Body acne can have a huge impact on people’s self-image, potentially leading to mental health issues and even chronic physical illnesses. Most people treat their acne in some way, for example, by using anti-acne body washes or changing their sheets more often. However, for some, these steps do not make a difference and their acne requires more severe treatments.

When it’s time to consider a laser treatment for acne, there are a few things to think about, like where on the body your acne is, what acne issues you have and what your skin type is. This article should address some of the routes you can take when seeking treatment for body acne, so read on to get some information to inform your decision as to whether laser treatments are right for you. 

How the different body parts affect the treatment 

Skin on the body is often thicker than facial skin and tends to heal more slowly, which means that there is a higher risk of:

• Acne scarring 
• Dark spots called hyperpigmentation

Whilst both of these things can occur on the face and on more sensitive areas of the body, like the chest, they tend to linger longer and are generally harder to treat with ointments or creams than acne on thinner skin. As a result, many people who struggle with body acne issues no longer have active acne but still have markings from the acne that they would like to deal with. 

Regardless, laser treatments are available that are less invasive for more sensitive skin, as well as treatments for more severe markings. Equally, the treatments differ slightly depending on whether you’re treating active acne or acne scarring. 

Treatments for active acne

Here are some examples of common laser treatments for acne that is active, oily or red:

Blue and red light therapy

• Blue Light kills acne bacteria and reduces oil production in the pores. 
• Red Light penetrates deeper and reduces inflammation. It also stimulates collagen production, which helps the healing process.

Both of these are usually used in conjunction. 

Photodynamic therapy (PDT)

• This is a two-step process starting with the application of a photosensitising solution (cream), which is then targeted with blue or red light or a laser. It also targets acne bacteria, but is a stronger treatment for more severe acne.

Pulsed Dye Lasers (PDL)

• These help reduce skin redness and inflammation to help fade red spots. An example is a vascular laser treatment. 

Treatments for acne scarring 

These specific lasers are designed to stimulate collagen, which helps remove scars or as a hyperpigmentation treatment:

Fractional lasers (ablative and non-ablative)

Ablative fractional lasers remove the top layers of skin entirely, making them more extreme treatments. Non-ablative fractional lasers are less invasive and don’t remove any skin layers (though their results are less dramatic).

• Ablative fractional lasers treat deeper or atrophic scars. It destroys tiny areas of tissue in the top layer of skin, which encourages the skin to produce new collagen. 
• Ablative fractional erbium lasers are very similar but just more gentle. This means these are more ideal for sensitive skin and provide a middle ground between the other two.
• Non-ablative fractional lasers heat the areas of acne without damaging the skin’s surface. They are ideal for less severe skin issues.

Picking a treatment for you 

Because of the potential risks of choosing the wrong laser, you have to make sure you have a trusted clinician to talk you through your options. Quality clinicians will do a consultation to assess what would work best with your skin; this is almost always a combination of methods. 

The key takeaway is that this treatment can be life-changing for many. If you feel it would improve your life, find a clinic and start your acne removal journey.