iPhone users love their apps, so it's no surprise that AcneApp, a light-based therapy, is drawing interest from the blemish-prone who like the concept of zapping zits while talking to friends.
It's supposed to work like this: Download the application and hold the phone to the skin so the light therapy can do its work. Multitask if you wish, remembering to switch sides so your entire face gets the treatment.
But more than four months after its release, there are still no clinical studies proving it works. Other dermatologists express doubt it could help, and users are giving it mixed reviews -- from terrific to skeptical.AcneApp is listed as No. 1 in the medical category on iTunes for Jan. 27, yet the Apple store web site cautions that ''the app is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended for treatment of any disease or medical condition."
AcneApp was developed by Houston dermatologist Greg Pearson, MD, who wasn't available to talk to WebMD but concedes in a YouTube video that studies need to be done to verify the app's effectiveness.
While light therapy for acne is sometimes effective, according to other dermatologists, they're skeptical the iPhone app has enough power to blast away zits.
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