a significant acne problem, 3-4 treatments will be needed. Furthermore, the optimal effects of PDT shows only after 3-6 months. Here are my recommendations. 1)Budget at least 2-3 PDT treatments (4 if you have a real bad acne problem) spaced 2-4 weeks apart. A single PDT treatment rarely cures acne. A competitive price for most regions is around $500/treament.
2)Get a microdermabrasion prior to the treatment. It substatiallly increases the effectiveness of Levulan. You can get a home Microdermabrasin kit for around $35.
3)Your acne will get worse before it gets better. Do not panic or write a review in the first 3-4 weeks.
4)You may want to get a PDT treatment every 1-2 years to make sure your acne does not come back. Presently, there is no permanent solution to acne.
5)PDT is hardly painful and is very temporary.
March 2, 2013
Pros:
-baby smooth skin a week after
-shrinks pore size
-decreases breakouts substantially
-easy treatment method
Cons:
-although I work in dermatology and get these Levulan treatments for free, they normally are very expensive without insurance.
-moderate redness for several days after treatment
If you have the money an have stubborn acne, go for it. Or if you can get your health insurance to pay for it, do it! It's amazing! And can take years off of your skin in the process of helping your acne. My skin is BEAUTIFUL after the treatments. I've tried all topical acne meds, Accutane, antibiotics, etc. and Levulan is truly the best.
July 9, 2010
Pros:
Acne reduction.
Cons:
Not sure yet
I just had Levulan Blu Light PDT on my face TODAY!!! I am 30 yrs old battling cystic acne since I was 15...Ive tried accutane 3x, antibiotics, tazarac, you name it, ive tried it...Accutane at ages 19, 21, 23 and yes, it cleared up my chest and back and forehead, and it worked while I was on it but it frigged up my eyesight!! but now at 30, my derm put me on aldactone 100mg a day bcz I get hormonal cysts on my cheeks and OUCH cortosone injections every month,( My prblem is hormonal and genetic bcz my mother had bad skin adn I break out BAD right before my menstrual period.) Well its time I took it up a notch so I read all your reviews and I started levulan blu light today..I have to do 3 more treatments, my last one will be on October 22. So I had the nurse clean my face with accetone, then she applied the stick of levulan and I "incubated" for 1 hr and 10 min and it stung and it burned and my face looked RED..then she put me under the blu light for 15min. It was burning but nothing crazy...I took a vicodine and she had a fan on my face the whole time. Right now i feel like I have a bad sun burn, they gave me some aquaphor and other anti itch ointment to put on, but I just did this today so I will keep everyone posted..I am soooo hopeful this will clear me up because I cried so much hoping this will work..15 years battling acne is not fun. It has taken a huge toll on me, emotionally. Wish me luck!!
June 2, 2016
How did your skin turn out?
July 11, 2009
Pros:
I just had my second treatment today so I am waiting for the results - I have had less breakouts since my first tratment
Cons:
staying indoors for a whole weekend - but after 113 years with acne - totally worth it.
I read a lot of posts on this site about using the levulan and blue light treatment. I have to say the recovery was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be - granted everyone is different. After my first treatment I looked sunburned later that evening and the following day. By the end of the second day and definitely by the third morning you couldn't tell I had had treatment. During the first 24-48 hours I avidly applied moisturizer, ice and ran from the sun like a vampire - I think it made a large impact on the ease of my recovery. I didn't peal or have any hyper pigmentation.
I am on day 1 of my second treatment (this time they kept me in the levulan for 75 minutes instead of 60) I feel a little warmer than usual and I hope to see some real results. My doc said it typically takes 2-3 times to see a significant difference.
November 16, 2008
Pros:
My skin did a complete 360! few to no pimples, scarring decreased, less shiny and less oily.
Cons:
Downtime. The first day your skin is very red and burns! The second day is better, very very red but doesnt burn as much and will start to feel stiff. The third day your skin will peel and is uncomfortable but not unbearable. But it gets better!
Improved my incessant acne. I'm on the second day of my second treatment. After the first treatment, my skin had already improved significantly! I mean, 0 to 1 pimples at max compared to 10-12. Hopefully this will be my last treatment. The recovery is quite umcomfortable and unsighly, but it definetely worth the cost and recovery time. Plus my medical insurance covers nearly half of the treatment
July 24, 2009
Pros:
It really works. Without the horrible side effects of accutane
Cons:
it's expensive. 4-5 days of downtime
Levulon with Blue Light WORKS-- WORKS.
I was on accutane and it worked for a little while but the clogged oily skin came back and it didn't get rid of the pitting and scars. Blue Light takes a few treatments. My skin got really ugly during the time of healing. It peeled, it oozed, really terrible oil came out. It looked like a terrible sun burn for about 4 days. But the results are more amazing than accutane. I had bad side effects from accutane-- joint pain, floaters in my eyes that still have not gone away. It messes with your thyroid. I can't believe the insurance will not cover a superior treatment like Blue Light with Levulon.
July 2, 2008
Pros:
cleared up all acne- my face was perfect
Cons:
not a long term solution
I had the last of 3 treatments 7 months ago. my skin looked great after the treatments. but about a month after that- i started having the worst acne of my life- leaving behind huge scars- which i never had before these treatments. i am not sure whether this is hormonal or actually linked to the levulan blue light. did anyone else experience worse acne after the treatments than they had before? has anyone heard of a link between these treatments and your acne getting worse?
October 5, 2007
Pros:
My skin seems smoother, scarring is better, less oily, and pores look a little smaller
Cons:
Redness for about 2 days, and peeling for about 7 days
Im almost 40 and have had acne since I was a teenager. I've tried everything, antibiotics, accutane 2 times, CO2 laser, prescriptions, soaps, lotions, expensive, inexpensive etc... I wasnt going to try the levulan because nothing has ever worked for me. But since its supposed to give you similar results as accutane, but without all the bad side effects, I thought it would be worth a try.
I didnt exeperience any discomfort while sitting with the levulan on my face (sat for 1 hour 15 minutes) But did have some discomfort once I got under the blue light (sat for 17 minutes) it really burned. My face was red for about 2 days afterward and then the peeling started for about 5 days. I had the treatment on Thurs eve and returned to work Monday. I was able to wear makeup, but it was hard to apply with all that dry skin and peeling. Its been about a week now, and my skin is much smoother, scars are less, Im less oily and pores are smaller. I'll probably get another treatment next mon
Pros:
Helped to clear skin.