January 2004
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Laser effectively treats severe acne
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| Ramsey Markus, MD, demonstrates the use of a laser, now approved for use in the treatment of severe acne. |
New laser technology may become one of the safest and most effective means to fight severe acne, said a dermatologist at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston.
When it was used to treat acne on the backs of volunteers, the Candela Smooth Beam Laser™ demonstrated a 98 percent improvement after four treatments. The laser was recently approved for use on acne by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Patients are leaving here amazed,” said Ramsey Markus, MD, BCM assistant professor of dermatology. “The laser appears to be effective with very few side effects. The major effect is mild redness that goes away within a few hours.”
The new technology heats the skin and shrinks oil glands. This improves the acne in three to five treatments of less than 15 minutes each. Physicians treat regions of the body that tend to develop acne, such as the face, back or shoulders. And, unlike some lasers that only work well on fair skin, Marcus said the laser achieves good results on patients with different skin types and hues.
According to clinical studies, a 60 percent improvement occurs after just one treatment. After four treatments, the majority of patients experience near complete resolution of their acne. Nearly all patients in the clinical trials were clear of acne six months after the final treatment.
“It has become our most popular laser,” said Markus, who has performed several hundred procedures with the laser at the Baylor dermatology clinic in the first six months. “With most new laser technology, the patient volume builds slowly. With the Smooth Beam, we had many new patients almost overnight.”
Markus also uses lasers to remove unwanted hair, tattoos, spots and to generally smooth the skin.
The Smooth Beam laser has also proven effective in treating acne scars.
"It heats the skin in the area causing the collagen in the skin to remodel and generate new collagen. So over time, it will tighten the skin, smoothing out acne scars," said Markus.
Markus’ patient, Danelle McClain, has battled acne for the past two years. She has also developed some unsightly scars that make her feel very self-conscious. She opted to have the laser procedure instead of taking Accutane, a common therapy for severe acne.
One week after the procedure, McClain said she was happy with the results.
"My skin has been a lot smoother, so I think the effectiveness of the pore shrinking was successful,” she said. “Additionally, I haven't seen any new breakout.”
Markus said the laser has also been FDA approved for treatment of wrinkles.
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