Photodynamic Therapy

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Photodynamic therapy is a more intense form of light therapy that includes first topically applying a photosensitizing agent that makes the skin more...

Photodynamic therapy is a more intense form of light therapy that includes first topically applying a photosensitizing agent that makes the skin more sensitive to light, and then applying medical-grade light therapy to the skin. It is thought to work primarily by reducing the size and activity of skin oil (sebaceous) glands.

The procedure is usually performed multiple times (up to 5) in weekly or biweekly intervals. Results are usually seen 1 to 2 weeks after the procedure and your skin will continue to improve after your last session.

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JO***

February 15, 2015

so far so good

I am 48 and have been suffering with severe acne since I was 12. Birth control helped tremendously but gave me severe migraines. I've been on many different topicals such as tazorac, differin, epiduo, clindimycin, (please excuse my spelling) Retin A, the list goes on and on. I've been on antibiotics my whole life on and off but they often lost their effectiveness, or caused gastrointestinal problems. I've had many different laser treatments such as cool touch, smoothbeam, all with disappointing results. I've tried to control my diet with whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, avoided processed foods, white flour, sugar, all the bad stuff. I've had chemical peels, microdermabrasion monthly still without the result I was looking for. I really thought at my age I would be done with this by now. I have to say that I believe there is hope now but I'm not sure it's with the PDT. Please bear with me as I tell you my story: I just finished my second PDT treatment with similar results that were posted: sunburnt skin, purging breakouts, peeling, worse than ever acne, ect. While going through the process I felt like I needed to research other answers as my awful appearance motivated me to do so. It occurred to me that inflammation has been said to exacerbate acne. I started googling the subject of inflammation and came across an author that wrote a book and designed an app in order to assign each food an inflammatory rating either positive or negative. A negative number is for inflammatory foods. The higher the number the more inflammatory it is. A positive number is for anti inflammatory foods, the higher the number the more anti inflammatory. I bought the app and started eating the most anti inflammatory diet I could. It should be noted that foods you may think are anti inflammatory such as blueberries actually have a negative rating. They aren't bad for you. They have a lot of antioxidants but for whatever reason they are given a negative rating and considered inflammatory. One of the highest rated foods was cod liver oil with a positive rating of 1,061 for a tablespoon. Other foods with very high ratings were raw ginger, turmeric, garlic powder, anchovies, and many others. Since I started eating this way my skin has improved greatly! One could argue it's the PDT treatment (I'm sure my dermatologist would), but my skin didn't start improving until i starting eating in this way. As i researched, I came across someone helping to promote fermented cod liver oil to "cure" acne. I put two and two together and realized that the reason it might have helped some people is because of the high anti inflammatory properties that I found cod liver oil had on my food app. The name of the app is IF Tracker [Removed]. I really think eating this way could actually be the answer for me. I will continue PDT treatments since it's possible they could be what is actually helping my skin, but my gut is telling me that it's eating a high anti inflammatory diet. Whatever the answer is, my skin never looked better and I couldn't be happier! I hope this helps someone because no one knows better than me how difficult it can be living with severe acne.

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Ava51

September 15, 2012

Pros:

Reduced oilyness for about 3 months, & I really had oily skin then

corrected a permently lightened scar on my brown African American skin..I'm thankful for this, if nothing else!!!

Reduced breakouts for about 3 months

Cons:

Very expensive, $500 per treatment
Tanned my face abbout 2 shades darker
Not sure this is for black people

I only got one treatment, maybe it would have worked after all 3.

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o0hmaig0d

November 10, 2010

Pros:

Less oil production.

Cons:

Like most things there's downtime - expect a day in mild stinging, you break out (whiteheads ahh! and they hurt more than the actual treatment) during the course of healing, a couple days of tightness, a week or more of peeling, redness until fades.

Don't expect anything but a decrease in oil production. If you're like me it's worth what its made for: shutting your sebaceous glands up! (decrease oil production) What's "like me" ??!: Pale, insanely oily (as in every hour you need one of those blotting sheets), large pores, lots of blemishes, like if I breakout it leaves a mark every time for like a whole year or longer, scarring, recently hormonal breakouts (during PMS then clears up just in time for next PMS), some cysts (from excess oil), skin is so sensitive I can touch my face with water and I'll break out. It helped with the oiliness so I am assuming in the long run it will help with cysts, I think I will need half as many blotting papers which is awesome, I will still break out because of my hormones so I won't be completely new-blemish free. It doesn't seem to be helping with any other issue I have. Skins smoother after the peeling ends because hello I just shed a layer, but other than that there's nothing left to do but take care of it as best I can and hope that my make up for work doesn't ruin the process I just went through. One thing that bothered me was that I don't get whiteheads and I got some, maybe a dozen, and little tiny spots here and there. The white heads hurt and it was as if they were getting pushed out of my face by the treatment. But eventually it goes away. They will tell you it will help with other things like some conditions I have, but thats not what its made for so just go in knowing that you will clean the oil spills, which I think is really important to start off with.

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Kelley

December 3, 2009

Pros:

My skin is so much softer/smoother and less break-outs.
I definitely recommend it though. It works better than anything else I've tried and I've tried basically everything.

Cons:

Downtime of course. Can't leave the house for a week or more.

