Skincare made easy. That’s what some people say about LED Light Therapy. Stars like Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, and others swear it by, as one can see from their previous Instagram posts.
LED stands for Light-Emitting Diode. In previous decades, the 1990s to be exact, NASA began researching the effects of LEDs in boosting wound healing by assisting cell and tissue growth.
But now, dermatologists and aestheticians widely use LED light therapy to treat various skin conditions, including acne and those dreaded effects of aging.
Skin issues become more common as you get older. Your skin becomes thinner and more delicate, and some of the protective fat layers are lost. How many of you look in the mirror and shudder at the sight of loose, aging skin?
You don’t need to stand there and watch all that happen. There’s something you can do about it.
Want to know more? Just read on and find out why LED Light Therapy works and how it can help you.
What is LED Light Therapy?
LED light therapy is a non-invasive skincare procedure that improves the skin by penetrating its layers. LED light therapy is gaining popularity in dermatologist offices and at home. This skincare procedure, which employs various LED wavelengths, is said to help:
- Acne
- Inflammation
- Skin Aging, such as wrinkles
- Actinic Keratosis
- Eczema
- Hair Loss
- Psoriasis
LED light therapy may treat tiny and superficial basal cell carcinoma in some circumstances (BCC). BCC is the most common cancer in the United States, affecting around 3.6 million people.
How does LED Light Therapy Work?
LED emits several wavelengths of light, including blue, red, amber, and green, which penetrate the skin at different depths. This penetration may initiate biological processes that aid in the rejuvenation and healing of the skin.
Why Are There Different Colors of Light Therapy?
The premise of having different colors is that each light corresponds to penetration depth.
But the essence of light therapy is that different colors elicit different reactions in people. Some colors, for example, are seen to be energizing, while others are thought to be soothing.
What is Blue Light Therapy?
Blue LED Light therapy impacts your skin’s uppermost layer. It targets the sebaceous glands, also known as oil glands. They’re found beneath the follicles of your hair.
Sebaceous glands are responsible for moisturizing your skin and hair and preventing it from drying out. But these glands can become overactive, resulting in acne and oily skin.
Blue LED light treatment, according to theory, will focus on these oil glands to make them less active. As a result, you may see fewer acne breakouts, including nodules and cysts.
Blue Light Therapy Benefits
Now that you know what blue light treatment is, I know you’re curious to know why it is beneficial. Here are some of what it can do:
- Blue light therapy can cure the effects of sun damage on the skin.
- It may eliminate a type of bacterium that causes inflammation, leading to acne.
- Your skin texture is visibly improved.
- It has been shown in animal studies that blue light therapy aids in the healing of third-degree burns.
- Blue light therapy can eliminate premalignant or malignant skin cancer growths.
- It can remove precancerous and cancerous skin lesions that haven’t migrated or metastasized to other body parts.
Pros and Cons of Blue Light Therapy
Now, before you go any further on any plans of having the procedure, take a moment to study these pros and cons.
Pros of Blue Light Therapy:
- UV light rays are not used in Blue Light Therapy. This alone considerably eliminates any severe dangers associated with today’s laser treatments.
- Unlike injectable procedures and significant face surgeries, the Blue Light Therapy method rarely causes pain.
- Because there are no liquids or chemical combinations involved in the acne treatment, there are no allergic reactions. The technique is chemical-free because the lasers are the only treatment agent.
- Blue Light Therapy therapies have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, ensuring patient safety and lowering risk levels.
Cons of Blue Light Therapy:
- Most Blue Light Therapy treatments take a month or longer and involve repeated laser sessions. This time-consuming process often encourages people to seek out other, faster-acting options.
- Not all varieties of acne, such as severe nodulocystic acne, are adequately cured or stopped by the laser light acne therapy process.
- Blue Light Therapy, which removes acne-causing layers of skin, commonly irritates the face.
- Several acne light therapy approaches and studies are still in the early stages of development. Long-term consequences are unknown.
What is Red Light Therapy?
Sounds familiar? That’s possible because red light therapy is one of the more well-known LED therapies. You may be familiar with its other names, such as low-power laser therapy (LPLT), photobiomodulation, and low-level laser therapy (LLLT).
There is research that shows Red LED light treatment can reduce inflammation and boost collagen formation, a protein responsible for younger-looking skin. It is said that red light penetrates one’s skin more deeply.
Red Light Therapy Benefits
Like blue light, red light therapy can provide you with numerous benefits:
- Red light may improve scarring and age indications, such as wrinkles. It may accomplish this by interfering with fibroblasts, which are skin cells responsible for collagen formation.
- It quickens wound healing and leads to tissue repair.
- There’s a lesser appearance of psoriasis lesions.
- Due to increased collagen production, one experiences an improvement in skin tone.
- Red light therapy aids in the repair of solar damage.
Pros and Cons of Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy has its own pros and cons.
Here are the pros:
- Red light therapy has been shown to help with overall skin health and rejuvenation, joint pain and inflammation relief, improved circulation, better sleep, fitness and recovery, and more.
- Science and research back up the efficacy of red light therapy with many peer-reviewed clinical trials.
- The clinical consensus on red light therapy is that it’s safe and well-tolerated by patients of all sorts, with almost no risks or side effects.
- It’s available for convenient in-home use. This saves time and money over going to a provider, and it increases potential efficacy because consistent treatment is made more accessible.
Meanwhile, here are the cons:
- There are photosensitivity problems for some people. Inquire with your doctor about possible interactions between light treatment and any medications you’re taking that could make you more sensitive to light.
- You cannot regard it as a cure for any ailment, even if it offers relief when used consistently. You must make a long-term commitment to your treatment.
- While most patients feel better in one to three months, they may need to continue therapies indefinitely to achieve the desired effects.
How Long Does It Take for LED Light Therapy to Take Effect?
Usually, you require a series of in-office treatments to notice meaningful results. You may require treatment once a week for roughly a month. Then, you may require monthly or bi-monthly maintenance treatments. It’s like when you undergo hair treatments. They’re not a one-time thing. You need repeated treatments to maintain your desired results.
Some at-home devices may also necessitate a significant time investment. You may need to use your device twice a day for 30 to 60 minutes for four to five weeks, and other devices only require a few minutes every day.
It’s helpful to note that LED light treatment in the office is more powerful than at-home devices, making it more effective.
Is LED Light Effective?
According to studies, LED light treatment is beneficial for wound healing and other types of skin damage. Navy SEALs employed LED light therapy to help mend wounds in the past, and team members’ musculoskeletal injuries improved by more than 40% due to the treatment. That truly speaks for itself.
Final Thoughts
From the looks of it, LED light therapy is a beneficial treatment for various skin problems, including acne, aging, wounds, and other issues. If not, why would people like Jessica Alba endorse it?
But of course, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. You can easily buy LED light devices online, but it’s best to seek medical advice before self-treating any symptoms. A doctor should examine any serious problem you have before taking any action, and you should consult a dermatologist if you want to learn more about LED light therapy.
Skin problems can be bothersome; understandably, you would want healthy, glowing skin. While facial therapies are beneficial, choosing the right procedure for your skin problem is essential.
LED light therapy is an “in” thing among celebrities. But it can be your thing too. Are you planning to undergo LED light therapy? Let us know in the comments below!
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