What is photodynamic therapy (PDT) and what is it used for?
Photodynamic therapy applies a light-sensitizing solution to the skin, lets it absorb for an hour or more, then activates it with a specific light. It destroys precancerous actinic keratoses, treats severe acne by shrinking oil glands and killing bacteria, and improves sun damage. It is a medical treatment with a few days of redness and peeling and strict sun avoidance for 48 hours.
PDT is one of the few treatments that is both medical and cosmetic. It clears the rough, scaly precancerous spots that chronic sun exposure causes, and the skin that heals afterward looks smoother and more even.
Used for
- Actinic keratoses, especially when there are many of them
- Moderate to severe acne that has not responded to other treatment
- Sun-damaged skin on the face, scalp, chest and hands
What to expect
A solution is applied, incubated for one to three hours, then activated with light for about 15 minutes. Stinging during activation is normal. Redness, swelling and peeling follow for three to seven days, and you must stay completely out of sunlight for 48 hours. See photodynamic therapy.
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