IMAGINE…

  • Being a teenager and finally being able to get control of your acne
  • Ridding your skin of the blotchiness associated with precancerous changes (actinic keratosis) resulting from sun damage when you were younger
  • Quickly giving your skin a younger more vibrant appearance

  …PDT can do this & more!

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a medical treatment that uses the photosensitizing drug, Levulen (a drug that becomes activated by a light source), and a light source to activate the drug. The result is an activated drug that destroys nearby abnormal cells. The procedure is easily performed in the office. PDT can be used to treat acne, actinic keratosis, rosacea, and to rejuvenate the skin.

How does PDT work?

PDT works by direct injury to the target cells and tissues. This involves an activated oxygen molecule that destroys nearby cells. Abnormal cells preferentially take up more of the medicine than do normal cells; the abnormal cells are therefore the ones that become destroyed or injured. PDT can treat large areas, such as the entire face, at once without the risk of scarring that other treatments possess.

 How is PDT used to treat the skin?

Levulen is applied to the entire face and allowed to incubate for 1 to 2 hours. Intensified pulse light or IPL is applied to the skin to activate the medicine. The treatment has become to be known as the “super photo facial.” You will be instructed to avoid direct sunlight and bright interior lights for 1 or 2 days. Even though the medication is washed off after your treatment the absorbed medication may continue to be activated and cause severe sunburn like reaction.

What conditions can be treated with PDT?

PDT has been a very successful treatment for resistant acne and a related condition known as hydradenitis suppurative. These treatments also remove sun-damaged precancerous cells, treats rosacea, fine lines, wrinkles and blotchy pigmentation. PDT may also help improve scarring such as acne scars, improve texture, and sin laxity.

How much improvement in my acne can be expected?

Like any treatment for any condition results vary because no two individuals are the same. Some conditions improve dramatically and others not much at all. There is no way to determine who will be the good responders. For acne, this condition is reserved for those who have failed other treatments. It is almost always used in conjunction with other treatments. Typically 2 to 3 treatments, spaced about 4 weeks apart, are needed to get control of the acne; future treatments may also be needed if the condition begins to flare. Hopefully once the acne is controlled with PDT other treatments can keep it controlled.

How much improvement in other conditions can be expected?

Just like acne patients no two individuals respond the same however most patients have been very pleased with the results when treating actinic keratosis, rosacea, and performing PDT for skin-rejuvenation. Again 2 to 3 treatments are recommended and PDT should be combined with other skin-rejuvenation treatments and products to obtain the best result.

ADDITIONAL LASER THERAPIES FOR ACNE/SCARRING

The PEARL® by Cutera: The PEARL is an FDA-approved semi-ablative laser that gently removes the superficial layer of the epidermis that thickens with age. It reveals the younger more vibrant skin layer lying just below the surface.

Laser Genesis® by Cutera: Laser Genesis protects the epidermis and stimulates collagen production. It softens and diminishes wrinkles by gently heating the dermis, smooths skin texture, and shrinks pore size.

 

 

SKIN CARE PRODUCTS FOR ACNE/SCARRING

Obagi CLENZIderm® M.D. System: CLENZIderm M.D. System is the only prescription-strength acne treatment that contains a patented, solubilized form of 5% benzoyl peroxide (BPO) to penetrate deep into the skin and treat acne where it starts.

Obagi Nu-Derm® System: Nu-Derm is an anti-aging therapy that penetrates below the skin’s surface to transform skin cell functions at the cellular level and correct the damage within… revealing healthy, younger-looking skin.

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