Levulan^® Photodynamic Therapy

* Actual Spa Lumina client

Background information

Photorejuvenation using intense pulsed light (IPL) is now the gold standard of non-ablative skin treatments. The most recent advance in photorejuvenation is photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with IPL, known as photodynamic skin rejuvenation.

Photodynamic skin rejuvenation involves the application of Levulan^®, a photosensitizing agent, which is then activated with IPL. This results in significant improvement in precancerous conditions such as actinic keratoses (AKs), actinically damaged skin, sun damaged skin, moderate to severe cystic acne and potentially superficial skin cancers. Additionally it improves wrinkles, pore size, skin texture, pigmentation, rosacea, sebaceous hyperplasia, and potentially prevents the development of skin cancer.

Levulan^® is revolutionizing how we perform skin rejuvenation and how we treat sun damaged skin. Spa Lumina is currently the ONLY clinic to offer this exciting therapy in Simcoe County.

Photodynamic Therapy with Levulan^® is used for:

• Removing precancerous skin lesions
• Preventing skin cancer
• Improving wrinkles
• Improving pores
• Improving skin texture
• Improving pigmentation
• Treating moderate to severe cystic acne
• Treating sebaceous hyperplasia

How does it work?

The Levulan^® Photodynamic Therapy System is a 2-part process that utilizes both the Levulan^® Kerastick^® topical solution and IPL (Intense Pulse Light) treatment.

The first step is to have a Levulan^® Kerastick^® topical solution applied to the acne and other lesions on the skin. This solution makes the lesions more sensitive to light, which prepares the skin for the second step in the process.

After leaving the topical solution on the skin for 45-60 minutes, therapy continues with an IPL Treatment. The IPL treatment session lasts up to 20 minutes and can cause minimal discomfort because of the nature of the Levulan^® Kerastick^® topical solution. This discomfort usually improves immediately after treatment and ends within 24 hours.

After treatment is completed, almost all clients experienced some temporary reddening and some clients experienced minimal swelling of the acne, actinic keratoses and the surrounding skin. Generally, all reddening disappears within 4 weeks of treatment and swelling is reduced or non-existent after 1-2 days.

Levulan^® acne therapy can even work in clients who have failed accutane. Accutane also targets the sebaceous gland but accutane has fairly toxic side effects. Levulan^® is a very safe alternative to accutane treatment.

Procedure:

• The medication will be applied for you
• After 1-2 hours Levulan^® will be activated with IPL (intense pluse light) and/or blue-light
• An anesthetic topical cream may be applied prior to the light exposure
• You will be given special goggles to wear to protect your eyes during the treatment
• During treatment you may feel stinging, tingling, prickling, or burning of the lesions, but this should go away after the treatment
• You should stay out of the sun and bright light as much as possible for the next 48 hours
• The skin will turn red and swollen in the following 3-7 days
• Some crusting may be noted
• There should be some discomfort, but no significant pain
• After 1 week, there might be some residual redness that will subside after a few days and can be covered with make up

Schedule a free consultation at Spa Lumina, to discuss any of these procedures in further detail.

Financing available through Medicard.