This treatment does not involve the use of tablets or drugs, just low-level laser LED and BioPhotonic cream. This means no synthetic drugs enter your body, as the treatment targets the pimple forming bacteria in your oil glands.

Unlike Accutane, your acne does not worsen before improving. Roaccutane works by ‘pushing out’ your oil glands at a molecular level- this means acne usually gets worse before getting better.

Additionally, phototherapy works quicker than retinoid therapy. As a guide antibiotics and creams take 12 weeks before working, and Accutane takes 8- 12 weeks before a change is seen, after the initial flare up. Phototherapy with LED sources such as blue, red light as well as filtered IPL & BBL can give faster results.

*At Cutis, our medical dermatologists prefer the use of blue light filtered BBL – IPL over Kleresca. Why? Because you require less sessions with BBL, the results are faster, there is no bronzing of the skin (compared to Kleresca) & BBL is cheaper.

If you are lucky, you will get 6 months out of it, however, if combined with other medications, the rate of remission increases. There are no limits as to how many Kleresca treatment programs you can be on, it really depends if you want to spend 2K a year for a decade.

To give a balanced viewpoint on acne treatments, there is no treatment that guarantees remission, even isotretinoin has a recurrence rate of 30 to 40%. The remission rate of PDT & Kleresca is thought to be much lower.

Kleresca is one of the safest acne treatments available. In fact the blue light of the Kleresca LED by itself is a safe & effective treatment for acne (without the ALA- Biophotonic gel).

Unlike Accutane or antibiotics there are no side effects, apart from temporary staining of your skin (bronzing). There are no allergic reactions to Kleresca, unless one has a genetic susceptibility to porphyrins.

Twelve. Kleresca® is administered twice a week for six weeks. You must have at least one day’s break between treatment sessions.

Though there are many clinics selling single treatments, ALA-PDT & stand-alone blue light LED required multiple sessions. A hack that will save you money (& get fast results), is to undertake one Kleresca treatment but ensure you are on medical therapy for your acne. Why so? Because medical therapy is slower to work but has a much more predictable & cost effect end result. Discuss this with your dermatologist.

Absolutely. In fact, phototherapy is ideal for patients who want faster results with long term remission.

Retinoids take 6 to 12 weeks before kicking in, hence using the blue light wavelength of the Kleresca lamp (with or without the Biophotonic gel), can result in faster clearance. Discuss the role of LLED or BBL -IPL with the blue light filter with your dermatologist.

A sensible combination of blue light (using the Kleresca lamp or another source), is to combine it with topical retinoids, retinol, BHAs, anti-inflammatory agents or even oral isotretinoin. The action spectrum for drug induced photosensitivity is in the long wave UVA, not in the longer blue spectrums of the Kleresca light source.

Combining the Biophotonic gel (or better/cheaper ALA) with blue light (or red light) will give most patients an accelerated clearance over topical or systemic (tablets) for acne.

The Kleresca Program consists of 12 sessions spaced over 6 weeks. This procedure is performed at cosmetic GP practices as well as shopping center-based laser clinics. The prices range from $2390 to $2590 for a series of treatments.

Individual treatments are around $249. Note, this treatment ideally involves a series of treatments, not one.

In my practice, I do believe that blue + red light LED phototherapy is nearly as effective as ALA-blue light (Kleresca). I do think that combination therapy with medically prescribed topicals (retinoid) give far superior results at the 6 month mark and beyond. Additionally, the combination of blue light phototherapy & topical is far more cost effective than Kleresca.

AviClear is a new laser treatment due in Australia in 2023. It uses 1726 laser light to specifically target oil glands. AviClear requires far less treatments than Kleresca. 3 sessions in total over 3 months.

AviClear, unlike Kleresca will not stain your skin, & can be safe & highly effective in treating ethnic skin types.

The very first step is a careful assessment to see if you are suitable for Kleresca. Not all patients are suitable candidates.

Ideal candidates for this treatment include –

• Patients seeking a natural remedy without the use of tablets.
• Patients with primarily papular -pustular acne (no blackheads).
• Patients who do not want to undertake tablets including Accutane- Roaccutane.
• Patients who have had bad side effects to Accutane- Roaccutane in the past.

NOTE- Kleresca works best if you have papular-pustular and cystic acne, namely zits. It does not work well for blackheads- whitehead acne. 

You can get this treatment done in various skin clinics. The dermatologists at Cutis do not offer this treatment as we believe there are far better, cheaper & more effective treatments for patients with acne.

Lots. Ideally if you have nodular cystic acne or pimples & papules with scarring, you should be under the care of a dermatologist. This is because scarring can be permanent. Not everyone can afford or have access to a dermatologist hence why I write content about DIY acne treatments. If you are serious about acne, do the following, it is far cheaper & more cost effective than Kleresca, with better long-term results-

1. Refer to the page on acne diets. No dairy, low sugar. Supplement with zinc sulphate from a health food store.
2. Start on a retinoid, ideally Epiduo or Differin. If you are in Australia, see your GP. They may start you on some anti-inflammatory antibiotics for short term management. Use 2% BHA or salicylic acid was, as tolerated. As tolerated is an important concept to understand.
3. If you have inflammatory acne, IPL, BBL, vascular lasers, blue & red light, LLED can help. You do not need the ALA gel found in Kleresca. Save your money. High energy levels with the above devices will result in better results. If you have blackheads, see a good dermal therapist, esthetician, or skin care expert who will treat you without the marketing bullsh*t. Extractions, peels & exfoliation can help.
4. Practice good skin care. Remove make up before bed time, let your skin breathe. Use a simple bland moisturizer, especially if you are on a retinoid
5. If you exhibit scarring, don’t waste your time on fluffy stuff including Kleresca. See a medical dermatologist for treatment. The number one predictive factor for scarring is the time taken to effective acne control.

   

No. Some International Private health insurance companies cover the entire program, some give a partial rebate. Australian Private Health insurance companies do not cover the Kleresca® program.

There are many effective treatments subsidized by the PBS, your dermatologist can give you options.

Note: I am a procedural dermatologist. I cut, laser, peel & inject. I do not practice any acne management. Please see my colleagues at Clinic Cutis.

If you are serious about effectively treating acne in both the short and long term, see a medical dermatologist, but before that, practice all the goodness of diets & DIY skin care. Refer to the relevant sections.

Dermatologists prescribe effective medications & not fairy dust. They do not go for the prescription pad & scribble Witch Hazel or tea tree oil (however if you are inclined to go for the natural route, knock yourself out). Derms employ methods such as clinical phototherapy, lasers, chemical peels, topical vitamin A as well as tablets to get your acne under control in the shortest amount of time. If you are serious about acne, see a dermatologist. 

Disclaimer: I do not treat acne. My work sub specializes in managing objectively severe acne scars. My colleagues at Clinic Cutis will treat your acne.