Acne, sun damage, wounds, fine lines, inflammation, Rosacea, and other skin problems?
LED Light Therapy to the rescue!
Red light therapy treatment uses varying wavelengths of light to trigger the skin’s natural healing processes to repair the skin. Let’s look at how Red light therapy works and what it may do for you.
What exactly is LED therapy?
LED stands for light-emitting diode. These lights have been in use since the 1960s, but only in more recent years have we begun to use them for the treatment of skin.
They were originally developed by NASA for plant growth experiments in space.
Since then, LEDs have shown promising results in wound healing and human tissue growth.
Different wavelengths of light are used, including blue and red, which penetrate the skin at different depths. This penetration triggers biological processes that help the skin both rejuvenate and heal.
Blue light...
Blue LED light has been shown ot reduce activity in the sebaceous glands, which are small oil-producing glands in your skin. This reduction in activity causes your glands to produce less oil, ultimately improving acne symptoms for those with oily skin. This is just one way blue LED therapy can benefit acneic skin.
Regardless of how often someone washes their face, there is a certain type of bacteria that contributes to acne and blue LED lights has been shown to inhinbit or even kill this bacteria which causes further inflammation in acneic skin.
Research indicates that blue light can improve the healing of third degree burns as well.
Red light...
As for your personal battle with time…Red LED light has been shown to improve scarring and signs of aging, such as wrinkles.(woohoo!) It may do this by acting on fibroblasts, which are skin cells that are responsible for collagen production.
Collagen is a protein in the skin and other connective tissues which is responsible for the “plump” of our skin, plays a role in skin healing and is important for more than just a plump, youthful appearance. More on collagen in a future post 😊
Like so many things, the body produces less collagen as a we age, which causes your skin to show signs of aging such as sunken area and fine linnes. Red light helps by stimulating collagen production and repair connective tissue.
Red light also reduces skin inflammation, making it an excellent adjunct light to the blue for acne and rosacea suffers. It’s ability to reduce inflammation and heal can also make it a valuable tool in post injury or surgical healing.
Uses...
LED light therapy can help treat a variety of skin problems, including:
According to research, LED light therapy has an impressive safety record too.
It does not contain UV rays, which can be damaging to the skin, making LED therapy safe for regular use. Unlike chemical peels or laser therapy, LED light therapy does not cause burns and is safe for all types and colors of skin.
What LED can do...
Navy SEALs have used LED light therapy to help heal wounds. The treatment led to improvements of more than 40% in musculoskeletal injuries in team members. Wound healing time was also reduced.
When it comes to cosmetic procedures, a review of several studies indicates that LED light therapy devices can improve a range of skin conditions, including psoriasis, rosacea, and mild-to-moderate acne.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, most people with acne will see an improvement in their symptoms from using LED light therapy, but results can vary.
While each single treatment offers benefit to the skin, several treatment sessions may be needed before noticing an improvement in skin appearance. People usually see the best results several weeks after their last treatment or with ongoing treatments. When you visit us, we will make recommendations customized to your skin’s specific needs.
While there are many home devices on the market now, they are usually less effective than professional treatments due to the number of diodes and strength levels.
Side effects...
Generally speaking, LED light therapy is safe and in the all the years we have been offering the treatment, we have never had anyone have issue or reaction. The procedure is noninvasive and does not cause burning or pain.
That said and while rare, short-term side effects are possible. (Again, we have yet to see them.) When they do occur, they may include:
- inflammation
- rashes
- skin redness
- tenderness
Individuals should not use LED therapy if they take certain medications, such as isotretinoin (Accutane), which is for acne or while using topical treatments that cause sensitivity to sunlight.
When in doubt, of course, speak to a dermatologist.
The procedure…
LED light therapy can be a stand-alone treatment or combined with other skin treatments and facials.
Each session lasts between 5 and 30 minutes. This depends on the devise and your needs, and up to 10 sessions may be necessary.
After this, a person may need to return periodically for maintenance sessions, again, depending on your individual needs.
LED light therapy is suitable for use on any body part, including the face, hands, neck, and chest.
Following treatment, no recovery time is necessary.
At-home devices...
The efficacy for at-home devices depends dominantly on the number of diodes, placement of diodes and strength. While professional treatments are still the gold-standard for results, using an at-home device can help build on and maintain results. Here is the device we like the best for at-home. It's effective and versatile for multiple uses. CLICK HERE