What is Acne?

Acne is a common skin condition characterised by clogged pores and spots. Although acne is rarely a serious medical condition, it often causes emotional stress and can lead to scarring of the skin.

What is Acne Phototherapy?

Acne Phototherapy helps to destroy the acne bacteria that cause infection and which lead to formation of spots.

How does Acne Phototherapy work?

During the procedure, pulses of intense light send a particular wave-length of light into the skin. It is delivered from a hand piece and will cover a small area of the skin at a time. The treatment involves a series of short exposures over the area of skin being treated.

The pulses of light kill the acne bacteria, reducing breakouts and stopping the infection from spreading.

Acne Phototherapy also helps to stimulate collagen formation. This helps boost the healing process and the decreased likelihood of acne scars developing.

Who is Rosacea Phototherapy suitable for?

Both men and women of any age can benefit from the treatment. However, this procedure cannot be carried out on persons under the age of eighteen. You should NOT have Acne Phototherapy is you are pregnant, breast feeding, suffer from epilepsy or if you have taken Roaccutane in the last 12 months.

How long does treatment take?

Treatment time is normally around 20 minutes.

Is it painful?

A local anaesthetic is not required. Most people only experience mild discomfort.

There is sometimes a slight swelling and redness straight after treatment, which settles within a few hours.

When will I notice a difference?

There should be a gradual reduction in breakouts with each treatment. An improvement is often seen the day following treatment. A course of six sessions is sometimes recommended.

How long will the effects last?

In some cases the effect is permanent, although this is not true for everybody. Some patients require ‘top-ups’ a couple of times a year. In some cases the treatment may be unsuccessful and no guarantee can be made as to the success of treatment.

How many times can I have Acne Phototherapy?

There is no limit to the number of treatments you can have. A complete course of treatments will normally consist of 8 sessions depending on the area being treated. Repeat treatments are normally carried out every 2-4 weeks. Once the course is complete, you may need top-up treatments a couple of times a year.

What happens Pre and Post-Treatment?

You will need to complete a medical questionnaire to ensure there are no reasons why you cannot receive treatment. After your treatment you will be given an after-care leaflet which tells you what to do in the first few hours after treatment.

You will normally be able to return to your usual daily activities after treatment.

Are there any adverse effects?

During treatment you may experience an itching sensation. Following treatment there may be some redness and small bumps around the treated area, but these will disappear within a few days. In rare cases there may be some localised bruising, scabbing and discolouring of the skin. This is usually temporary.