FORT WORTH, Texas -- Some people have smooth, clear, nearly flawless skin. Others have to work for it.

Could pimples, zits and blemishes be zapped away with a flash of light?

Janine Guthrie, 29, is using a cutting-edge technology to cut down on a frustrating problem.

"I do have a few blackheads around my nose and on my chin line," Guthrie said.

The new acne-fighter is called Clearlight. It's a machine used in Europe for several years now, but it wasn't approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States until last fall.

"It's a very easy technology to work with. It is painless for the patient," dermatologist Max Adler said.

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Adler is one of a handful of north Texas doctors treating patients with Clearlight, which, simply put, uses a light beam to kill the bacteria that causes acne.

"What I've seen so far is that it seems like we are seeing a decrease in the number of bumps that people have and certainly they're not as red," Adler said.

Sarah Kent, 12, had a variety of breakouts before the procedure.

"Very often I get breakouts around my forehead and the hairline of my face. It can be mild and it can be severe, it just depends," Kent said.

Kent chose a four-week treatment plan, and will stay under the light for 15 minutes, twice a week.

So, four weeks later, what were the results?

"They're really good. I haven't broken out since I've taken the treatment," Kent said.

Kent's breakout around her hairline is all but gone. "I'm not as self-conscious as I was before," she said. "My face is basically clear. Much better."

Guthrie said that even during her menstrual cycle, when she saw more acne, the Clearllight treatment helped keep the painful acne from popping up as it had many times in the past.

Adler noted that the only apparent downside to the new treatment is that it is not yet covered by insurance, and treatments are about $60 a session.