Beauty & Style: Blue Light Acne Therapy

Today’s Beauty & Style post comes from Kelly, a native-Minnesotan who temporarily transplanted to Southern California to “find herself” and be surrounded by one of her passions: the entertainment industry. She loves pigs, her pup Coco, architectural design, dance and photography. She spends her days working in Human Resources, blogs about her journey to self-revelation and spends way too much time in front of her TV and laptop. Follow her on Twitter.

One of my biggest insecurities, acne, is something I would have never thought I’d be worrying about at this point in my life. Maybe at 16, but surely not at 24. Throughout my teen years, I had breakouts here and there, but I never had an issue with constant acne. But, in the past two to three years, my acne has been constant. In fact, I can’t remember a time since college where my face has been completely clear. I feel like I’ve tried just about everything, aside from cosmetic procedures.

A few months ago, my sister sent me a text message with a link to the TRIA Clarifying Blue Light and recommended I give blue light therapy a shot. In an article discussing emerging treatments for acne, the Mayo Clinic suggests blue light therapy because “exposing the skin to a low-intensity blue light source is believed to destroy P. acnes” which are “the bacterium that causes acne inflammation.”

While I was intrigued, the steep cost of $245 for the TRIA Clarifying Blue Light couldn’t make me justify it. I spend enough money on cleansers, creams, lotions, serums and natural make-up – many of which give me no relief.

About a month ago, Nicolle emailed me with a link to the Tända ZAP, a less expensive blue light therapy that saw results within 24 hours of use during the clinical trials. At just $49, I figured it was worth a shot. But, was it worth it? Here are my thoughts.

Cost

As mentioned above, the cost of the ZAP was reasonable ($49) – especially in comparison to the TRIA Clarifying Blue Light ($245). However, I’m guessing you get what you pay for.

Size

I love that the ZAP is small enough to fit into my purse or pocket (Yes, I sometimes bring it to work with me). On the other hand, the head is a little too small for my taste. I’ve seen pictures of some blue light therapies (BLT’s), like the TRIA Clarifying Blue Light, online where the head covers more space on the face, which would be nice. The ZAP head is about 3/4 in – 1 in in diameter.

Individual Treatment Time

If you have a couple zits right next to each other, you can probably cover them both at the same time, but if you’re like me and they are spread out beyond 3/4 in from each other, the small head size of the ZAP makes treatments take longer. Recommended treatment is to use the BLT two to three times a day, so if you have a lot of blemishes present, the time could add up (four to six minutes per blemish per day).

Battery Life

The ZAP uses three AAA batteries. Periodically, I’ll sit and do four treatments back-to-back and the batteries will decide to take a little nap. If I let it sit overnight, it will work fine again in the morning. I’m not sure if it overheats or if the batteries are so small that such constant use doesn’t bode well. I’ve replaced the batteries in my ZAP once and I expect it will be a regular activity. It seems that there are some BLT’s on the market (The TRIA Clarifying Blue Light included) that are electric or come with a battery charger.

No-No Spots

The ZAP user guide recommends against use near eyes (blue light can impair vision) and near neck (can supposedly trigger response with lymph nodes). So, you need to be careful on the low chin and around the eyes. If I’m using it somewhere fairly close to my eyes, I’ll put on the eye mask I wear to bed as a precaution. But, I’ve also used the ZAP on my forehead and I still have my vision, so just don’t put the device on your eyeballs, people.

Results

After two weeks, I’m starting to see some of my blemishes diminishing but have not been “wowed” yet. I’m hopeful that with regular, ongoing use, I will begin to see some positive results. The Mayo Clinic suggests that “a newer type of light therapy that includes a combination of blue and red light may be more effective than blue light alone.”

Side Effects

I have not experienced any side effects. The ZAP user guide instructs you to do a single two-minute treatment on your forearm and wait 24 hours to see if a reaction appears. If not, you’re OK to proceed with use. If you experience a reaction, continued use of the ZAP is not recommended. I actually worried for a brief moment if the blue light, heat and vibration could cause some sort of brain and/or nerve issues (I figured if it could trigger a reaction with my lymph nodes, it could probably impact other things) so I googled it. I couldn’t find anything indicating that there were concerns about the product’s safety, so apparently it is safe! Again, just don’t stare at the blue light or you might go blind!

The low cost, paired with the small size and ease of use are enough to encourage my continued use of the ZAP. While I haven’t seen strong results yet, I’m optimistic that I’ll begin seeing a change soon enough.

Would you try blue light therapy at home or do you leave it to the professionals? Let me hear you, people!