According to a research reported in the British Journal of Dermatology, a blue and red light mixture seems to be most effective treatment for acne - reducing the number of spots by three-quarters. As many as one in 18 adults have persistent pimples, which can prove stubbornly resistant to both creams and antibiotics. Some acne does clear up significantly when exposed to UV light.
The new treatment, tested by doctors at Hammersmith Hospital in London, uses light, but removes the potentially damaging UV. Instead, blue and red light wavelengths produced by a lightbox which the patient, all with moderate or mild acne, used for 15 minutes each day. At the end of a 12 week period, these patients on average showed a 78% decrease in the number of visible spots on the area treated.Dr Tony Chu, who led the trial, claimed that the combination of lights both attacked bacteria contributing to the acne, and promoted healing in the skin. He said: "Our challenge now lies in incorporating this treatment to more severe cases of acne and finding ways of incorporating this treatment into their therapy."
