Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic Therapy in rejuvenation stimulates collagen formation and dramatically improves the appearance of skin. It consists of applying a photosensitive cream on the skin. Then the treated area is exposed to a lamp with red light. This exposure causes a chemical reaction that destroys cancer cells without harming healthy cells and stimulates new collagen formation throughout the skin.

Photodynamic therapy is performed over several sessions, during which:

• Depending on the lesion, a microdermabrasion or curettage is performed. This improves the absorption of the photosensitive cream and increases treatment efficacy.
• After the photosensitive cream is applied, the light area is protected and is occluded to enhance absorption.
• In cases of cancer and keratosis, a diagnosis is performed through fluorescence, which lets you see the injuries and be precise with treatment.
• At the end the treated area is exposed to red light

When Photodynamic Therapy is used to treat cancer or keratosis, the cream must be absorbed by the skin. This takes between 1-3 hours. Then, skin is exposed to light for 7-9 minutes. If used for rejuvenation, the whole session does not exceed 20 minutes.

After the session, the patient can return to normal activity immediately, although sun exposure must be avoided. A slight sensation of heat and redness will be noticed, which will decrease within hours.

The number of sessions varies for each patient. In the case of cancer and keratosis, about 2-3 sessions are needed which are spaced between 4 to 6 weeks. In the case of rejuvenation, 1-4 sessions should be sufficient depending on the objective pursued: skin tone, wrinkle removal and discolorations. In any case, the results begin to show after the first session. In patients who didn`t tolerate the red lamp we can replace the red light for several sessions of afternoon sun with good results.