Conventional treatments for active acne clearance include topicals, which are very limited in efficacy, Oral medications can be effective but also tend to carry dangerous side effects. Light-based therapy offers the possibility of treatment without those side effects. Lasers for dermatology and aesthetics have historically been painful, limited in efficacy, and irritating as a result of skin contact by a handpiece and cooling gels.
With the new laser technology from Aerolase, the practitioner now has the ability to treat this condition in a gentle, sanitary manner with advanced levels of treatment efficacy. The Neo Nd:YAG laser with 650 Microsecond Technology® – a new modality that delivers high power deep into the dermis where the sebaceous glands are located, targeting the p. acnes bacteria that reside there.
Because of the laser’s unique blend of high power (over 15,000 optical watts per pulse) and 650-microsecond pulse duration, skin cooling is not needed and there is zero contact to the skin with the handpiece. In addition to providing the most gentle treatment of acne for adult and pediatric patients alike, the Neo is the only laser on the market that is able to treat acne without touching the skin at all. Thereby eliminating the mess and potential for spreading the p. acnes bacteria to unaffected skin sites. The deep-penetrating Neo laser energy also affects the hair shaft and follicle, eliminating the presence of hairs and reducing the probability that sebum will block the pores. In addition to promoting acne clearance, clinical research has also shown that treatments with the Neo also help to visibly reduce acne scars – which often appear in the same treatment areas as the active acne.
“The Neo works very well for many applications including clearance of active acne,” said Yelena Kipervas, DO, who practices in Bartonsville Commons, PA. “Because the laser is well tolerated without any anesthesia or any form of skin cooling, we can successfully use it on pain-sensitive younger patients who exhibit acne. They routinely describe the treatment as having little or no discomfort and a pleasant warming sensation. What we have also found is that the Neo is unique in being able to simultaneously treat active acne and acne scars, providing profound clearance of both conditions after a typical series of three treatments. In addition to superheating the sebaceous glands to destroy bacteria, the laser also stimulates the formation of new collagen in the skin to smooth out the acne scars that are commonly present in patients with active acne.”
“In my practice, acne is one of the most troubling skin conditions that I encounter with teenage patients,” said Dagmar Horvath, M.D., a pediatrician based in San Jose, CA. “Oral therapies can be very effective but people are aware of the potential side effects, so I have focused more on light-based therapy. The results have been excellent with the Neo laser, with significant clearance of acne in just one or two treatments in many cases. The treatment is very tolerable even without the use of any anesthetic, gels, or skin cooling, which is ideal for my type of patients.”
