Omnilux Clear-U: Acne Treatment Without Side Effects
Acne still continues to ruin childhoods, damage teenage self-esteem, and hurt plenty of adult images. Medical treatments continue to have trouble dealing with it, and some of the more common ones (such as Accutane) have side effects that can be serious. Natural treatments would be great, and diet seems to play a role, but about the only things that appear to have a positive effect are zinc, tea tree oil, and possible glycolic acid. What is one to do?
The Omnilux Clear-U offers an interesting at-home solution, though one that is effective over time. FDA approved, their site still mentions that the device is only available to physicians, though it is now approved for sale to consumers. Intended for targeted treatment of “Mild to Moderate Acne Vulgaris”, they helpfully link to the clinical study offering a fairly concise look at benefits. While we don’t have any stunning before-and-after photos to show, Omnilux does. We should also point out that they recommend a 12-week course of treatment, and state that best results may be seen a few weeks afterward. Our test subject only used the Clear-U for a couple of treatments before noticing a positive difference.
Happily, the device seems to work, for most people. Apparently, the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes plays a role, producing nasty chemicals that happen to be sensitive to light at specific wavelengths. The Omnilux Clear-U produces those forms of red and blue light, killing the bacteria, with no heat, UVA or UVB light, and no skin damage. The bacteria are resilient though, so you actually need to hold the light in place for 20 minutes at a time- and the device isn’t that large. The major downside: folks suffering from widespread breakouts will not find the Clear-U particularly easy to use, as it would take far too long to cover broad areas. Also, we did have trouble remembering to alternate from red to blue light- it can be hard to keep track of which to use, though you can simply leave the switch positioned one way or the other.
The only side effect is some redness of the skin at first, which is great. And we liked the easy portability. Some skincare packs are included as well, for both preparation and aftercare. At more than $150, we hope that the price falls a bit, but it’s certainly inexpensive compared to some alternatives. And while it’s always hard to put a price on appearance, make sure that you consider your time as well, and can muster the dedication for regular treatments to ensure the best results.
