LED Light Therapy
Light Emitting Diode (aka LED) Therapy is a relatively new treatment in the beauty world. However, like most advanced cosmetic treatments, it has been used in the medical field for over 50 years. It has been used to help with a range of medical conditions such as blood disorders, neurologic damage, and has even been known to improve infertility. However here at City Laser Clinic, we use LED therapy for skin conditions only.
It works by uses low-level wavelengths of light to treat the skin at a cellular level. Like the visible light spectrum (see below for a flashback to high-school science class!), there are many LED colours available. Specifically, you can choose from red, purple, blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange, and infrared. Each of these colours helps with a different skin concern.
At City Laser Clinic, we have chosen an LED device that utilizes red, blue, yellow, and infrared lights. We find that these lights cover most of our client’s skin concerns, which I will elaborate on in this article. In conjunction, our machine allows us to combine lights in the one sitting! Therefore, if you have two separate skin concerns, you will only need the one treatment to treat both.
How does it work?
LED Light Therapy utilises the healing power of light for an overall skin rejuvenation solution. By sending soothing energy waves deep into the skin’s tissue, LED works on a cellular level to combat a range of skin conditions. It can help with active acne, redness, rosacea, and much more.
As you can see in the image above, each colour of light has a different wavelength. Each of these wavelengths represent how deep each light can travel into the skin. This is beneficial to us as the core of most skin concerns start at a different depth in our skin. Therefore we can choose which light will best target your main concern.
For example, if you were primarily concerned with ageing, we would need to use the red and/or infrared LED lights. This is because ageing is caused by the slowing of the collagen & elastin fibres in the deeper layers of the skin. As the red & infrared LED lights are the only lights able to penetrate to the dermal layer, these will both boost your collagen and elastin supply.
Is it safe?
Yes! There are no adverse reactions to having LED therapy done. Unless you include temporary vision loss from a bright light shining in your face for 15 minutes! All jokes aside, all wavelengths between 600-1064nm cannot penetrate further than the dermis, so there’s no risk of internal damage. Externally, there will only be mild erythema (redness) which will subside within 15mins post-treatment.
As it is not a laser of any sort, it is also completely safe to use on all skin types with no risk of adverse reactions.
What do the different colours do?
As mentioned above, we use the Blue, Yellow, Red, and Infrared LED lights in our sessions. Each colour affects the skin at different depths and therefore targets different concerns. Here is a breakdown of what each of these coloured LED lights benefit;
BLUE LED LIGHT – 417nm
The blue LED at 417nm is beneficial for;
- Active acne
- Psoriasis
- Wound healing
We like to think of this treatment as our antibacterial skin internal and surface cleaner. Blue light LED therapy has antibacterial properties. These properties eliminate bacteria build-up beneath the skin for severe acne that lie deep beneath the surface. Research shows that consistent blue LED therapy decreases the colonization of Cutibacterium acnes & decreases pore size.
To effectively treat acne with LED it is best to do a course of treatments consisting of a combination of blue light and Yellow LED light therapy. Alternating (or combining) each one a few days apart on a weekly basis.
YELLOW LED LIGHT – 590nm
The yellow LED assists with;
- Skin Rejuvenation
- Wound healing
- Swelling
- Redness
- Inflammation
- Improving blood circulation to the skin tissues
- Reducing signs of ageing
- Overall skin health
We like to think of this treatment as our skins weekly dose of essential nutrients.
Yellow LED Therapy is an amazing stand alone treatment for a quick skin pick-me-up. We generally pair it up with our q-switched rejuvenation skin treatments or after our more intensive treatments to speed up the healing time & boost results. It is also highly recommended after any surgical procedures or injuries you may endure to speed up the healing process.
RED LED LIGHT – 650nm
Red light assists with;
- Hair regrowth
- Psoriasis
- Skin rejuvenation
- Wound healing
- Inflammation
The red-light therapy is the strongest of the three lights we have available. Technically, blue light is higher energy than red light. However blue light has less penetration. Red LED light is the only LED light that travels 8mm into the skin – reaching the entire dermis. It causes pathologic skin changes including brightening the skin, fading pigmentation, and thickening the underlying tissue.
INFRARED – 850nm
Infrared light assists with;
- Wound healing
- Inflammation
- Skin rejuvenation
- Skeletal pain
Unlike the aforementioned colours, infrared light therapy can penetrate beyond the skin, into the tissue beneath. This is particularly beneficial to body areas as it can assist with medical conditions such as fibromyalgia and other musculoskeletal pain.
Please note that whilst you may have LED Therapy treatment with us for your pain, we are not doctors and cannot diagnose any medical conditions.
Combining colours
By combining all four LED colours, we can treat multiple skin concerns in the one sitting. For example, if you have severe acne, you will most likely also have inflammation accompanied with it. In this case, we would combine our blue & yellow lights to target both concerns. If you had all the above AND are concerned about ageing, we would use all four lights at once!
How long are the treatments?
Our LED therapy treatment options are 15 minutes and 30 minutes. Both options will achieve results, however the longer the treatment, the better the results.
Can I just use my LED mask instead?
It’s no secret that clinical devices are more effective than home devices – but why?
Here’s a list of the differences between the two to help sum it up!
Specs
Over 1,000 LED bulbs
Multiple Colours Choices (+ combinations)
High Voltage
Cost Effective
Results with Minimal Use
Daily Use Required
Effective
Portable
Clinical Device
At-Home Device
If you have an LED mask at home, we do recommend using it in conjunction with your in-clinic treatments. They’re great to use for maintenance when you’re happy with your skin and only need in-clinic treatments once every few months.
