Light Therapy Vs. Benzoyl Peroxide – The Facts

For a long time the preferred method for treating acne has been benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide has been shown over and over again in scientific studies to be a highly effective acne fighter, perhaps the most effective acne fighter you can get without a doctor’s prescription. Some users of acne care systems like Proactiv, which include benzoyl peroxide as the primary ingredient, have reported an almost complete disappearance of their acne and significantly reduced instances of recurrence. Recently, a new therapy has emerged, known as light therapy. Light therapy has also shown some tremendous results when used to treat acne. So which should you use; benzoyl peroxide or light therapy. To help you make your decision, here is some information on both types of treatment.

How Benzoyl Peroxide Works

Benzoyl peroxide works by opening up clogged pores. Acne occurs when pores get clogged with sebum, dead skin cells and acne causing bacteria. These bacteria are highly susceptible to oxygen, so when the benzoyl peroxide opens up the pore, letting oxygen in, the acne causing bacteria within die. As a result, acne fades faster and recurs less often.

How Light Therapy Works

Light therapy also works by killing acne causing bacteria. In the case of light therapy, a specific wavelength of light causes oxygen to be released in acne causing bacteria, killing the bacteria. Some researchers claim that these pulses of light can kill nearly all of the bacteria in a matter of a few days.

Drawbacks to Benzoyl Peroxide

Although both methods are effective, both also have a few drawbacks. In the case of benzoyl peroxide solutions, you generally need to put the solutions on your face or affected areas every day, twice a day, for as long as you wish to remain acne free. In addition, benzoyl peroxide can dry out skin, so you will need to include a moisturizer in your acne care treatment. Finally, some people experience some skin irritation when using benzoyl peroxide.

Drawbacks to Light Therapy

While light therapy tends to be quick and painless, it does require repeated treatments. You will probably have to go to the doctor or light therapy technician every week for four to eight weeks in order to get the full effects. You can order do it yourself light therapy kits, but there is no guarantee that you will get the same results as you would if the therapy were administered by a professional. In addition, while light therapy is highly effective at killing acne causing bacteria, it does nothing about dead skin cells or sebum production, so if an excess of dead skin cells or sebum is your problem, light therapy may not be as effective.

Finally, light therapy is a relatively new procedure, and the long term effects are still not known. Sunlight can cause serious damage to skin, even cancer, and while there is no current evidence to suggest light therapy carries these risks with it, it is understandable that this makes some people reluctant to proceed with it. You may wish to consult your dermatologist to help you decide.