Many acne sufferers think that sunlight will dry up their blemishes and prevent new ones from forming. Unfortunately, UV light is not a cure for acne. In fact, there isn`t any medical evidence that sunlight has any effect on acne lesions whatsoever. What UV light will do for your skin is prematurely age it and increase your risk of skin cancer. Further, many acne treatments make the skin more sensitive to the sun, making the results of UV exposure even worse.

Need more reasons to shun the sun? How about sun spots and hyper-pigmentation? When active acne is exposed to UV light there is an even higher chance of scarring and discoloration.

Even though UV light can`t clear up acne, there are cutting-edge light therapies that will. Here are some of most effective lights and lasers for fighting acne:

Smoothbeam Laser

A major benefit of this non-ablative laser is its ability to destroy acne without injuring the skin`s barrier. This treatment emits a light that penetrates the epidermis and zeroes in on overactive sebaceous glands. The resulting thermal reaction completely changes and restructures the sebaceous gland to clear existing acne and prevent future breakouts. The Smoothbeam laser is often used in conjunction with topical and oral antibiotics. Another plus is that non-ablative laser therapy helps reduce and diminish all types of acne scarring.

Blue-Light Therapy

The blue light targets the bacteria that causes acne and is most effective on inflammatory and pustular acne. Blue-light therapy has been around for many years and is one of the oldest effective acne treatments. A major difference in today’s blue-light therapy is doesn’t use Ultraviolet light.

Photodynamic Therapy

This treatment enhances blue-light therapy with the disinfectant, Levulan (Aminolevlinic acid). Photodynamic therapy can significantly improve moderate to severe acne—even cystic acne. Some dermatologists consider it a viable alternative to Accutane.

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) employs a filtering system to attack the underlying problems that cause acne. First, it destroys the bacteria that cause acne. Second, it penetrates into overactive sebaceous glands and actually alters the cellular metabolism to prevent future acne breakouts.

Pulsed Dye Lasers

Vbeam and a variety of Pulsed Dye Lasers have a variety of useful functions. Pulsed Dye Lasers target blood vessels and therefore can minimize the redness associated with acne. They also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which aids persistent inflammatory acne.

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