KISSIMMEE, FLA. – Broadband light therapy virtually halted the signs of aging in women treated at least annually for 8 years, according to Dr. Patrick Bitter Jr.
"This really is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth for delaying skin aging," Dr. Bitter said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.
Eleven women underwent treatment of the entire face with the Sciton BroadBand Light system at least once a year over an 8-year period. Blinded evaluators (490), including 51 dermatologists, indicated that the women aged no more than about 6 months during that time, said Dr. Bitter, a dermatologist in private practice in Los Gatos, Calif.
The mean age of the women at the start of treatment was 45 years, and the dermatologists who participated in the evaluations of "before" and "after" photographs rated their age as a mean of 45 years based on the "before" images. At an average of 8 years follow-up, the evaluators rated the age of the participants at a mean of 45 to 45.5 years, which was a mean of 9 years younger than the participants’ actual ages, he said.
Study participants included women in Dr. Bitter’s practice who received at least one treatment annually with good "before" photos who had not received any laser treatments or cosmetic surgery. Skin care regimens varied among the women.
The evaluators – only the dermatologists’ responses were included in the data Dr. Bitter presented – were blinded to any treatments the women underwent, and photos were taken in a way that ensured the evaluation was based entirely on skin appearance and not on other signs of aging (such as graying hair), he noted.
Broadband light technologies are known to be effective for reversing the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, redness, and brown spots, and data have shown that broadband light can improve the skin histologically. However, this is the first blinded evaluation of long-term results among those receiving regular treatments, Dr. Bitter said, noting that this study was prompted in part by a Swiss study published several years ago that speculated that such treatments might actually accelerate aging of the skin when used over time. His experience in 14 years of using broadband light treatments suggested otherwise, and these findings provide further evidence that long-term use reverses and prevents the signs of aging, he said.
New data from a corollary study to be presented at an upcoming meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology will provide additional evidence that light "does more than just make reds and browns go away," he said. "What is seems to do is make skin cells behave like younger skin cells."
Dr. Bitter noted that the difference between a patient’s really liking results and not seeing a difference is technique. "This is a great technology, buy you need to know how to use it," he said, explaining that it is important to know the optimal parameters based on skin type, to perform enough passes at each session, and to conduct enough sessions.
Dr. Robert A. Weiss
In an interview, Dr. Robert A. Weiss of the department of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, agreed that the technique – and a thorough knowledge of the parameters, limitations, and application of the intense pulsed light that is used – is critical to success. "Continued sun protection is critical, as well," he said.
Like Dr. Bitter, Dr. Weiss has seen effective long-term results with IPL technology. In a study published in 2002, he and his colleagues reported on 80 randomly selected patients with skin types I-IV who were treated with filtered flashlamp IPL between 1996 and 1997. At 4-year follow-up after the first of a median of three treatments, 83% of patients had improved skin texture, 82% had improved telangiectasias, and 79% had improved pigmentation (Dermatol. Surg. 2002;28:1115-9). "The end result is clearer, brighter, younger, healthier-looking skin," he said.
Dr. Bitter owns the trademark for PhotoFacial intense pulsed light treatments. Dr. Weiss reported at the time his study was published that he was a consultant and preceptor for Lumenis, and that the devices used in the study were purchased at a discount.