Handheld OMNILUX clear-U, red and blue LEDs together

Blue light in combination with red light has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acne. It has been proposed that the 2 colours act together synergistically to combine their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actions.

This paper looks at the handheld unit called the Omnilux clear-U (from Photo Therapeutics). This unit has a flat plane measuring, 60mm x 50mm, consisting of LEDs emitting light at wavelengths of blue light; 415nm (at 40mW/cm2) and red light; 633nm (at 70mw/cm2). The unit allows you to switch between the red and blue modes of operation.

According to the clear-U web site, the LEDs `destroy the bacteria responsible for the inflammation, stimulate healthy tissue growth, decrease inflammation and pore size, and limit oil production in the future’.

Photo Therapeutics Ltd. have recently trademarked the term `OMNILUX clear-U’ and also the logo .

Those doing the trial rated the unit very easy to use and just 2 of them reported mild transient redness after their self-treatments. The treatments consisted of 20 minutes of blue light and 30 minutes of red light, alternating every 2-3 days. The unit was held in contact with the face.

There are now several studies that show that LEDs using blue light alone or in combination with red light can successfully treat rosacea. Previous studies demonstrated the effectiveness of a clinic-based treatment scenario – this paper duplicates the results using a self-administered regime.

Following is a quote from the paper discussing how the LEDs are thought to provide a benefit.

Although the exact mode of action is still to be elucidated it is believed that the effectiveness of phototherapy is brought about by the destruction of P acnes through the mechanism of photodynamic therapy combined with the stimulation of cellular activity by intracellular and intercellular pathways. Red light (633 nm) although less effective at activating coproporphyrin III than blue light, penetrates more deeply into the tissue and importantly has noted anti-inflammatory properties. It has been demonstrated in vitro, that red light has influenced anti-inflammatory cytokines from macrophages and increased the synthesis of fibroblast growth factor from photoactivated cells and low-level laser irradiation within the visible red waveband can produce various beneficial effects such as stimulation of cell proliferation, release of growth factors, collagen deposition, and neovascularization.

These results, although relating more directly to acne, are still promising for rosacea sufferers. The anti-inflammatory actions of low level light therapy are ideal for rosacea lesions as well as acne lesions. This plays well with the theory that rosacea is an inflammatory condition, and breaking the inflammatory pathway is key in achieving relief from symptoms.

Here is the abstract of the recently published paper;

Handheld LED array device in the treatment of acne vulgaris, J Drugs Dermatol. 2008 Apr;7(4):347-50., Sadick NS., Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Department of Dermatology, New York, NY, USA.

The successful treatment of acne still remains problematic. Conventional therapies often prove inconsistent with unacceptable side effects and recurrence rates, leading to patient noncompliance. A thermal phototherapy treatment using a combination of blue light and red light has recently attracted much attention and seems to offer an effective alternative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of blue light (415 nm) in combination with red light (633 nm) in the reduction of inflammatory lesions on the face of subjects (n=21) with mild to moderate acne vulgaris after a course of 8 20-minute (blue) or 30-minute (red) alternated light treatments, self-administered by a handheld unit over a period of 4 weeks.

Lesion counts progressively reduced throughout the 4-week light therapy period and continued to reduce up to 8 weeks post therapy, with a final average reduction of 69% seen 8 weeks after the treatment course (P>.001). This pattern is similar to previously reported studies.

Note that Photo Therapeutics also sell a similar handheld unit called the OMNILUX new-U which offers red and near infrared treatments in the same unit. Although this is targeted at treating the effects of aging, it may also be useful in treating rosacea.

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