Light therapy for clear & youthful skin.
I’ve written a few blog posts where I touch upon or mention LED therapy as a beneficial skincare treatment. This type of light therapy is something I’ve been incorporating into my facials and personal skincare regimen for over a decade. I find LED therapy to be so beneficial and I love that it can be used on all different skin types. Enjoy this blog post ALL about one of my favorite skincare treatments.✨
Light therapy for skin: what is it?
LED light therapy for skin is when a device that holds many little LED bulbs emits light to provide therapeutic benefits for your skin. These devices come in handheld form, masks that you can place onto your face, and flexible panels that you can bend and place over your face, neck, or other body parts. In order for an LED device to be effective in delivering results we’d like to see if 400-500 nanometers of light for blue light devices and 600-700 nanometers of light for red LED.
scrub me secret: wavelengths of red light that are delivered at over 700 nanometers are called infrared light. This type of light helps with pain relief, muscle tension, body detoxification, and circulation. You will sometimes find it in saunas, this is called an infrared sauna.
What do the different colors of LED light do for your skin you ask? Blue light kills bacteria to fight acne and breakouts, red light stimulates and renews collagen and elastin for firming and reducing wrinkles, and yellow light depuffs the face and brings oxygen to the skin. There are other colors of LED but studies have shown that they don’t penetrate deep enough to have an effect.
Why I like LED therapy as an esthetician:
I love that it’s suitable for everyone. Acne? Totally treatable with LED. Sensitive skin? Won’t have any issues with feeling irritated afterward. Aging skin? It’s a great way to anti-age without injectables, lasers, or peels. I think I mostly love LED therapy because I have seen visible results in my own skin as well as my facial clients’ skin. I am able to maintain so much of my skin’s elasticity and have prevented all lines and wrinkles even now into my 30s. My facial clients that struggle with acne have found that blue LED therapy greatly reduces breakouts. When something shows me results I can’t help but like it!
Commonly asked questions about light therapy:
❓Are there any dangers to LED light therapy?
As long as you wear your protective eye coverings during your LED to prevent possible eye damage OR use a device where there are openings for the eyes there is no danger with this treatment. To be the safest make sure you are using an FDA-approved LED device and use the product as instructed(it will come with directions). On rare occasions, redness or increased inflammation may occur for a short time.
❓How often can I use a light therapy device?
Each product comes with different time lengths that you use the product for a singular session. This will affect the number of days a week you use the device. Your LED light therapy product will come with instructions!
❓How should I prep my skin for at-home-LED therapy?
You’ll want clean skin, free of oils, creams, or makeup when you use your LED. Ideally, you will pre-cleanse your skin using a facial oil or cleansing balm, cleanse with your favorite facial cleanser, and apply hydrating mist or facial toner. Then use your LED device. If you skip the pre-cleanse or the toner it’s not a big deal but it is really helpful for getting the most perfect-looking skin you can have.
❓Where does light therapy fit into my skincare routine?
Since you need to have fresh clean skin for a LED treatment it’s easiest to fit LED into either your morning or nighttime skincare routine; wherever you have a bit more time. You’ll fit the LED treatment in AFTER cleansing and toning and BEFORE serums, lotion, and/or facial oil.
Light therapy at-home devices:
scrub me secret: Light therapy is definitely a bit more beneficial when incorporated into a professional facial treatment with an esthetician. This is because there are certain treatments done leading up to LED therapy such as enzymatic exfoliation, microdermabrasion, and/or facial massage that make light therapy more effective.
If you do have the time and means to implement LED therapy into your weekly or daily at-home skincare routine I highly suggest it! I find LED mainly to be effective for preventing aging (wrinkles, lines, sagging), ironing out visible fine lines, creating more elasticity and firmer skin, and diminishing acne/breakouts.
Best light therapy devices to buy in 2022 (my top picks)
OMNILUX
My number one pick for anti-aging! I love this specific red LED device because it has effective and well-placed LED lights. It’s also really comfortable to wear on your face. With this device, you get a lot of coverage all over your face and over the sides of your face so you can get all those collagen and elastin renewing benefits over every inch of your face.
The omnilux brand suggests you use this red light therapy device 3-5x a week for 10 minutes at a time.
DR. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite™
This is a really popular at-home LED device, and for good reason! This professional-grade LED mask was created by a top board-certified dermatologist. It’s a durable and high-quality product. It has both red and blue LED light that penetrates into the skin to provide effective anti-aging and/or acne-clearing results. This device is nice because you can choose red LED, blue LED, or a mixture of both.
This LED device is meant to be used for 3 minutes a day, every day.
LightStim
I like the LightStim LED devices a lot for treating acne or breakout-prone skin. Unlike the products listed above, this is a handheld LED therapy device that you hold to your skin and hold in place. The reason I like it best for acne or random breakouts is that it can easily be held and pressed up against a pimple or group of breakouts. It’s a much more affordable price than other LED therapy devices with the same professional treatment. It’s a great product to use for reducing and diminishing cystic acne or stubborn breakouts.
Hold for 3 minutes on your desired area of treatment; this can be done daily or as needed.