ACNE LASER TREATMENT

Acne Vulgaris -- pimples and zits -- appear in some 85% of the 12-25 year old population. A percentage of older individuals also suffer from "adult acne".
Most suffer from the milder form of acne called non-inflammatory and experience occasional blemishes. Others suffer from inflammatory acne with its lesions consisting of blood vessels, white blood cells, and other materials.

If you suffer from inflammatory acne, there are a number of treatment options available to you ranging from diet and regular washing of the affected areas to "peeling agents," and topical and oral medications.

Now there is an effective supplement to these treatments: advanced pulse dye laser technology, successfully used to treat a wide variety of skin lesions in adults and children, now is proving to be a remarkably powerful weapon in the battle against acne. And no one knows more about pulse dye lasers than Cynosure.

• How does the laser work?
• Does it work on all types of acne?
• How many treatments are required?
• Is the treatment difficult to do?
• Is the treatment painful?
• Will pulse dye laser treatment be more effective than PUVA, narrow band UVB, creams or drugs?
• Will laser treatment make my acne worse?

How does the laser work? | Top
The pulse dye laser 595 nm wavelength causes a photochemical reaction, killing acne bacteria while reducing erythema. The Nd:YAG 1320 nm wavelength targets the sebaceous glands. Both wavelengths stimulate collagen to improve acne scarring.

Does it work on all types of acne? | Top
The Cynosure pulse dye laser is ideal for treating the redness associated with mild to moderate acne.

How many treatments are required? | Top
Results are seen within three to four weeks. Typically, one to two treatments are recommended.

Is the treatment difficult? | Top
No. At your first visit you physician will asses your condition and review previous treatments. Then you will have your first full treatment with re-treatments scheduled three to six weeks apart for the next three to four months. Each treatment will typically last 15 to 20 minutes.

Is the treatment painful? | Top
There is some minor discomfort associated with the treatment. Most patients describe the treatment as a series of rubber band snaps to the skin. Your physician can reduce or eliminate this discomfort by providing you with a topical anesthetic or by cooling the treated area with ice or an air-cooling device.

Will pulse dye laser treatment be more effective than creams or drugs? | Top
Your results should be comparable to other types of treatment. In addition:
• Pulse dye laser treatments are less messy than the daily application of creams and lotions.
• Unlike drugs, pulse dye laser treatments are non-systemic.

Will laser treatment make my acne worse? | Top
Pulse dye laser treatment is designed to gently target and reduce the redness associated with inflammatory acne. It will not aggravate an existing condition. However, is the underlying causes of your acne condition change, your acne could worsen independent of the laser treatment.