ALA Acne Treatments – A Solution for Difficult Acne

Anyone who has ever struggled with acne knows it can be difficult to treat due to its many causes. Although traditional oral and topical treatments can be helpful for most, others suffering from moderate to severe acne still struggle to keep it under control. An effective acne treatment for those with moderate to severe acne is Aminolevulinic Acid (ALA) combined with a laser light therapy, which can provide significant, long lasting results.

ALA is produced naturally in our bodies and has been found to have a photo-sensitizing effect, which makes the skin more light sensitive. In a typical treatment, ALA is applied to the skin and allowed to incubate for 15-60 minutes then followed by a laser treatment. Because the skin has been “sensitized” the laser light is significantly more effective at treating acne. Treatment not only kills bacteria within the pores, but it also produces a shrinking ability to the sebaceous glands making acne more manageable. Additional results may include improvement in acne scarring, sun damage and smaller pores. Common reactions include “sunburn”-like reaction, and a light peeling of the skin, and it is important to note that one must be prepared to avoid all sunlight for 48 hours post-treatment. A series of four treatments is recommended.