Laser Is A New Effective Treatment for Severe Acne

Acne treatment with laser

New laser technology may become one of the safest and most effective means to fight severe acne, said a dermatologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

The Candela Smooth Beam Laser has been recently FDA approved for the treatment of acne. In studies of acne on the back in volunteers, there was 98 percent improvement after four treatments.

"Patients are leaving here amazed," said Dr. Ramsey Markus, assistant professor of dermatology at Baylor. "The laser appears to be effective with very few side effects, mainly mild redness that goes away within a few hours."

The new technology heats the skin and shrinks oil glands, improving acne gradually during three to five treatments that are generally less than 15 minutes each. Physicians treat regions of the body that tend to develop acne, such as the face, back or shoulders.

According to clinical studies, a 60 percent improvement occurs after just one treatment. After four treatments, the majority of patients experience near complete resolution of their acne. In addition, this treatment also treats acne scars.

"It heats the skin in the area causing the collagen in the skin to remodel and generate new collagen. So over time, it will tighten the skin, smoothing out acne scars," said Markus.

Markus' patient, Danelle McClain, has battled acne for the past two years, as well as developed some unsightly scars that make her feel very self-conscious. She opted to have the procedure instead of taking Accutane, a common therapy for severe acne.

One week after the procedure, McClain said she was happy with the results.

"My skin complexion has been a lot smoother, so I think the effectiveness of the pore shrinking was successful," she said. "Additionally, I haven't seen any new breakout."

10/31/2003