Blue Light Therapy And What We Need To Know About Acne

Blue light therapy is a popular noninvasive skin treatment is clinically shown to control acne vulgaris without harsh chemicals and improves the skin’s appearance. Blue LED light (blue light therapy) may also kill a type of bacteria that contributes to acne by causing inflammation.

In this article, we explore how blue light therapy works and who might be a good candidate. We also cover the possible side effects.

What you need to know about acne

Acne is a common skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles under the skin become plugged with oil, bacteria, dead skin cells and also dirt. Acne isn’t caused by dirty skin. In fact, scrubbing the skin too harsh with soaps or chemicals irritates the skin and can make acne worse.

It is the most common skin condition among teenagers in the United States, affecting more than 45 million individuals in the United States. For most people, acne tends to go away by the time they reach thirties, but some people in their forties and fifties continue to have acne skin problem. Acne is not dangerous, but it can leave skin scars.

Blue LED Light Therapy Acne Treatment

Blue LED light is most often used to treat acne. It may do this by reducing activity in the sebaceous glands, which are small oil-producing glands in the skin, so they produce less of the oil that can plug the hair follicles, leading to acne. Blue light may also kill acne-causing bacteria known as Cutibacterium acnes. Often blue and red light are used in combination to help fight acne — the blue light targeting the acne-causing bacteria and the red light targeting inflammation and redness. However, more research is needed to confirm that these lights are truly effective and that they produce lasting results.

How does it work?

The bacteria in acne release porphyrins. These are naturally occurring substances in the body, arising during the synthesis of of haem in red blood cells. When porphyrins absorb blue wavelength range of 405-420 nm, free radical damage is produced, and this destroys the bacteria. Blue light acne treatment uses a narrow-band, high-intensity blue light source that is readily absorbed by porphyrins released by the bacteria causing acne.

Side effects are generally minor and include:

• Swelling of the treated areas and dryness
• Temporary pigment changes

If self-care remedies don’t clear acne, you might see a doctor can prescribe stronger medications.