PDT with Micro-Needle Infusion System for Better Results

Photodynamic therapy or PDT has been used in our office for many years to treat pre-cancerous lesions of the skin called actinic keratoses, sun damage, large pores and oily skin. We have recently discovered we can make the uptake of Levulan®, the medicine we apply on the skin, to become much more uniform by using the micro-needle roller. The combination of a micro-needle roller with a PDT treatment allows us to achieve more effective results with fewer treatments. The device looks like a lint roller but contains tiny micro-needles which are painlessly rolled across the skin before application of the Levulan®. These micro-needles pierce the surface of the skin without causing damage or bleeding, allowing increased penetration of Levulan®, (20% aminolevulinic acid), when it is applied to the surface of the skin. Levulan® is the photosensitizing solution used in PDT. Levulan® is preferentially absorbed by oil glands, precancerous or sun-damaged cells and pores making them more sensitive to light. After the Levulan® incubates on the surface of the skin for a specific period of time, it is removed and a light source or laser is used to activate the medication. The activation of the Levulan® shrinks oil glands and reduces pre-cancerous and sun-damaged cells leaving the skin healthier and more radiant. The use of a micro-needle roller has significantly improved our results of this treatment.