Why Your Skin Needs to Know about Light Therapy

Light Therapy: What, Why, and Many More

Skin conditions can be frustrating to deal with, and the number of different products available to treat them can be confusing and don’t always work.

This blog article provides a summary of some potential benefits of light therapy, such as reducing inflammation and treating various skin conditions.

What is Light Therapy

Light therapy is the exposure to artificial light to treat diseases, disorders, and skin conditions.

There are different light colors used, and each color penetrates the skin at different depths and is thought to produce different effects at each level.

• Blue light: uppermost layer of your skin.
• Yellow light: penetrates deeper.
• Red light travels further into your skin.
• Near-infrared: penetrates deepest.

LED Light Therapy

Light-emitting diode (LED) light therapy is a non-invasive therapy used in treating various skin conditions. It does this by entering the skin’s layers to improve it. It can be used to treat:

• Eczema
• Mild to moderate acne
• Sun Damage
• Wrinkles
• Psoriasis
• Rosacea

There are different LED light therapies available that include a combination of different colors.

Benefits

Light therapy is quickly gaining in popularity, and there are many potential benefits to using LED light therapy, including:

• Reduced inflammation
• Acne Treatment
• Wound healing
• Reduction of fine lines

Something to note is any skin type can use LED light therapy. Because it doesn’t use ultraviolet light, it won’t cause damage or burns to your skin.

Does LED Light Therapy Work?

The research available for LED light therapy suggests that the form of light therapy can help reduce and improve certain skin conditions and issues.

Improvements won’t happen right away; you won’t begin to see the benefits for a few days. Note that LED light therapy does not treat acne cysts, blackheads, or whiteheads.

Blue Light Therapy

Another common type of light therapy is blue light therapy, which uses natural violet or blue light to treat conditions on or just under the skin. This form of phototherapy is used to kill acne-causing bacteria by targeting the oil glands and reducing the output.

The blue light can help stimulate the skin’s natural healing process and improve overall health.

Benefits

One of the major benefits of blue light therapy is it kills bad bacteria on your skin, reducing the formation of acne. Other positive benefits are:

• Blue light therapy is chemical free.
• Treats acne
• Anti-inflammation
• Reduce Oil gland size
• Diminish acne scar appearance
• It is non-invasive
• Does not damage the skin
• Safe for all skin types and ages
• Painless

It is a safe, gentle treatment, and results are noticeable within two to four weeks of treatment.

Does Blue Light Therapy Work?

Research suggests that blue light therapy is a viable option for treating skin conditions.

In short and long-term usage of blue light therapy, there have been no adverse side effects.

Globally, blue light is used to treat newborn babies for jaundice; newborns have delicate skin, yet no adverse side effects have been reported. The only possible risk is overexposure to the eyes, which is why eye protection is highly recommended.

Red Light Therapy

Red Light Therapy uses a specific low natural wavelength of light for therapeutic benefits, both medical and cosmetic. This light can penetrate our top layer of skin and into the deep levels of the skin, known as the dermis.

This is the area of skin where our collagen, elastin, and other essential proteins reside. 

Red light is absorbed by our cells and then converted into energy. This energy, in turn, can stimulate the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which creates more energy for cells to use.

It increases the oxygenation in your skin while improving circulation. This repairs damaged tissue and can lead to improved skin texture from increased collagen production and oxygenation.

Benefits

There are quite a few positive benefits that come with red light therapy.

• Acne Healing: The red light decreases redness and minimizes the production of oil and bacteria.
• Anti-Aging: Red light therapy increases the production of collagen, along with elastin and hyaluronic acid in the skin. 
• Wound Healing: The therapy improves circulation and brings more oxygen to the skin.
• Painless: You will only feel light heat on your skin.
• Improve sun-damaged skin

Does Red Light Therapy Work?

Red light therapy is supported by different research studies as effective and useful in treating skin conditions when used appropriately.

It is considered a safe therapy; as with other light therapies, it’s recommended to wear eye protection to prevent eye strain and other damage.

The potential benefits of light therapy include reducing many skin conditions and symptoms, along with non-skin-related conditions.

Light therapy is considered to be very safe and can be used on different skin types and colors with no adverse effects.

Some more research still needs to be done in order to confirm all of these benefits, but the potential benefits that come with light therapy are worth considering if you are experiencing persistent skin issues. There are plenty of affordable at-home light therapy devices on the market for you to choose from.