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Undo Sun Damage with a New "Burn"

HealthGal
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Medical correspondent

Amy Hendel began her media career as a Recurring Contributor to KCBS...

HealthGal

Tuesday, August 05, 2008
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Sit in the sun from childhood through adulthood and then some, for enough hours and you will likely accumulate an awful lot of visible and invisible sun damage.  One particular skin issue that may arise are red or brown crusty,flaky areas or yellowed spots, usually found on the face and sca...
  1. Levulan Photodynamic Light Therapy for Actinic Keratoses
    profloca
    Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 05:49 PM

    I have spent the last 2 month being treated with Levulan.  I read about it and its efficacy rate was quite high, so I decided to proceed.  I have had one basal cell and one squamous cell skin cancer on my calves.  They were removed and the nurse practitioner told me I still had many more actinic keratoses that could lead to future skin cancers.  I have been treated 3 times on the calves and my back.  I have had little to no response.  I have waited 2 hours for the Levulan to soak in at each treatment.  Then I sat under the U Blue light for 8, 10 & 12 minutes.  No response.  After talking with the Dr. who help create the drug, I found I should have waited no less than 5 hours after the Levulan soaked in and I should have stayed under the light no less than 16 minutes 40 seconds.  He also said sometimes the area is wrapped in Saran wrap while the drug soaks in.  There is no standard of treatment for using Levulan on areas other than face/scalp.  However, the protococl for the most delicate of skin, would lead one to believe that at least a 5 hour soak and 16 min. 40 seconds light treatment would be necessary.  Ask questions of your Dr. before agreeing to this very expensive treatment.  Make sure it is done according to Dusa Pharmaceutical standards.

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    re: Levulan Photodynamic Light Therapy for Actinic Keratoses
    HealthGal
    Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 11:18 PM

    Yes - as I pointed out in my blog - the efficacy of the levulin seems to increase with the amount of time it is allowed to stay on and certainly to penetrate.  I appreciate your frustration as a patient and as a rule of thumb I typically find that as these new products stay on the market and get used by a number of different physicians - more information tends to be discovered about "best ways/most successful treatment outcomes" - I know this was the case with Thermage and even Fraxel.  Your efforts to get more information and be proactive for the best results in your own personal treatment are to be applauded.

     

    Reply
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Actinic Keratosis is a precancerous skin condition that develops when the skin is exposed to sun.

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