{"id":10473,"date":"2019-11-20T14:14:41","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T20:14:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.advdermatology.com\/photodynamic-therapy\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T16:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T22:56:09","slug":"photodynamic-therapy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.advdermatology.com\/medical-procedures\/photodynamic-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"Photodynamic Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Advanced Dermatology is a center of excellence for PDT<\/h2>\n<p class=\"intro-text\" style=\"text-align: center;\">Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), is used for the treatment of <a title=\"Sun Damage\" href=\"https:\/\/www.advdermatology.com\/skin-concerns\/sun-damage\/\">sun damage<\/a>, aging skin, <a title=\"Acne\" href=\"https:\/\/www.advdermatology.com\/skin-concerns\/acne\/\">acne<\/a>, <a title=\"Actinic Keratosis\" href=\"https:\/\/www.advdermatology.com\/skin-concerns\/skin-cancer\/actinic-keratosis\/\">actinic keratoses<\/a>, <a title=\"Enlarged Pores\" href=\"https:\/\/www.advdermatology.com\/skin-concerns\/acne\/enlarged-pores\/\">enlarged pores<\/a> and the prevention of non-melanoma skin cancer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Dr. Taub has authored numerous published papers and book chapters on this topic and is considered an international expert. We have innovative and effective methods for treating all of these indications and perform this treatment daily. PDT is an important part of therapy and prevention for anyone who has had AK or non-melanoma skin cancer or for anyone interested in the rejuvenation of face, arms, hands, chest, and legs that want a medical benefit in addition to the cosmetic.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"btn-primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.advdermatology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/PDT_Instructions_June2017.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Download preparation instructions for PDT (PDF)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n\"mainEntity\": [{\n\"@type\": \"Question\",\n\"name\": \"How do I know if I need PDT?\",\n\"acceptedAnswer\": {\n\"@type\": \"Answer\",\n\"text\": \"PDT may be right for you if you have sun-damaged skin, actinic keratosis, acne,\ninflammatory rosacea, hidradenitis suppurativa, or other less common skin diseases. You must\nalso understand the benefits and limitations of this treatment.\nPregnant women or patients taking Accutane during the previous six months are not eligible for\nPDT.\"\n}\n},{\n\"@type\": \"Question\",\n\"name\": \"How does PDT work?\",\n\"acceptedAnswer\": {\n\"@type\": \"Answer\",\n\"text\": \"Photodynamic therapy uses light or laser energy to act against skin disease, sun\ndamage, precancerous cells (actinic keratosis), acne, and inflammatory rosacea. PDT is not\npainful, you may feel slight discomfort during treatment; it feels like a rubber band snapping on\nyour skin.\"\n}\n},{\n\"@type\": \"Question\",\n\"name\": \"What is the treatment like?\",\n\"acceptedAnswer\": {\n\"@type\": \"Answer\",\n\"text\": \"On the day of treatment, you arrive 60 to 120 minutes early, depending on the area\nbeing treated, so your skin can be cleansed and coated with Levulan. For best results, we\nsometimes also perform microneedling, to increase the absorption of the Levulan. You may want\nto bring a book to read while Levulan is absorbed by your skin. After 60 to 120 minutes the\nLevulan will be washed off. The next step is treatment with either a light or laser. If blue light is\nused you will sit under the light for 10 to 20 minutes. If a laser is used your provider will rub a\ncool gel onto your skin before treatment.\"\n}\n},{\n\"@type\": \"Question\",\n\"name\": \"Can this be combined with other treatments?\",\n\"acceptedAnswer\": {\n\"@type\": \"Answer\",\n\"text\": \"Yes. PDT may be combined with traditional Photorejuvenation, chemical peels, and\nother therapies. The choice of combinations depends on the skin condition being treated. It also\nmay be combined with tissue tightening treatments or injectable fillers and toxins.\"\n}\n},{\n\"@type\": \"Question\",\n\"name\": \"What is the cost of Photodynamic Therapy?\",\n\"acceptedAnswer\": {\n\"@type\": \"Answer\",\n\"text\": \"The cost depends on the number of treatments. PDT for actinic keratosis may be\ncovered by your insurance if we only use blue light (see PDT under medical treatments)<\/p>\n<p>Treatments of acne, rosacea, and sun damage are not covered by insurance and are\nconsidered cosmetic treatments that you are responsible for.\"\n}\n},{\n\"@type\": \"Question\",\n\"name\": \"Can PDT be used to treat acne?\",\n\"acceptedAnswer\": {\n\"@type\": \"Answer\",\n\"text\": \"Yes, hidradenitis suppurativa, a severe form of acne, requires monthly treatments\nuntil the condition is under control. Maintenance treatments are then recommended. See Acne\nProcedures for more details on the use of PDT for the treatment of acne.\"\n}\n},{\n\"@type\": \"Question\",\n\"name\": \"What are the risks and side effects?\",\n\"acceptedAnswer\": {\n\"@type\": \"Answer\",\n\"text\": \"This treatment often results in redness and scaliness, similar to having a sunburn for\n1 day to over a week. If there is a lot of sun damage or if you have been in the light during the 2\ndays, you may have some significant burning discomfort in the treated area. This occasionally\nhappens despite your best efforts. The good news is that even with severe side effects, there\nhas never been any reported scarring with this treatment. So even if you do have a pronounced\neffect in the short term, you will still get a very good result.\nIf your treated area is tanned or recently exposed to the sun, we recommend that you wait until\nthe tan fades before PDT. This will reduce side effects such as blisters or crusts. If you prefer to\nhave your tanned skin treated, we will reduce the intensity of treatment.\nPrior to treatment all potential risks and side effects will be discussed with you by your medical\nprovider and cosmetic coordinator.\"\n}\n}]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advanced Dermatology is a center of excellence for PDT Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), is used for the treatment of sun damage, aging skin, acne, actinic keratoses, enlarged pores and the prevention of non-melanoma skin cancer. Dr. Taub has authored numerous published<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":10421,"menu_order":85,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"templates\/no-nav-page.php","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"on","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"0","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"Relevanssi image attachment filter Relevanssi index exclude","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10473","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Treatment - Chicago, IL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Advanced Dermatology is a center of excellence for Photodynamic Therapy (PDT). 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