Acne treatment kind of blue

Verilux claims that its ClearWave Phototherapy System for Acne ($150) is a surefire way for you to take care of the bacteria that cause acne. We’re skeptical.

At the 2012 International Home and Housewares Show, Verilux introduced the system, which includes a wand that a consumer holds to his/her face for 3-minute periods. The wand emits intense blue light, which is supposed to clear your pores of acne-causing bacteria.

In its advertising, Verilux says the therapy is clinically proven, although the fine print adds that blue-light therapy was proven in general, not in relation to the particular product.

Food and Drug Administration approved blue-light therapy for acne treatment, but according to American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), blue-light therapy doesn’t work for everyone, and it’s unknown who will get clearer skin or how much the skin will clear from the therapy. Furthermore, AAD says most people who use blue-light therapy will see only a 30 percent to a 60 percent clearing of their acne.

Many creams and other treatments promise the same individual results—what works for one person might not for the next. But they cost a lot less than the ClearWave Phototherapy System does.