Fraser Clinic > Appearance Medicine > Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
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Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a relatively new procedure that compliments our treatment options for photoageing skin and sun damaged spots that we call solar (or actinic ) keratoses.
These spots are flat scaly spots, which are more common as we age, and can occur anywhere on the body, but more commonly on the sun exposed areas such as the face, neck and chest, and the backs of the hands.
These spots are innocent enough, but they do have the potential, if left untreated , to progress to skin cancers, especially squamous cell cancer which can be dangerous and requires surgical removal.
With photodynamic therapy, we first prepare the skin with either an acetone scrub, or a microdermabrasion in order to clear the skin of surface epidermal cells and debris, we then apply a special medicine called ALA ( amino laevulinic acid), onto the skin. This medication ( a clear liquid) is taken up by cells that are rapidly dividing, most skin cells but also cells related to pigmentation and solar keratoses, and certain skin cancers.
The ALA is left on the skin for a hour, then activated with exposure to intense pulsed light. Activated ALA form certain products called superoxide radicals which are toxic to rapidly dividing cells, which results in their elimination over time.
After treatment, the facial skin can feel a little hot or prickly, and it is important to avoid exposure to the direct sunlight for 72 hours.
This treatment can be repeated after 3 weeks, for a more complete result.
PDT is a very useful agent to boost the response to IPL when treating photoageing, acne, and solar keratoses. Although there are some superficial basal cell skin cancers that respond to this treatment, at Fraser Clinic, we prefer to use ALA to assist with treating photoageing and acne as our main indications.
If you think PDT therapy might be for you, phone 07 578 9495 for an appointment
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