My first time I let the levulan sit on my skin for 2 hours. Went under the blue light for about 8 minutes. Second time, sat for 2 hours. I think I went under the blue light for just a little longer than the 8 minutes. I'm seeing results, slowly but surely. I have severe acne scars. I've had acne my whole life since around 6th grade and now I'm 19. I just got done with my 3rd session about 3 days ago. It was way more intense than the other times. I waited 3 hours before going to the blue light and I couldn't handle the blue light very well at all this time. It was excruciating. Much different than the other times. I don't even know how long I took it. It couldn't have been more than 4 minutes, but I think it's because I waited 3 hrs instead of 2. My dermatologist said I also may have been more sensitive cause I was on my period. My face was on fire the rest of the day/night. But now it's calmed down and I'm just waiting for it to start peeling again.

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silver

November 14, 2009

Pros:

It helped improved the cystic acne.

Cons:

I still get break outs, but it is not as hard to get rid of as before the treatment. Extremely red for the first few days, and there was no significant difference with the scars after the treatment.

Before the treatment, I was about to go on Accutane, but my dermatologist recommended Levulan Light Treatment, because it "supposedly" have the same results. I have never been on Accutane, so I don't have any connections whatsoever on which is better. I used to get huge cystic acne, and MANY dented scars on my cheeks, but after the treatment, the cystic dissappeared completely. I still get break outs, but it usually goes away in 2-4 days. The redness became worst, but it improved after 5 months. Sadly, the dented scars did not improve so much. I have done this treatment 3 times.

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P.A.A

November 10, 2009

Pros:

After a few weeks my skin was noticeably smoother and my acne did clear up as well as the hyper-pigmentation. I did this treatment to help smooth out the acne scars from the past acne issues I used to have.

Cons:

Treatment process is long. About 1 hour in incubation then about 8 minutes in the light treatment depending on your case. You are extremely sensitive to light and may peel for 1-3 days and may have an uneven skin tone for a few weeks.You need Makeup!

This is a costly procedure. Fortunately, my work insurance paid 95% of the fees. The part I truly hated was the peeling and the sensitivity to light that I felt for several weeks. Even though you may go out in the light after 48 hours. I would recommend getting this treatment in the summer. Also the peeling was extremely uncomfortable for me. I didn't peel in the problem areas I was hoping to cure (cheeks) but on my chin and sides of my face and a little on the forehead. I remember peeling so deep that I was all itchy and said I would not do this again. I had to apply a lot of cream and applied a cloth to my face which I dampened and left to freeze in the freezer. But I'm now considering trying it another time and asking the doc to focus on my cheeks. I'll let you know how it goes!

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careexpert27

November 2, 2009

Pros:

It helped my cyctic acne calm down alot. I still break out but they are not as big as before. My face seems alot smoother.

Cons:

Too expensive and not as effective as I was hoping for.

I had this done 5 times, once a month. My derm used a ppx laser to activate the levulan so I set in a room for 3-4 hours then she went over my face twice with the laser. It was painful in some spots but it was over so fast it wasn't too bad. I did not peel but maybe 2 times. It made my scars less noticeable and my face a lot smoother. I still break out every month but it's not the HUDGE cystic acne I am use to. For the price of this treatment I thought it would have really cleared up all of my acne which it did not. I would not pay more than $150 for this treatment.

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Sarah

September 27, 2009

Pros:

Don't know yet.. just had it done yesterday.

Cons:

Ouch... burning, itching, and this crap better work!!

Over the last few years, my 28 year old self has had horrible breakouts... I recently went to the derm, and she said this would work... It is very intensive. Got microdermabrasion 1st, then sat for 2 hours with the med on my face, and 16 min under the light... Thank GOD for the cooling air tube on my face during the treatment. It wasn't comfortable at all, and I found myself shaking from the pain. After, it kinda gets worse, but the 2nd day it feels a little better... whiteheads have come up, but I hope they slow down. I am taking Doryx antibiotic as well...so hopefully this is the only time I have to do this!

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Kat

August 7, 2009

Pros:

Can see it getting rid of the existing acne I had when I went in, dark spots seem to be peeling off.

Cons:

Really expensive...how did everyone else on here get it for around $300??? Burning sensation pretty bad during light treatment. Have to stay indoors. My face is very itchy!!

I am on day 3 after the treatment. The first day it burned pretty bad, and the second day I went outside for less than 30 seconds to chase after my dog and it felt like someone had held a flame to my face. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE for 24 HOURS AFTERWARD. Now my face is very itchy and peeling and lots of whiteheads around the problem areas of my cheeks and chin and around my mouth. I just hope it purges everything quickly and gets better and does not cause more acne. I don't know if I can afford another treatment at the same place I went, $550 a time is super expensive for my budget.

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Kate

August 2, 2009

Pros:

I have done two of these treatments so far and am going in for a 3rd tomorrow, nearly two years since my first. I have to say, it really helps with the cysts, oil, scaring, and pore size, and I am luclky to have my insurance covering most of it.

Cons:

Of course the downtime. But in perspective - it is worth it a hundred times over. What's 4-7 days of downtime for months of skin that is clearer? It is VERY worth it. What helped me a lot was using a cool compress on my face when the pain flared up.

In my case, I am unable to take Accutane safely with my other medications and this was the alternative. When I first tried it I was horrified at how my skin looked in the days following - but for the second treatment I simply took down my mirror for the week & it helped a ton! In the long run, it helps with so many more things than other acne treatments and I am able to get my cysts to a manageable level - less than 3 a month - which is amazing in comparison to the three to four a day. Please consider trying this treatment if you feel like you are in a downward spiral of acne, but also realize that you have to be able to commit to the recovery period - do NOT jeopardize this expensive treatment by trying to recover faster. Also, for those of you with bad cystic acne who are unable to have your insurance cover the treatment, try talking with your dermatologist about communicating with your provider that this is not simply a vanity treatment, but one for the pain that come

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