What is LED Light Therapy and How Does it Help the Skin?

Here at Your Body’s ReTreat in Hurst, Texas, Esthetician’s Jamie Renee and Melissa Mika utilize LED light therapy during facials to improve the skin and enhance additional treatment modalities. Your Body’s ReTreat employs the use of the Illuminate LED and Celluma LED panels, both professional pieces of LED equipment. These professional devices are much more powerful than LED lights available for home use and are completely safe. Low-level light therapy is a proven effective, and safe treatment for hair loss, aging skin, and various pain conditions.

What exactly IS LED and how can it benefit the skin and bodies of our clients?

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. It is a form of Phototherapy. Light therapies will have multiple depths, colors, and wavelengths. You need to understand what each of these frequencies or LED light color settings do in order for you to utilize the one that can better address your skin concerns.

LED light devices come with varying wavelengths of light – including blue, yellow, green, amber and red – which can be absorbed by the receptors in the skin. The light acts as a source of energy (think Joules) that is a catalyst in the renewal of your skin’s tissues.

Blue Light ~ 405 nm – 420 nm: targets the bacteria responsible for acne on its own, and when combined with the inflammation-reducing red light, is even more effective for calming a breakout.

Green Light ~ 510 nm:  assists with discoloration, such as hyperpigmentation, broken capillaries, sunspots, and dark circles. It evens out the skin tone and can definitely take your complexion care a notch higher. Rosacea skin greatly benefits from green light LED.

Red Light ~ 650 nm – 850 nm : has been shown to stimulate the production of collagen (plumps), elastin (for elasticity), and it improves the circulation, leading to smoother, tighter skin.

Infrared Light ~ 880 nm +: penetrates even deeper than red and triggers wound healing, decreases inflammation, and can help relieve pain.

As mentioned, each spectrum or color corresponds to a specific target treatment in your skin. Note that LED lights can render varying biological effects depending on the depths of their penetration. These light rays jumpstart internal processes like circulation, collagen production and help to decrease inflammation in the body. It enhances hair growth by targeting and boosting the biochemical processes in the scalp and hair follicle. It is also non-invasive, non-toxic, and painless.

Is LED Light Therapy Safe?

Not only is LED effective, but it also has the added benefit of being painless and relaxing, with no recovery time required.  LED is suitable for all skin types, regardless of ethnicity. LED light therapy is suitable for use on any body part, including the face, hands, neck, and chest. Unlike chemical peels or laser therapy, LED light therapy does not cause burns. It does not contain UV rays, which can be harmful to the skin. Therefore, LED therapy is suitable for regular use.

What to expect during an LED treatment?

It remains cool and comfortable for the client because it uses spectral light instead of heat to activate the skin’s own biochemical healing processes. RED LED will have very comfortable warmth. Although the light will seem very bright for the first couple of minutes, you will barely notice it when you start to relax. LED has also been proven to help users get into a meditative state, so the 20 minute sessions are a perfect way to still your mind and can be more relaxing than a long nap! Your eyes will be covered with a medical grade eye shield and goggles. This is a non-invasive (pain-free) procedure, you will not feel a thing. Clients should start to see improvements in their skin soon after their first treatment, but the results from cumulative sessions will be much greater. Most of the clients that buy the LED series at Your Body’s ReTreat end up buying it again the next time it is offered. Maintenance is highly recommended to ensure lasting results.

BENEFITS of LED Light Therapy

Cellular Benefits Include: Increased energy, increased circulation, increased nutrient transfer, decreased inflammation and acceleration of evacuation of waste and free radicals.

Visible Benefits Include: Increase in collagen production, tightening of elastin layer, decrease in the appearance of pores, reduction of scars and blemishes and pigmentation.

LED Light Therapy can assist with a variety of skin issues, including:

  • acne
  • dermatitis
  • dull skin
  • eczema
  • psoriasis
  • rosacea
  • scarring
  • signs of aging such as wrinkles and sun spots
  • sun damage
  • wound healing
  • additional inflammatory skin conditions

Light therapy offers a powerful yet gentle means for obtaining more beautiful skin.  It gives you the opportunity to treat an array of skin concerns without chemicals, drugs, or invasive measures.  The skin responds quickly and very positively to the different colors in the spectrum.

WHEN IS LED LIGHT FACIAL THERAPY NOT RECOMMENDED?

It is important to note that certain illnesses can make you a poor candidate to undergo an LED light facial therapy. If you have the following conditions, you might want to approach the procedure and LED face mask products with extra caution.

  • Active rash
  • Migraines
  • Seizures
  • Epilepsy
  • Eye conditions
  • Hemorrhage
  • Cancer
  • Pregnancy

It is also not advisable for people who use Accutane or isotretinoin for acne. This drug can make your skin sensitive to light, therefore, increases the risk of scarring. Other medications that might affect your exposure to LED light facial masks include tetracycline or steroids.

Furthermore, don’t neglect to look out for post-procedure symptoms such as pain, rash, hives, redness, or intensified inflammation.

Whether you’re using LED lights at home or seeing a provider for treatment, you should not wear any makeup during your session. Here are some of the client’s receiving LED light therapy.