Blue light therapy is not as new as you may think. Since the early 1980s, it has been used to deal with seasonal mood swings due to shorter days. However, more recently, some medical professionals have seen its benefits as a way to remove acne scars.

This type of therapy uses an intense, narrow band of blue light to help treat the skin. If you are undergoing this type of treatment you should know that it will take anywhere from ten to twenty minutes. The upside to blue light therapy is that it does not usually require much downtime, if any.

Blue light treatments usually consist of three parts. First, a photosensitizing medication is applied. The doctor waits for the medication to take effect and then administers the blue light treatment.

The incubation period of the medication will depend on the purpose of the treatment, therefore, it may take several hours or a few minutes to take effect.

The blue light treatment is applied in a light activation room. Before undergoing the procedure you should know that you may feel an increasing level of heat, or some burning or stinging sensations, this is normal. Fans can be used to keep the person comfortable during the procedure.

After treatment it is vital that you use a good sunscreen lotion and protective garments to keep your skin safe from damaging UV radiation. Fortunately, blue light therapy can be used on anyone, regardless of age.

Blue Light Therapy for Acne Problems

Besides dealing with acne scars, blue light therapy can also be used for acne treatment because it kills acne bacteria without the use of antibiotics. However, antibiotics will lose their punch after a certain period of time, which is one of the biggest reasons why some doctors consider blue light therapy as one of the best acne treatments around.

Blue light therapy can also a great way of avoiding exposure to harsh acne creams and other bothersome facial acne treatments. Some types of skin (i.e. dry and sensitive) can have serious problems with traditional acne products. Fortunately, blue light therapy is a gentler alternative.

If you're still a bit doubtful about the long term effects of this treatment it's well understood, in all actuality no one really knows what the effects may be. However, the results so far are important and prove the effectiveness of this procedure, as a matter of fact, it has also proven to be very effective in the treatment of actinic keratosis.