skin laser reviews for treating acne with laser light therapy

After 2 month's treatment with a skin laser

Before treatment with a skin laser

"I have been using the skin laser to treat my spots for 2 months now. I have tried everything, including strong antibiotics from my GP, in the past and nothing has really worked. My forehead and chin were covered in angry, red spots. Now I can't believe the difference after just 2 months using the skin laser about 30 minutes in the evenings. It's almost back to how it was before I got spots. Not perfect yet but so much better. I shall certainly keep on using it."
Letty D, 24, London

Severe acne linked to higher suicide risk

Experts say people with acne should be monitored for depression and suicidal thoughts

 

By Peter Russell
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Dr Farah Ahmed

 

12th November 2010 - People with severe acne are at a heightened risk of attempting suicide, according to a new study in the online edition of the bmj.

It also found that those who had been treated with the commonly prescribed acne medication isotretinoin may be at an additional suicide risk. However, the authors stress that this is more likely to be because of events associated with their medical condition than the drug itself.

Isotretinoin has been used to treat severe cases of acne since the 1980s. It is marketed under the brand names Roaccutane, Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Clarus or Decutan. Researchers in Sweden set out to determine whether there was any truth in case reports of an association between isotretinoin, depression and suicidal behaviour: for instance, a five year study which found that Finnish army recruits treated with isotretinoin were more likely to use mental health services than those who were not.

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Let there be light! LED treatments claiming to cure acne are now available as home kits - but are they safe?

When you’ve got acne or wrinkles, the last thing you want is for someone to come along and shine a light on your imperfections.

But an innovative home-use device requires you to do exactly that — with the promise of results that match up to professional-strength machines.

Treatments using the skin-repairing power of LED (light-emitting diode) light therapy are firm favourites with dermatologists and facialists.

Carla Bruni, Natalie Imbruglia and Sienna Miller are all said to be disciples.

But typical salon or clinic-based LED light treatment can cost more than £100 a go, and require six to 12 sessions.

Enter the Tanda Light Therapy Skincare System, a hand-held gizmo that mimics the light frequency used in clinic-based treatments, with the added bonus that you can use it in your own home, in your own time and at a fraction of the cost.

Developed in Canada, the mini-machines work by exposing the skin to different wavelengths of coloured light to gently and painlessly treat blemished complexions.

There are two devices, available only in Harvey Nichols.

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Shining a light on acne

Laser treatment may be the new panacea for acne.

It isn’t just the young stars of the Harry Potter movies who are plagued by zits – a huge number of more mature celebrities are cursed with problematic skin. Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz, Madonna, Uma Thurman, Billie Piper and Victoria Beckham have all been spotted (sorry) with outbreaks. Adult acne is increasing and a recent study in the US shows that 25 per cent of women aged 30-40 will suffer from the condition.

“It’s a major psychological problem,’’ says Tony Chu, professor of dermatology at the University of Buckinghamand medical director of the West London Dermatology Centre. ''I have had patients who have cancelled their weddings as the stress made their skin worse.’’

Stress is a major cause of the spot epidemic. “Acne is caused by hormonal changes normally onset by puberty,” says Prof Chu, “but it’s now seen in adults who lead more stressful lives.’’

Pharmacist Shabir Daya from online pharmacy Victoria Health agrees. ''Stress stimulates the production of male hormones. The major culprit is dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which increases the production of the skin’s natural oil, sebum, clogging the pores.’’ The bacteria associated causes acne to thrive in these conditions, feeding on the sebum and irritating the glands, which leads to spots.

The standard prescription is an antibiotic and a vitamin A cream to unblock the pores. For tough cases, stronger medications such as Roaccutane (isotretinoin) are used, which take four to six weeks to take effect and can clear about 50 per cent of lesions. However, they might have side-effects such as dry skin, eyes and lips, raised blood fats and sugar.

Prof Chu is pioneering the use of a different approach – the N-Lite (or Regenlite) laser. It was developed for general skin rejuvenation but when one patient with severe acne found her lesions virtually disappeared after two weeks, a clinical study was set up at Hammersmith Hospital.

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