Close-up of a woman touching her face gently with both hands, looking slightly to the side.

Acne Treatment with BBL™

For healthy, clear and flawless skin again.

Treatment duration:	15 to 45 minutes
Type of procedure:	Outpatient procedure with intense pulsed light
Recovery time:	None
Cost:	From €550

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Acne is a common skin condition that often causes significant distress for those affected. Unfortunately, creams and medications are not always effective treatments.

As a modern and promising alternative to traditional methods, acne treatment with intense pulsed light (IPL) has proven effective.

Latest generation IPL – Sciton® BroadBand Light (BBL)™

The BroadBand Light (BBL)™ from Sciton® is part of the successful JOULE™ platform, a system developed to safely deliver light based therapies. BBL™ is the most powerful and advanced IPL system currently available. Sciton® was founded in 1997 in Palo Alto, California, and has since been a pioneer in the field of laser and light technology for medical and cosmetic applications.

Sciton® BroadBand Light (BBL)™ – an innovative non-laser-based skin treatment

In contrast to a laser, which emits electromagnetic waves at a single, fixed wavelength, the pulsed light of the Sciton® BBL™ covers the entire wave spectrum of a xenon flash lamp. Through the use of powerful light filters, BBL™ precisely delivers the range of wavelengths necessary for the specific treatment. Because the xenon flash lamp discharges in short, visible, and concentrated light bursts with high energy density, BroadBand Light (BBL)™ is also referred to as a flash lamp.

For greater confidence – Acne treatment with BBL™

BBL™ offers a welcome alternative to medications with significant side effects and expensive creams. Acne treatment with the flash lamp helps you achieve healthy, clear, and flawless skin. BBL™ not only effectively combats the bacteria inhabiting the sebaceous gland follicles, but the intense pulsed light also has an anti-inflammatory effect, reduces redness, and lowers the likelihood of recurrence.

Book a consultation at our practice for a detailed personal assessment. In a calm, friendly environment, Peyman Bamdad will examine you and explain the process of acne treatment with the flash lamp. A consultation usually takes around 30 to 45 minutes.

FAQ – Acne Treatment

Tanned skin increases the risk of blisters, redness, or permanent unwanted pigmentation. Therefore, avoid extensive sunbathing four weeks before BBL™ treatment and refrain from using self-tanners two weeks prior. To prevent photoallergic or phototoxic reactions, it is also essential to stop taking any medication that might increase skin photosensitivity for at least one week before treatment. This includes some antibiotics (doxycycline, ciprofloxacin), acne medications containing tretinoin (Retin-A) or isotretinoin (Aknenormin, Ciscutan, Roaccutan), St. John’s Wort preparations, and many psychotherapeutic drugs.
After a thorough skin analysis, the BBL™ treatment is performed on an outpatient basis at our practice. First, a cooling contact gel is applied to the skin areas to be treated. The flash lamp emits concentrated pulses of light via a handpiece. High-performance light filters limit the effective wavelength to the desired spectrum for each application. To ensure not only optimal treatment results but also your comfort, the sapphire glass applicator is continuously cooled while in contact with your skin. The light pulses penetrate the skin surface and are converted into heat when they reach the pigmented tissue. This allows the energy to be applied directly against acne, rosacea, age spots and acne, while the skin surface and surrounding tissue remain unharmed. In addition BBL™ enhances collagen induction and promotes skin tightening.
A mild sensation of warmth and possible redness after a BBL™ session are harmless and usually subside within hours. If further sessions are required, avoid direct sunlight until the full course of treatment is finished to reduce risk of complications such as blisters or long-term pigmentation. Since skin is highly sensitive to UV light after BBL™, the treated areas must be protected for six weeks with high-SPF sunscreen.
TheBBL™ flash lamp is suitable for mild to moderately inflammatory or pustular Acne vulgaris. To achieve the best results, each acne treatment begins with a thorough skin analysis to individually tailor the procedure. Using various filters, the treatment is carried out in two steps: the Sciton® BBL™ blue light combats bacteria in the sebaceous follicles, followed by a yellow light that reduces inflammation, diminishes redness, and lowers recurrence risk. Although most patients see visible improvement after just one session, several treatments at one- to two-week intervals are often needed for optimal results.
When performed by an experienced specialist, such as Christiane Kersten, BBL™ treatment is very well tolerated. Temporary risks include mild redness and swelling that settle quickly. In rare cases, mild burns may occur, resulting in blisters similar to sunburn. Healing can be aided with cold compresses and a moisturizer. Temporary pigment changes such as darker spots that crust over after two or three days can occur. These are also not permanent – the crust will fall off in one to two weeks, revealing healthy new skin underneath.