HOW LED THERAPY WORKS
LED therapy, or light therapy, is based on the skin’s ability to absorb light and convert it into energy. This energy, in turn, triggers certain reactions in skin cells — it accelerates regenerative processes, stimulates collagen production, increases elasticity, fights bacteria, evens out skin tone and removes toxins
The idea of using light therapy in facial care came from the sun — the effect of sunlight on the skin has been known for a long time. Initially, attempts were even made to treat the skin with artificial ultraviolet light, but these were unsuccessful. Later, when it became clear that ultraviolet rays not only did not heal, but also led to photoaging and various diseases, the practice of exposing the skin to ultraviolet rays was abandoned, but research on this topic continued. After some time, it became clear that not all sunlight rays have a beneficial effect on the skin, but only waves of a certain length. That is why, unlike the sun, cosmetic LED devices do not emit the spectrum of rays that could have a negative effect.
Chemical compounds are used to create artificial rays, which, under the influence of electric current, emit light waves of a certain length and, accordingly, a certain colour, imitating sunlight. In cosmetology, blue, red, green and orange colours are most commonly used, each of which penetrates to a different depth of the upper layers of the skin and solves different problems.
RED LIGHT LED THERAPY
Red light in light therapy is used for anti-ageing care. It has a wavelength of 633–830 nanometres and penetrates the skin layers to a depth of 4–5 mm. This wavelength allows the light to penetrate the layers of the dermis, where fibroblasts responsible for the production of collagen and elastin are located. In addition, red light improves blood circulation, thereby saturating cells with oxygen and nutrients.
What to expect from red light LED therapy:
- stimulation of collagen production and photorejuvenation by improving cellular metabolism. Moreover, according to research, these processes continue for 21 days after exposure to red light.
- reduction in wrinkle depth and improvement in skin elasticity. The issue of reducing wrinkles with red light has been studied very thoroughly, and numerous studies have proven that with regular use of light therapy, the depth of wrinkles is significantly reduced and the skin becomes more elastic. Some studies have shown very good results, with wrinkles reduced by up to 36% and skin elasticity increased by up to 19%.
- accelerated synthesis of DNA and RNA, leading to skin cell regeneration
- Saturation of skin cells with oxygen and nutrients thanks to improved blood circulation
- reduction in inflammation,blackheads and combating breakouts
LED therapy using red light should be performed at least once a week, but the more often the procedures are performed, the better.
BLUE LIGHT LED THERAPY
Blue light therapy is aimed at treating acne and blackheads, as it combats one of the most common causes of breakouts — the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes (which lives in blocked pores and feeds on the fatty acids in sebum).
Blue light emits short wavelengths (400–510 nanometres) and is close to ultraviolet light in the spectrum, which gives it the same antibacterial properties but does not expose the skin to additional risk. It penetrates only the uppermost layers of the skin (1 mm), but this is enough to saturate the skin with oxygen, which kills the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes. This therapy has shown particularly good results on the skin of people with mild to moderate acne — after just one week of daily therapy, the number of blackheads can be reduced by 41.5% and breakouts by up to 30.4%. Blue light is less effective in treating cystic acne and blackheads, but it will also be beneficial with a large number of procedures.
LED lamps with blue light also help prevent rashes, so they are useful for almost everyone.
GREEN LIGHT LED THERAPY
Green LED light helps combat pigmentation and premature skin ageing and has a wavelength of 515-520 nanometres. Compared to red and blue light, green lamps have not been studied as extensively, but there is already evidence that they can lighten freckles and spots caused by prolonged exposure to the sun, remove redness and even out skin tone.
