Acne is a chronic condition that affects over 85% of adolescents and young adults and is the most common skin disease treated by physicians. A recent study showed that two thirds of teenagers with acne wanted to talk to their physician about their acne, but only one third actually did. Seventy three percent of all women have hormonal acne.

What causes acne?

In order to properly diagnose and treat acne, it helps to understand what happens to induce the condition in the first place. Natural bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes are present in the skin, and people with acne have more of those bacteria in their follicles than people without acne. Inflammation occurs when an enzyme produced by white blood cells damages the wall of the follicle.

As the contents of the follicle move into the dermis an inflammatory response is triggered which results in red bumps, pustules, and nodules. Furthermore, the bacteria will promote formation of free fatty acids which cause additional irritation and inflammation. The key to prevent and treat inflammation is to kill the bacteria and imposes skin irritation.

Acne treatments vary depending on the type of acne; however, thanks to modern technology there are many effective options available. These include having a great home care routine along with taking care of your skin more aggressively when needed. Getting advice from trained professionals is key – jumping from product to product is not good for your skin or your wallet.

Acne treatments using Levulan Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is the most recent advance in acne therapy. Photodynamic acne therapy involves the application of Levulan (5-aminolevulinic acid), a photosensitizing agent, which is then activated with blue light. This results in significant improvement in moderate to severe cystic acne.

Levulan acne treatment involves three mechanisms of action against acne. Levulan treatment inactivates the bacteria that trigger acne, exfoliates the skin to unclog pores, effectively shutting down the sebaceous glands in the skin. Sebaceous glands are the root cause in the formation of acne. Thanks to this effect, Levulan has a long lasting effect even on severe acne.

Levulan acne therapy can even work in patients who have not succeeded with Accutane. While Accutane also targets the sebaceous gland, it has fairly toxic side effects. Levulan is a safe alternative to Accutane treatment.