Blasting blemishes
Blue light therapy offers teens a painless acne weapon

 

Acne can scar your skin and your social life. It doesn't go away easily or stay away long. Unless you want to wear a burka, breakouts can be difficult to hide.

For years, Falkville High School junior Danielle Overton endured acne on her forehead and cheeks that made her want to cover her face.

"I always felt self-conscious," she said.

She tried everything — giving up Cokes and chocolate, taking medicine that made her sick, using creams that irritated her skin.

Nothing worked until she tried blue light therapy, a cutting-edge technique that uses light waves to target bacterial acne.

A blue light that zaps zits?

Danielle had her doubts. She wondered, "How could a light help my face?"

Young and Healthy Skin in Decatur uses Omnilux-Blue to treat more than a dozen teens with acne. The machine, approved by the Food and Drug Administration this summer, emits a pure blue light that kills the bacteria that causes breakouts.

After trying antibiotics, facial peels and other methods that "aren't as comfortable," many teens are relieved to find that "this doesn't hurt," said Angie Telepun, owner of Young and Healthy Skin, the only skin care center in Alabama that offers Omnilux-Blue.

"It's non-invasive, and it doesn't require antibiotics," Telepun said. "Teens don't have to worry about building up an immunity to antibiotics they might need later in life."

Teens wash their faces, put on goggles and lie under a light panel for 20 minutes. Some bring their CD players to listen to music and others sleep.

The machine resembles a mini-tanning bed, but lacks the harmful UV rays. Cranked at 415 nanometers, it gives off a little bit of warmth and a deep, blue glow that creates a toxic environment for bacteria found in acne.

Blue light can improve inflammatory acne in a few short sessions without any side effects, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

It takes about two visits per week for four weeks before blemishes start to disappear. A package of eight visits costs $320. Insurance doesn't typically cover the expense.

"Some see results after the first couple of visits," Telepun said. "Others benefit several months after."

After a round of treatments, Danielle noticed her skin clearing. A few weeks later, her acne had all but vanished.

"People ask me all the time what I did," she said.

Blue light therapy mostly works on teens with P. acne, a condition that consists of small bumps lying below the skin's surface.

Studies done in clinics in England showed that Omnilux-Blue reduces this type of acne by 75 percent.

Bathing your face in blue light doesn't cause sun sensitivity or sap Vitamin A. It affects all races the same because it targets bacteria, not pigment, Telepun said.

After treatment, teens can immediately reapply makeup and return to regular activity. Those worried about future breakouts may return for $40 follow-up sessions.

Telepun's husband, Gordon, a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgury, came up with the idea to offer the treatment in Decatur. He has followed research about blue light therapy and its effect on acne for several years.

Danielle recommends blue light therapy because "it's so easy." Her skin has stayed clear since her treatment in November. She no longer worries about pulling her hair up or keeping up with a complicated skin regimen.

"I don't wear as much makeup as I used to,"Danielle said, "and I'm not constantly reapplying makeup all day."

— Emily McMackin
TeenFRONT editor
emcmackin@decaturdaily.com