Acne and Light Therapy Treatment

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Acne and LED Treatment
This is a reprint from a research proposal forwarded to us
RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A Study to Determine if Monochromatic Light Therapy and “Acne Skin Care System” Can Reverse Acne

A. ACNE Acne is a common skin disorder characterized by clogged pores of hair follicles. Over 80 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 24 have had acne at least once. Acne is most often associated with teenagers, but can affect people of all ages. Some adult women experience mild to moderate acne during hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, menstrual cycle, or discontinuing the use of birth control pills. It often causes emotional distress and can lead to scarring of the skin. A. Location – Acne usually occurs on the face, neck, chest, back, and shoulders. These areas have the largest number of functional oil glands. B. Types of Acne – 1. Whiteheads occur when the openings of hair follicles become clogged and blocked with oil secretion and dead skin. 2. Blackheads are similar to whiteheads, but are open to the skin surface and darken. 3. Pimples are raised reddish spots that signify inflammation or infection in the hair follicles. 4. Cysts are thick lumps beneath the surface of the skin, which are formed by the building up of secretions deep within hair follicles. C. Etiology – Three factors contribute to the formation of acne: 1. Overproduction of oil (sebum). 2. Irregular shedding of dead skin cells resulting in irritation of the hair follicle of the skin. 3. The buildup of bacteria. Each follicle is connected to sebaceous glands that secrete sebum to lubricate the hair and skin. Sebum normally travels along the hair through the opening of the hair follicle onto the skin surface. When the body produces an excess amount of sebum and dead skin cells, the two can accumulate in the hair follicle and solidify as a soft plug. D. Pathology – The plug causes the bulge and produces a whitehead. If the plug opens to the surface, it may darken and form a blackhead. Pimples are raised red spots with white centers that occur when blocked hair follicles become inflamed and infected. Cysts are blockages and inflammation that develop deep within the hair follicle. E. Influences – Bacteria, hormones, certain medications, and heredity play a role in increased production of sebum. Foods and dust do not cause acne. F. Treatment – Acne treatment works by reducing oil production, speeding up skin turnover, and fighting bacterial infections or doing all three. With most treatments, results may not be seen for four to eight weeks. 1. Topical treatment – Acne lotion may dry up the oil, kill bacteria, or promote the sloughing of dead skin cells. Over the counter lotions are generally mild and contain benozyl peroxide, sulfur resorcine, salicylic acid, or lactic acid as their active ingredients. Tretinoin [Avita, Retin – A, and Adapalene (Differin)] are examples of topical prescriptions. They work by promoting cell turnover and preventing the plugging of hair follicles. Topical antibiotics kill excess skin bacteria. 2. Oral Antibiotic – Oral antibiotics are used to reduce bacteria and fight infection. Isotretinoin is used for deep cysts and acne that don’t respond to other treatments. 3. Oral Contraceptives – Acne in women has been shown to improve with oral contraceptives.

B. Light Emission Diode Therapy and Acne

a. Studies The July 2000, British Journal reported that regular sessions of blue and red light therapy have been shown to “radically” decrease acne in moderate and less severe cases. Lead investigator Tony Chu, M.D., studied 120 facial acne subjects. They were instructed to use the red and blue LEDs at home for 15 minutes daily. Over a 12-week span, there was a 76 percent drop in visible spots. The article reported the blue light attacks the bacteria, and the red light has an anti inflammatory and healing effect on the skin. Another study on mild to moderate inflammatory acne used a low intensity blue light source (405nm to 420nm). The protocol involved two 15 minute weekly exposures for 4 weeks. There was a 60 percent reduction in acne in 80 percent of the subjects. Acne remissions lasted as long as 3 to 8 weeks. An acne study by Elam (etal) was reported in the June 2003, Journal of Cosmetology Laser Therapy. Blue light (405nm - 420nm) was used on acne. They found inflammatory acne lesions decreased after eight weekly treatments, with 80 percent responding positively to 420 nm photo therapy. After treatments of 8 to 15 minutes, there was a reduction of inflammatory acne by 59% to 67% in the various groups. Prolonged remission was evident for eight weeks following phototherapy. The studies positioned the LED about 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) from the face. In August of 2002, the FDA approved blue light therapy for acne treatment. b. Physiology and Biochemistry The bacteria causing acne is called Propionibacterium acnes (P. Acnes), which causes inflammation. The bacteria pumps out tiny molecules called porphyrins. When the porphyrin is exposed to certain wavelengths of light, like blue light, they produce free-oxy radicals that kill the bacteria. With the elimination of P. Acnes bacteria, the acne clears up according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Near infrared LED therapy is known to increase the metabolic rate of cells by stimulating cytochromes, which help convert sugars into energy. Research has also shown that LED therapy accelerates skin tissue regeneration up to five times faster than the normal healing process. David Olszewsky, co-author of Light Years Ahead, found that red light heals skin 200 percent faster. Red light is known to be a vasodilator, which brings more blood and oxygen to the affected area. It also increases the immune response (the lymph system) to rid the area of diseased tissue.

