How Does Acne Laser Therapy Work
Acne laser therapy has been around now for the better part of 20 years. In that time it’s made significant strides to the point where today it’s definitely considered an effective acne treatment. But how does it work?
Acne forms in the lower layer of the skin called the dermis. That’s where excess oil and excess dead skin cells mix themselves into greasy clots that can plug our pores and produce blackheads, whiteheads, or even cysts. The topical acne cleansers and creams we use from the drug store attempt to break those clots apart and clean out our pores but even when they’re effective, they don’t attack the root causes.
Laser acne treatments on the other hand work by targeting the dermal layer of skin directly. They go after the problem at its source. Their aim is to stop acne from beginning in the first place. And to do that they go after the bacteria that feeds on the debris in our clogged pores as well as the tiny sebaceous oil glands that produce the sebum in our pores.
With a mixture of light and heat (along with a photosensitive solution applied to the skin), acne lasers shrink the sebaceous glands so that their oil production is minimized. Less oil production means that there’s less oil to clog up the pores in the first place. So future acne outbreaks are minimized or even eliminated.
The laser light and heat also do a number on the bacteria as well. That would be the bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes (or P. acnes for short) which usually live rather benignly on and in the skin. These bacteria tend to feast on the greasy debris in our pores and then multiply. When they do they cause inflammation and even infection which can lead to a severe form of acne known as cystic acne. Laser treatments kill these bacteria and prevent cysts from forming.
Acne laser therapy is usually not a one-shot deal. It takes multiple treatments to see the kind of clear skin results we all want. And that takes time because treatments are usually stretched out over months. And it also take a little bit of money because acne laser treatments are not cheap – they can run anywhere from $250.00 all the way up to $500.00.
So if you think acne laser therapy is the right choice for you, proceed with caution. Be sure to consult with your doctor or another trusted medical professional before starting any treatment. Learn as much as you can and go into it with your eyes open.
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