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Morpheus 8 and Fractora RF Considered “Color Blind”

These acne treatments are safe for all skin types. RF devices do not target a particular color in the skin, and are considered “color blind”. This means that they can be used, albeit with caution, on dark complexions.

Additionally, the RF technology also utilizes silicon-coated pins, which spare the top layers of the skin, and only work in the deeper layers. As such, the epidermis is more protected from the effects of heat, and the risk of pigmentation problems is typically avoided.

PDL Acne Laser

PDL (Pulse Dye Laser) is an older but effective acne laser that targets the red color in the cystic lesions on the skin. Red is the color of inflammation, supported by blood vessels that bring nutrition and oxygen to the cysts. Once treated with PDL, the cysts lose the support needed for their existence and go away.

As every acne patient knows well, the cysts tend to recur in the same spots time after time. Once the infrastructure that supports them is no longer available, cyst growth can be controlled. This is the reason for the long-term results experienced by most of my patients.

PDL More Affordable, but Not Ideal for All Skin Types

The PDL acne laser works well for patients with light to medium-/dark brown complexions. Very dark (African-American) skin is at risk of picking up too much of the laser energy by the pigment in the skin, and developing light or dark spots after the treatment. PDL often requires more sessions and has a longer downtime when compared with Morpheus 8 and Fractora. At the same time, PDL is still popular with patients and is a more affordable option.

The Downside of Traditional Acne Treatments

Traditional acne treatments with oral medications, depending on their severity, carry their own problems, such as:

• Mild to moderate acne is handled with oral antibiotics as well as topical agents. The antibiotics usually provide only partial improvement of the acne; however, antibiotics have their own potential side effects.

  Worst of all, once withdrawn, the acne usually flares up again. To my dismay, I often see young people who have been on oral antibiotics for many years. I consider this a bad long-term strategy for a young person, for obvious reasons.

• Cystic acne, which is more severe, is traditionally treated with Accutane. This is a medication with a long list of potentially severe side effects and is therefore very tightly controlled by the FDA via the iPledge program. Accutane has to be taken for 6 months, accompanied by required monthly pregnancy and other blood tests, a low cholesterol diet, and consistent monthly follow-up visits.

  In addition, even the milder side effects, such as excessive dryness of the skin and sun sensitivity, can be a problem for some patients. Accutane is hard to tolerate in the summer due to extreme sun sensitivity and in the winter due to cold, wind, and indoor dry air due to heating.

  Worse than that, many patients experience a flare-up of acne after completing the 6 month treatment period for Accutane, and often need a second 6-month treatment protocol, and some even require a third one.