PhotoDynamic Therapy kills the bacteria in your skin that causes acne. The blue light can be administered alone or in conjunction with a topical application of ALA for the trBlue Light Levulan Photodynamic Therapy for acne treatment involves three mechanisms of action against acne. Levulan PDT inactivates the bacteria that trigger acne, exfoliates the skin to unclog pores, and the most exciting mechanism is that levulan treatment shuts down the sebaceous glands in the skin. This is exciting because sebaceous glands are the root cause in the formation of acne so it has a long lasting effect even on severe acne. Blue Light Levulan Photodynamic Therapy can even work in patients who have failed accutane. Accutane also targets the sebaceous gland but accutane has fairly toxic side effects. Levulan is a much safer alternative to accutane treatment. Levulan Photodynamic Therapy is the most recent advance in photo-rejuvenation. Levulan Photodynamic skin rejuvenation involves the application of Levulan which is then activated with Fotofacial IPL or ELOS Blue Light Acne Laser. This results in significant improvement in moderate to severe cystic acne and any precancerous conditions such as AKs, actinically damaged skin and sun damaged skin. Additionally it improves wrinkles, pore size, skin texture, pigmentation, rosacea, sebaceous hyperplasia, and potentially prevents the development of skin cancer. PDT is also great for sun damage and brown spots! Levulan Photodynamic Therapy (PDT): • Improving pores • Improving skin texture • Improving pigmentation • Treating moderate to severe cystic acne • Treating sebaceous hyperplasia (large oil glands) You are a good candidate if you have • Moderate to severe acne • Stubborn and resistant acne • Failed with other treatment options • Hormonal acne • Pesky white bumps under the skin • Oily skin • Large pores • Successfully treated your acne but want to maintain your results What Can I expect During My Appointment Levulan Photodynamic Therapy Procedure: This is a lengthy appointment so please expect to be in the office for about 3 hours. • We use a special technique that is unique to our office to apply the Levulan medication onto the treatment areas. This allows to deeper penetration of the Levulan medication to achieve faster and better results. • The Levulan incubates on your skin for 15-75 minutes. • For your comfort we apply a high quality numbing cream before the laser treatment. • The treatment areas are cleaned and the laser treatment is applied to activate the Levulan. • Most patients find the laser treatment painless but you may feel a sunburn sensation after the treatment. What Can I Expect After The Treatment • You must stay out of the sun and bright light for 48 hours after treatment. We recommend that you plan to stay home for 2 days immediately after treatment. • The skin will be red and possibly swollen for 1-2 days • Some crusting and peeling is normal • There can be some discomfort, but no significant pain. • After 1 week, there might be some residual redness that will subside after a few days and can be covered with make up. • For patients who have an medium to dark skin tones, you will notice a tan to the treated areas that will resolve in 2-3 weeks post treatment. How many treatments do I need A series of treatments are needed and depend on the severity of acne. On average patients need 2-3 treatments. For severe and resistant acne you will need at least 3 treatments done once every month. Combination therapy is important when treating severe and resistant acne. During your visit we will discuss the types of therapies such as topical, oral and in-office treatments that will suit you best.