LED Light Therapy for Skin: All of your Questions Answered
LED stands for "Light Emitting Diode." Using LED lights for the body were originally researched and developed by NASA. They studied the way light accelerated healing and were able to incorporate this to help with the deficient wound-healing in different atmospheric conditions.
It is now used as a non-invasive treatment for the skin to help with acne, anti-aging, hyperpigmentation, pain relief and still-wound healing.
How Does it work?
Just like plants absorb light from the sun and turn it into energy, our skin absorbs light and it causes reactions in our cells causing them to
regenerate and build new proteins.
Different "colors" are determined by the wavelength of the lights. Blue light has shorter wavelengths, while amber and red have longer wavelengths. Infrared light is invisible to the eye as a "color" and has the longest wavelength.
For Acne Treatment (Blue & Red Lights):
Blue lights activate a natural singlet oxygen molecule in the skin. These oxygen molecules have the ability to kill P. Bacteria (propionibacterium acnes) that cause breakouts. Studies have shown that this light therapy has better performance than the common controversial ingredient, benzoyl peroxide.
Red lights emit an anti-inflammatory effect in the skin which is commonly associated with acne breakouts. Red lights also accelerate the healing process, which helps with current acne spots as well as preventing scar formation.
For Ant-Aging Treatment (Red, Amber & Infrared):
Red lights (as mentioned with acne) help with inflammation, but also have the ability to increase fibroblast activity in the cells-which stimulates collagen production. We all likely know by now that collagen is what gives our skin a plump, youthful appearance and that it decreases as we age.
Amber lights, while they too are building collagen and elastin, they are also effective for skin issues like redness, rosecea & sun damaged skin. When thinking about "aging skin," we often first think of wrinkles and lack of firmness. Realistically though, uneven skin tone and pigmentation are often associated with aging too. So when amber is used in conjunction to red & infared, we not only see improvement in texture, we see it in tone as well.
Infared (the invisible) lights have a similar effect in the skin as red & amber, as it is also stimulating that amazing collagen & elastin production we love so much. This light, however, is able to penetrate deeper than the red light, encouraging deeper, longer lasting results. It has also been known to help some active ingredients in your serum or (clear) masque penetrate deeper in the skin.
How to get some LED in your life:
Option #1- See your trusted esthetician (me!)
LED Light Therapy, as mentioned, is a non-invasive skin therapy that has some serious science backing it up with proven results. In order to get the best results, it is recommended to get weekly 12-20 minute treatments for 4 weeks and then maintenance treatments once per month.
Balance Beauty Spa
LED Light Therapy Facial (Mini facial w/20 minute LED) $70
LED Light Therapy Add-On to your regular facial (15 minutes)- $20
Option #2
Do it yourself with a professional at-home LED device. (Available for purchase at Balance Beauty Spa) Not all LED devices are created equal, so my professional recommendation is to use the LightStim at home device. It's the only medical device certified by the FDA for home use, they don't use batteries (so you know you are always getting adequate power), and they are manufactured here in the USA. There's even a app to tell you when to move your light to the next area of your face!
LightStim for Acne
LightStim for Wrinkles
Sources:
http://biophotas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Barolet_-_2008.pdf
www.LightStim.com (selected info & images)
Physiology of the Skin, Third Edition
A Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Red and Near-Infrared Light Treatment in Patient Satisfaction, Reduction of Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Skin Roughness, and Intradermal Collagen Density Increase Alexander Wunsch1 and Karsten Matuschka2
