Boston Photodynamic Therapy doctors

	Madeline Krauss, MD Boston Dermatologic Surgeon 1 Washington Street Suite 401, Wellesley Hills		2 answers
	Brooke R. Seckel, MD Boston Plastic Surgeon 131 Old Road Nine Acre Corner - Suite 700, Concord		1 answer
	Lynn Baden, M.D. Boston Dermatologist 1400 Centre St Ste 208, Newton Center
	Stephen Delia, M.D. Boston Plastic Surgeon 20 Tremont St Bldg. 3, Duxbury
	Jeffrey Dover, MD Boston Dermatologist 1244 Boylston Street Suite 302, Chestnut Hill

Recent Answers

Does Photodynamic Therapy Really Work for Acne and How Long Does It Last? I've tried everything: peels, antibiotics, microderm, topicals, but all of these only control my acne. So I'm really looking for a permanent solution.

A: Permanent Acne Improvement

Blue light, photodynamic therapy, antibiotics and topicals suppress acne but do not "cure" it. Smoothbeam laser has been shown to work for 18 months or longer, but not everyone responds to treatment. The only therapy that I have found to be curative in a significant precentage of patients is Isotretinoin, also called Accutane. About 1/3rd of patients never need another acne treatment of any kind. About 1/3rd of patients eventually will need to go back to topicals or another less severe treatments, and about 1/3rd get retreated with Isotretinoin eventually in the future, though this may be many years later. Although there is a lot of controversy surrounding Isotretinoin, it remains a great treatment for severe, chronic or scarring acne.

Hope that helps.

Madeline Krauss, M.D.

Madeline Krauss, MD

Boston Dermatologic Surgeon

PDL on Spider Angioma (w/ Immune Suppressants)? Would PDL Treatment on my Spider Angioma Be Effective, As I Am on Immune Suppressants ?

A: Pulsed dye laser on immunosuppressants

The pulsed dye laser (PDL) works with a wavelength of light absorbed by hemoglobin in blood. This damages a blood vessel and causes it to be eliminated by the body. Because the PDL does not damage the overlying skin, there is no open wound, or risk of a wound infection. For this reason it is safe while on an immune suppressant. The one infectious complication to worry about, is the rare stimulation of herpes simplex virus (HSV) around the lip area if that area is treated. Discuss this risk with your laser physician, who might elect to give you an oral antiviral medication such as valacyclovir before or at the time of treatment.

Madeline Krauss, MD

Boston Dermatologic Surgeon

Photodynamic Therapy - How is It Different from Aramis? I am wonderding how is photodynamic therapy different from Aramis laser technology? Which one would help prevent and also reduce acne scarring?

A: Non-ablative fractional Erbium laser is best for acne scarring. Photodynamic therapy controls acne

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a very effective acne treatment to reduce acute acne outbreaks. A topical light activated medication is placed on the skin (EMLA) and the light source is applied to the skin. PDT light sources include laser, intense pulsed light, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), blue light, red light, and many other visible lights (including natural sunlight).

While PDT is very effective at controlling acute acne, acne scars are chronic scars caused by previous acne outbreaks. The acne scars penetrate deeply into the deeper skin layer , the dermis, and improvement in acne scars requires new collagen production in the dermis.

In my experience the new non-ablative 1540 Erbium laser resurfacing is the most effective treatment modality for plumping of acne scars. the non-ablative fractional lasers can penetrate deeply into the dermis to build new collagen to replace that lost from scarring.

Brooke R. Seckel, MD

Boston Plastic Surgeon