When you have trouble with breakouts and your topical creams just aren't cutting it anymore, the answer to getting rid of your acne could lie in laser treatment for acne. Light-based therapies have been used to rejuvenate skin and remove wrinkles, dark spots and scarring for decades. You may be surprised to learn that they can also be used to fight acne.



What Is Laser Treatment for Acne?
Acne laser treatment literally uses light pulses to kill off acne-causing bacteria in the skin. One of the more common types of laser acne treatments is Intense Pulsed Light Therapy, also known as IPL or a photofacial. Dermatologists use IPL to clear existing acne breakouts, but it can also help to shrink the sebaceous glands, causing them to produce less sebum and preventing future acne. This helps stop oil blockages, which can also contribute to acne. Those unwanted breakouts can develop when the skin cells don't shed normally and pores become blocked by a mix of sebum, dead cells and bacteria.

Acne laser therapy also helps reduce the appearance of dark spots, such as the shiny, red and brown marks that develop while acne is healing. The laser penetrates the skin, breaking up the pigment into tiny particles, which then rise to the surface and slough off in a few weeks.

What Are the Benefits of Laser Acne Treatment?
As a non-invasive option, laser light therapy provides many people with a treatment that corrects acne and scarring and helps even skin tone and remove acne scars and sun damage. It also is a more permanent solution to acne than topical prescriptions.

Laser Acne Treatment Helps With Scarring
Doctors may combine IPL treatments with fractional laser skin resurfacing to help remove scarring. The acne laser treatment is believed to stimulate collagen, which fights aging and smooths out fine wrinkles. This therapy provides short, high-intensity pulses that vaporize surface skin layers to reveal fresh, new skin underneath. Most doctors will suggest alternating treatments every four weeks to avoid damaging the skin.

Those who have sensitive skin may be able to find a gentler version of laser skin resurfacing that leads to less redness and a shorter recovery period. A less intensive laser treatment, like the one used for Skin Laundry's express IPL service, can be a great choice for sensitive skin maintenance.

How Often to Get Acne Laser Treatment
The number of initial treatments and touch-ups will depend on the severity of your acne and scarring. About six treatments, each a month apart, are usually recommended for the best results. You can also maintain your new skin with a touch-up treatment every few months to keep skin glowing, prevent acne and stimulate collagen.

What Kind of Results to Expect
You'll start to see fading and a more even tone within a few treatments. There will be fewer dark spots, less sun damage and fewer breakouts.