For patients not able or willing to undergo expensive pharmacological treatments to treat mild or moderate acne conditions, we offer a new therapy known as BLU-U treatment.
BLU-U treatment is as simple, safe, and comfortable as sitting for a short period of time under a special blue light source. Treatments are typically scheduled once or twice per week for four to five weeks. Many patients find that such a treatment schedule can relieve them of acne for a long period of time while others will find that re-treatments are required periodically in order to control their acne.
The treatment works by killing the bacteria that infect the pores of the skin and cause acne inflammation. Before exposing a patient to the light, a compound called Levulan may be applied. Levulan is chemically “activated” by the special BLU-U light source, turning it into an effective acne treatment agent. Levulan’s effective ingredient is Aminolevulinic Acid, ALA, which is found naturally within the body. The Levulan treatment increases the antibiotic effectiveness of the BLU-U light and also helps to stimulate skin regeneration, replacing damaged or infected skin with new, healthy skin. Levulan treatment is usually far less frequent than BLU-U treatments, requiring only one treatment every five to eight weeks and typically with a maximum of five treatments.
Patients undergoing BLU-U treatment report no discomfort or irritation and usually find the treatments to be simple and effective. The treatment was verified as safe by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States in 2003. Patients may find slight reddening of the skin or sensitivity to sunlight; both symptoms typically are relieved within twenty-four hours but some patients may find it takes forty-eight hours to fully recover. Over the following two to seven days, the skin in some patients may peel as new skin grows due to Levulan treatments.
If you would like more information about BLU-U or Levulan acne treatments, please visit or contact our offices for a consultation and assessment, as well to ask any questions about the treatment that one may have.
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