ClearLight Acne Photo Clearing System

A Few Facts About Acne:

Studies indicate that most people experience acne in some form at some time in their life.  Acne usually begins during adolescence but often continues into adulthood.  Hormonal changes cause the enlargement and blocking of oil-producing sebaceous glands near the hair follicle within the skin.

Acne usually begins with an abnormal amount of bacteria, mainly propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes).  This typically causes painful pimples - known as inflamed pustules of acne or inflammatory acne - that can appear on the face, chest, back, limbs and virtually any other part of the body.  Acne can produce life-long scars, both physically and emotionally!

A very common problem... acne-like conditions are very common and is not limited to teenagers. acne is the most common skin disorder in the US affecting 17 million people, and not all of them teens. from infants to the elderly, 80 % of the population experiences acne at one time or another. scrubbing with harsh soaps or cleansers and using some acne medications can irritate and dry your skin, making your acne worse.
 

The most common approaches to acne management include:

Topical applications.  From widely available over-the-counter ointments to prescription creams, this is the most popular way of treating acne; in many cases, however, creams often irritate the skin and have minimal long-term effect in actually reducing P.acnes.

Oral antibiotics.  Although somewhat more effective than topicals, antibiotics are limited by the fact that 40% of acne bacteria are insensitive to oral antibiotics.  Additionally, patients must continue the antibiotic regimen for a lengthy period of time (usually at least 3-4 months).  Since improvement in the patient's condition is often very gradual, permanent scarring may occur before the condition is appropriately managed.  Moreover, there is a growing reluctance in the medical community to use antibiotics - except when absolutely necessary!

Accutane.  Used as the treatment of last resort, Accutane is associated with potentially serious side effects.  The ClearLight system, by comparison, can be used as a first line of defense with no side effects and clinical efficacy consistent with oral antibiotics and topical treatments.

Acne PhotoClearing (APC) Technology vs. Other Treatment Modalities

The innovative ClearLight System is powered by light-based Acne PhotoClearing (APC™) technology, which penetrates the skin and destroys surface and ductal p. acnes bacteria quickly and easily.  Its destruction rate surpasses the normal proliferation rate, assuring a rapid decrease in p. acnes that is unmatched by other treatments.  There is no irritation, side effects or photosensitivity.

Key benefits of ClearLight include:

New paradigm for acne treatment
Short treatment regimen – 8 treatments over 4 weeks to achieve impressive results
Systemic drug-free treatment
Increased patient compliance and patient satisfaction
No side effects. No pain. No downtime.
Suitable for all body areas, including sensitive beard area

ELOS Acne Treatment

The combined energies - Natural photodynamic therapy (blue spectrum) and infrared with RF - enables highly selective targeting of the sebaceous glands with acne bacteria. Infrared and RF energies reduce sebaceous gland activity while blue light destroys acne.

Both Models are FDA approved, and in the News...

From Zink, May 2005 (Page 68)

New Acne Cures - News on Three Effective Treatments

by Erik Verkler

Too much oil and sebum--the products of overactive oil glands--start the acne spiral by clogging pores. Later, bacteria move in to munch the oil, turning clogged pores into pimples. The usual remedies for oil overproduction, lotions and gland-shrinking medications, don't always work or can have severe side effects. In 2003, the FDA approved a laser treatment that causes temporary heat damage to oil glands, which may reduce the oil supply.

In a study of 27 men with acne on their backs, the Smoothbeam laser therapy cleared up 98 percent of breakouts after four 5-minute treatments. It's also being used to treat moderate acne problems on the face, says Arielle Kauvar, MD, clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. The only side effect: Skin turns pink for an hour or two.

Drug-Free Pimple Control
A FDA-approved light treatment for mild to moderate acne is available in dermatology offices, as of April 2003. ClearLight uses high-intensity light to kill Proprionibacterium acnes, the "bug" responsible for acne pimples, bumps, cysts, and redness.

In a study at the State University of New York, 60 percent of acne breakouts cleared up after volunteers got two 10- to 15-minute treatments per week for 4 weeks. Their skin continued to improve for 3 months after the last treatment.

Light therapy may help teens and adults whose acne has become antibiotic-resistant and those who don't want to take antibiotics. If you have severe acne, however, you may still need topical or oral medication to control oil production and pore clogging. ClearLight has no known side effects.

Stop Wrinkles and Acne with One Treatment
Radio frequencies aren't just for radio stations. In one study, 28 people with moderate to severe acne underwent a 30-minute radio-frequency skin procedure using a device called ThermaCool TC. Most had significantly clearer skin, and acne scars became less visible.

ThermaCool TC is FDA-approved for treating wrinkles but, as of 2003, has yet to be cleared for acne. Doctors are not sure how the treatment clears up pimples. They do know that it shrinks the skin to eliminate wrinkles. In the process, it may be shrinking oil glands as well. That would decrease their output of pore-clogging oil and sebum.

Like lasers, ThermaCool TC generates heat under the skin and should be effective. "Radio frequency is a reliable, intense, and sustained form of energy," says Javier Ruiz-Esparza, MD, researcher and president of the International Society of Cosmetic Laser Surgeons in San Diego.

From Prevention, Spring 2005