[Darla]

iPhone App Claims to Treat Acne. Does it?

February 24th, 2010 The Dematology Blog

I love my iPhone. (No, that’s not me in the photo.)


My iPhone is teeming with apps that help me get through my day (like Doodle Jump for instance). An emerging iPhone trend is the development of apps that diagnose and treat diseases. For example, there is the stethoscope app to help diagnose heart murmurs. In dermatology, there is an app designed to treat acne.


We know that specific wavelengths of light can have medicinal effects such as killing bacteria (red light) and reducing inflammation (blue light). This app produces light at those wavelengths to treat acne. The claim is that by holding the iPhone to your face, the light produced from the app will treat your acne.


Although it scores a 10 on 10 in the coolness factor, it scores a 0 on 10 for proof of efficacy. The studies that looked at treating acne with light used much more intense light than an iPhone uses. The studies with more powerful light exposed faces for 60 minutes every week, which is about 8 minutes on each side every day. Even then, light treatments for acne have not been shown to be consistently better than standard acne treatments such as antibiotics and tretinoin.


So does the acne app work? Well, there are no studies to tell us. Given that the light intensity is low and that most people would not do the treatment — try holding your phone for 2-5 minutes on each side of your face every day for months — I doubt it works.


Acne is common and naturally gets better and worse at times no matter what you do. It is unfortunate that products like this are sold that do not have any proof that they work. There will be people who buy this app and believe that it helped them, (“My acne was clear in just THREE DAYS!”) but the two bucks is better spent on Doodle Jump.


See also:
Can an iPhone App Clear Up Your Acne?
In Light and Heat, Gadgets Claim to Fight Acne
Better Skin to the Touch?
Can You Treat Acne With an iPhone App?
A study to determine the effect of combination blue (415 nm) and near-infrared (830 nm) light-emitting diode (LED) therapy for moderate acne vulgaris.
Photo: Aye Shamus (flickr)

[jewele]

This sounds so stupid and a waste of money. I hope people don't try it. If it did work a lot of derms would be without a job

[PYNKiE]

Its like portable light therapy!!! That is amazing.

[divadoll]

Interesting. Jailbreak your phone first

[magosienne]

Good joke !

Seriously, i hope nobody believes in that stuff !

[Alalia]

I don't think the iphone is capable of (mechanically) producing the right wavelength of light for that effect. UV therapy that is effective is usually done in a controlled environment because they have to use high intensity lights and I think also there would be potential for danger.