Laser care for breakouts with the Fotona LightWalker, planned by Dr. Nelly Silva and the same team that looks after your smile.
Dr. Nelly Silva, DMDTreating the follicle, not just the surface.
A breakout starts inside the hair follicle. Excess oil and dead skin block the opening, acne bacteria multiply in the trapped oil, and the skin responds with redness and swelling. Cleansers and spot treatments work from the outside in, which is why many breakouts keep returning.
Laser acne treatment delivers controlled light energy through the skin to the tissue where acne forms. Your plan is a short series of visits, each one building on the last, alongside a simple home routine we set with you.
Gentle heat in the follicle is used to settle the red, swollen bumps that make breakouts sore.
The laser energy acts on the bacteria that feed on trapped oil and keep a breakout going.
Warming the oil glands aims to slow the overproduction that clogs pores in the first place.
We perform laser acne treatment with the Fotona LightWalker, a laser we chose because it gives patients a more comfortable treatment experience. Our team uses lasers every week, from periodontal laser therapy to FotonaSMILE, so laser settings and skin safety are part of daily work here.
Laser treatment is a good fit for active acne that keeps returning despite a steady skincare routine. These are the patterns we see most often.
Red bumps and whiteheads that clear for a week, then come back in the same places.
Shine by midday, enlarged pores and frequent clogging across the forehead, nose and chin.
Acne that appears or returns in your twenties, thirties or later, often along the jaw.
Acne on the chest, shoulders or back, where creams are hard to apply.
Deep, painful cysts, acne that spreads quickly or breakouts that are already leaving scars need care from your physician or a dermatologist. Laser treatment can work alongside a medical plan once your prescriber agrees. If you take oral isotretinoin, laser sessions usually wait until your course is finished, and we plan that timing with you.
Many patients come in with all three at once. Sorting them out at the first visit is how we decide what to treat first.
| What You See | What It Is | How We Approach It |
|---|---|---|
| Active breakouts | Red bumps, whiteheads and tender spots caused by clogged, inflamed follicles. | A series of laser acne treatments with the Fotona LightWalker, plus a home routine that does not strip the skin. |
| Post-acne marks | Flat red, pink or brown spots left after a breakout heals. The skin surface is smooth. | These often fade once new breakouts stop. We review them after active acne is under control and add surface treatments if they linger. |
| Textured or pitted scars | Dips, rolling texture or ice-pick marks where a breakout damaged deeper tissue. | Planned separately with skin resurfacing or microneedling, after breakouts have settled. |
We look at your breakout pattern, skin type, current products and any medication, confirm laser care is the right fit and map out your sessions.
Your skin is cleansed, you wear protective eyewear and the laser is passed over the treatment area in measured passes.
Use a gentle cleanser and daily sunscreen, skip scrubs and do not pick. We tell you which active products to pause and when to restart them.
Each visit starts with a look at how your skin has responded. We fine-tune settings and spacing, then plan for marks or scars once breakouts calm.
Dr. Nelly Silva, DMDDr. Silva teaches in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Medicine and Surgery at Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry, so the health of soft tissue is part of her everyday work. She takes time to explain options before any treatment starts, and she invites patients to call her Nelly.
Dr. Silva is incredibly knowledgeable and takes the time to explain procedures, treatment options, and overall dental health in a way that's easy to understand.Lanae H., Google Review
Had a perfect facial with Lexie today, she is very friendly, so caring, & takes her time with you.Debra H., Google Review
Laser resurfacing smooths texture and uneven tone, the next step for textured scars once breakouts have stopped.
After breakouts settleMicroneedling encourages the skin's natural renewal to improve texture and tone, a common choice for shallow acne scarring.
For texture and scarsA sterile blade removes dead skin cells and fine facial hair, leaving a smooth surface that absorbs skincare well.
Once skin is calmThe cost of laser acne treatment depends on the number of sessions and the areas treated, so we give you a clear price once we have seen your skin. Payment plans are available to spread the cost of your series.
Have a question about your own skin that is not listed here? We are happy to answer it at your consultation.
Most patients need a series of sessions rather than a single visit. The number depends on how active your breakouts are and how your skin responds, so we set a starting plan at your consultation and adjust it as we go.
Most patients describe a feeling of warmth or light snapping on the skin. We use the Fotona LightWalker because it gives patients a more comfortable treatment experience, and we check in with you throughout the session.
Active breakouts and scars are treated differently. We usually calm active acne first, then look at any textured or pitted scarring, which tends to respond to skin resurfacing or microneedling, both of which we also offer.
Bring a list of everything you use on your skin and any acne medication you take. Some topical products are paused around sessions, and oral isotretinoin usually means waiting before laser care, so we plan timing with you and, when needed, with your prescribing physician.
Changes build gradually across a series rather than overnight. We review your skin at every visit so you can see how it is responding and so we can adjust the plan.
Our team already works with lasers in dental care, including periodontal laser therapy and FotonaSMILE. Aesthetic treatments such as laser skin care, microneedling and dermaplaning sit alongside that work, so patients can see one familiar team for both.
We will look at your skin, sort active acne from marks and scars, and give you a plan with a clear number of sessions and a clear price.
399 Arcola Road, Collegeville, PA 19426