C. Acne Skin Care System – An acne cream, developed by Jackie Fields, M.D., will also be researched in the study. It is called Clear Cleanse. It is an all natural cream with no preservatives that removes impurities and dead skin cells. Also included in the acne treatment regimen will be Serum-C and R&R Lotion. Serum-C contains 20% vitamin C with caffeine. It is a moisturizer that helps improve facial immunity. R & R Lotion is fortified with anti-aging L-lactic acid, L-retinol and pentapeptides. It is a smoothing lotion that hydrates the skin and encourages the growth of young skin cells. It enhances the skin’s ability to synthesize new collagen and elastin. D. Hypothesis The hypothesis of the study is that a combination of blue, red, and infrared monochromatic light will accelerate the healing process of acne. It is also hypothesized that the “Acne Skin Care System” will accelerate the acne healing process.

E. Methodology a. Subjects Thirty females between the ages of 20 and 40 will be used in the study. Only those with a diagnosis of facial acne will be allowed to participate. Those taking oral antibiotics for acne or other conditions will not qualify. Subjects will be asked not to use any topical acne therapy for one week before the study commences.

b. Recruitment Women will be recruited from the following sources: 1. Dr. Jackie Fields’ medical office 2. Dr. Lynn West’s (dermatologist) medical office 3. Local Aestheticians 4. Possible advertisements in the Coloradoan newspaper

c. Case History At the beginning of the study, subjects will be given a general health questionnaire and dermatology questionnaire. The questionnaires will also be given to the subjects at the end of the research. Subjects will be asked to keep a daily history of any effects they experience during the research.

d. Photography A digital camera with a macro lens will document the before treatment status, during treatment status, and after treatment status. Three photographs will be taken – frontal face, right face, and left face. Subjects will be photographed with identical lighting, background, emotionless face, same distance, and same gaze. The goal will be to use the same photographer throughout the study.

e. Categories The thirty women will be assigned to one of two categories.

Category I (15 Subjects) The fifteen women will be given the Wellbeam Light Emission Diode to be used on the setting for red, blue, and infrared. They will be given a stand to rest the diode upon. The Wellbeam should be positioned three to four inches from the face. For 15 minutes daily, they will be asked to use it on the right side of the face. Once in position, the subjects will be asked to close their eyes and face straight ahead. The left side of the face will have no therapy. Photographs of the right and left side will be compared to each other.

Category II (15 Subjects) The fifteen women will be given the “Acne Skin Care System” to apply to the right side of the face. They will be instructed how and when to apply the lotions. No lotions will be applied to the left side of the face. Photographs of the left and right side will be compared to each other.

f. Length of Study The study will last six weeks (possibly eight weeks). Subjects will be asked to return for photographs at a two-week interval, four-week interval, and six-week interval.

g. Location of Study The study will take place at Cherry Mill Rejuvenation Spa located on Gregory Road near Highway 1 in north Fort Collins. Mary Bargeleme is the spa director.

h. Analysis Each subject will have four sets of photographs with frontal face, right face, and left face in each set. A board certified dermatologist (hopefully Dr. Lynn West) will rank and score the photographs according to severity of acne. She will be blind to what time period the photos were taken. The scoring results will be statistically analyzed by Jim ZumBrunnen, director of the Colorado State University Statistics Laboratory.

i. Follow Up The subjects will be asked to return in two months for follow up photos to determine remission longevity. If there is improvement on one side of the face, subjects will be given the therapy free of charge on the other side of the face.