Photodynamic Therapy is an amazing technique. This treatment is done by medical professionals, estheticians, and cosmetologist. It is used to treat a wide range of cancers, macular degeneration, worts, psoriasis,wrinkles, enlarged pores, acne, rosacea, allong with several other internal and external problems.
This technique, also known as PDT or Blue Light Therapy, has been utilized in less advanced forms for a very long time. The first form was used in ancient Egypt to treat Leprosy, dipigmented skin lesions (which are any wound to the skin) and several other skin problems of that time. They used natural photosensitizers like figs, parsley, parsnip and St John's wort. These were ground down to powder compounds and apply to the skin, and then the person with the issue was sent outside in the strong desert sun rays. It gave the person a sunburn effect. It has also showed up in Indian and Asian cultures.
In 1978 Thomas Dougherty introduced the use of fibre optic cables to deliver laser light directly to the site it was needed and to control the amount of light used. Around the mid 90's LED lights were being used to treat larger areas. The laser can be used in a space as small as 3/16th of an inch and the LEDs are not as focused or as powerful as a laser. It would be like comparing a laser pointer to a flashlight. Most facial treatments average out at about $600 per treatment. Photodynamic Therapy has advanced so much just within the last 20 years and so much more in the past 10 years. I can only imagine how far we will go with it in the next 10-20 years.
source: wikipedia.com, salonprofit.net, drrayhoward.com, medicinenet.com, about.com, yahoo.answers.com, allaboutvision.com
