From plants in space to the human face: the Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a new technology for treating acne. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were originally used to stimulate plant growth in space, but NASA found that they promoted tissue growth in humans as well. Since then, researchers have been studying their effects on burns, diabetic ulcers, wrinkles and even brain tumors.
The LED-based acne treatment, approved by the FDA last July, promotes tissue healing, but it also makes the skin inhospitable for acne-causing bacteria. When the blue light of the LEDs interacts with infected skin, singlet oxygen is created. Singlet oxygen attacks bacteria and removes pH gradients, inhibiting acne’s spread.
In clinical studies, more than 86 percent of participants averaged 74 percent acne reduction. Patients undergo eight treatment sessions of about 20 minutes each.
LEDs increase the energy metabolism of cells by stimulating cytochromes, part of the system that converts sugar into energy. Research has shown that LEDs grow muscle and skin tissue up to five times faster than the normal healing process.
"The near-infrared light emitted by these LEDs seems to be perfect for increasing energy inside cells," said Dr. Harry T. Whelan, a professor of Neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and one of the leading researchers in the field of LED technology.
"This technology may be the answer for problem wounds that are slow to heal," he added. LEDs do not have serious side effects, which is one reason Dr. Whelan is using it to treat more than 20 brain cancer patients. LEDs can activate cancer-killing substances that the surgeon can’t reach.
Laser light can lead to similar results, but lasers are expensive, heavy and inefficient, and they can’t penetrate as deeply as LEDs.
"This is a breakthrough in terms of making this cost-effective LED treatment available to medical dermatologists as an alternative treatment for acne which has no serious negative side effects," said James Kraushaar, president of Alderm. "Once acne patients become aware of this new treatment, systemic drugs will certainly become less desirable options."
LED does not require that patients apply a cream to their skin. The light-emitting device is positioned eight to ten centimeters away from the skin. It’s flexible, and can be adjusted to fit the surface being treated. The user can also switch off some of the LED arrays, so the light reaches smaller patches of skin.
