Lumie Shines the Spot Light On New Acne Treatment – Yahoo! News

 

This December, light therapy expert, Lumie, is launching Lumie Clear™ a brand new innovative handheld medical device that uses phototherapy to provide quick, natural, pain free treatment to the common skin condition, acne vulgaris.

Cambridge, UK (Vocus) November 24, 2009 — This December, light therapy expert, Lumie, is launching Lumie Clear™ a brand new innovative handheld medical device that uses phototherapy to provide quick, natural, pain free treatment to the common skin condition, acne vulgaris.

Based on published research , Lumie, a company with over 18 years experience in light therapy, is launching Lumie Clear™. The new LED based light provides effective treatment for acne that is both safe and without any known side effects. In published studies where this type of light therapy has been used every day over a six week period, subjects reported noticeable improvements to their acne; after12 weeks continued use, some reported 75 per cent clearance.

Using a combination of blue and red LEDs, Lumie Clear™ emits two wavelengths of light; blue (415nm) to kill the bacteria causing acne and red (660nm) to stimulate healthy tissue growth and decrease inflammation.

Aimed at the mild to moderate sufferer, Lumie Clear™ should be used as part of a daily skincare routine over a 12 week period. The built-in timer provides quick 15 minute bursts of light that need to be applied to each area affected by acne. The ergonomic design allows Lumie Clear™ to be used in a number of ways:
* By detaching the treatment head away from the base unit, Lumie Clear™ can be used as a handheld device to offer quick, intensive treatment at a close up distance
* Place the treatment head back onto the base unit and Lumie Clear™ can be used hands-free at an angled position that targets the face – as treatment is less intensive, it will need to be used for longer
* Keeping the treatment head attached to the base unit, Lumie Clear™ can be angled to a second hands-free position that targets those difficult to reach areas, like the back and shoulders – again because treatment is less intensive, it will need to be used for longer.
Acne vulgaris is a widespread skin complaint found in up to 80 per cent of adolescents. It constitutes nearly one fifth of all visits to dermatologists and has a higher female occurrence. The onset of the condition usually starts around puberty and symptoms can last well into adult life.

Lumie Clear™ has the advantage over the vast number of medicinal treatments available which experts like the Bupa Health Team, advise present many challenges to both dermatologists and patients. Topical remedies like creams and gels have a messy application, can produce slow results and can cause painful irritation. Oral drugs such as antibiotics can increase bacterial resistance, and others may cause severe long term side effects.

Dr Rakesh Patalay, BSc MBBS MRCP, Research Fellow in Dermatology at Hammersmith Hospital, said: “Over the last five years there has been increasing evidence that light based therapies using blue and red wavelengths are effective for the treatment of acne – some patients even reporting up to 75 per cent clearance after 12 weeks continued use.”

“Based on research originally carried out by Hammersmith Hospital, further clinical trials have now taken place that demonstrate the efficacy of this type of application for the treatment of acne.”

“I’m sure many acne sufferers will welcome the introduction of home based light therapy treatments as they provide an alternative to creams, gels and antibiotics.”

Lumie Clear™ features include:
* Certified as medical device
* Combined treatment from blue and red LEDs
* Typically 15 minutes daily treatment at near contact
* Handheld device
* Base unit so that light can be used hands free in two angled positions
* Built-in timer providing 15minute bursts of light
Jonathan Cridland, CEO of Lumie, said: “We have been in the light therapy industry for a long time now and have seen the number of applications in which it can be applied grow considerably. It’s no longer just about Seasonal Affective Disorder and the winter blues, as scientific research has also shown that light therapy can be used in other areas to regulate sleep patterns, boost energy and provide pain free treatments to skin conditions, like acne.”

“Light therapy is already a well established treatment in the skincare industry, but has only been readily available from dermatologists at specialist clinics. Lumie Clear™ is completely unique; it offers home based treatment incorporating light from both blue and red wavelengths simultaneously (to speed-up treatment time), is hand held or can be used from a dressing table hands-free.”

“We are all very excited to see the launch of Lumie Clear™ as not only does it offer a natural alternative to medicinal treatments like creams and antibiotics, but it’s safe, effective and has no known side effects.

Notes to Editors:
If you would like any further information, access to scientific research or comments from academic experts, please do not hesitate to contact the Lumie press office on 01954 780 500 or email lindsay (at) lumie (dot) com

The violet light emitted by the LEDs in Lumie Clear™ are very bright, Lumie therefore recommends that users do not stare at the light with the naked eye – Lumie supply users with goggles and recommend they should be worn during treatment.

Research Abstract:

Phototherapy with blue (415 nm) and red (660 nm) light in the treatment of acne vulgaris
P.PAPAGEORGIOU, A.KATSAMBAS* AND A.CHU
Unit of Dermatology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, DuCane Road, London W12 0NN, U.K.
*Adreas Sygros Hospital, Athens, Greece

“In this study we have evaluated the use of blue light (peak at 415 nm) and a mixed blue and red light (peaks at 415 and 660 nm) in the treatment of acne vulgaris. One hundred and seven patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris were randomized into four treatment groups: blue light, mixed blue and red light, cool white light and 5% benzoyl peroxide cream. Subjects in the phototherapy groups used portable light sources and irradiation was carried out daily for 15 min. Comparative assessment between the three light sources was made in an observer-blinded fashion, but this could not be achieved for the use of benzoyl peroxide. Assessments were performed every 4 weeks. After 12 weeks of active treatment a mean improvement of 76% (95% confidence interval 66±87) in inflammatory lesions was achieved by the combined blue±red light phototherapy; this was significantly superior to that achieved by blue light (at weeks 4 and 8 but not week 12), benzoyl peroxide (at weeks 8 and 12) or white light (at each assessment). The final mean improvement in comedones by using blue±red light was 58% (95% confidence interval 45±71), again better than that achieved by the other active treatments used, although the differences did not reach significant levels. We have found that phototherapy with mixed blue±red light, probably by combining antibacterial and anti-inflammatory action, is an effective means of treating acne vulgaris of mild to moderate severity, with no significant short-term adverse effects.”

About Lumie:
Lumie is Europe’s market leader in light therapy and produces a range of quality products, including dawn simulators, bright light and visors, all of which are certified as medical devices. Light therapy provides relief to sufferers of mood disorders (such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and the winter blues), boosts energy levels, improves sleep patterns and corrects body clock problems such as jet lag.

Lumie is a trademarked brand belonging to Outside In (Cambridge) Ltd, a company with over 18 years experience in light therapy that pioneered the first ever dawn simulator. Lumie quickly grew as a brand, providing a refreshing new look and approach to the market by using scientific expertise, product innovation and customer feedback.

Lumie has earned the respect of the medical profession by constantly evolving its portfolio of products based on new developments in scientific evidence and clinical trials. It is a massive success in the mainstream health and wellbeing arena and the Bodyclock range is fast-becoming the world’s best-selling form of light therapy. As well, Lumie also prides itself on providing the highest level of personalised care to its customers, through its customer care team and with the internet forum.

Lumie products are currently available by logging onto www.lumie.com, by calling 01954 780 500.

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Lumie
Lindsay Stanley
01954 780 500
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