LED lights are an upcoming trend, already a permanent feature in many London, UK, Australia and US salons. It seems to be our turn to embrace this results driven light therapy treatment.
LED standing for Light emitting Diode, a technology first designed by NASA working on the premise that they send energy producing packets of light into the deeper layers of the skin. Ask not what NASA does for skin but….appreciate the fact it must be high grade technology! ( They were studying how light may influence plant growth in space, then doctors researched how it may encourage dermal growth in our skin! Disclaimer; not plant growth!)
LED are lights which are visible to the naked eye unlike UV, will not photosensitise the skin, deemed NOT carcinogenic, are painfree, calming and extremely beneficial to the skin. There are 3 lights, blue, red and amber. Each boasting their own merit. They can be offered as a standalone treatment or cocktailed as an added benefit to a facial etc.
Basically the skin has the ability to absorb light and then convert it into energy. This stimulates and causes a higher cell turnover rate, encourage lymphatic system amongst some of its benefits.
Blue has the ability to kill bacteria, so essential in the reality of fighting acne conditions. The blue lights is also credited with calming skin inflammation and irritation. It is an effective non-invasive means to treat a tender yet reactive skin. This skin condition has often been subjected to harsh exfoliants, astringents, medications, peels and mechanical pummelling devices, while this alternative involves no hands on touch per say yet still gets results.
Red light when emitted onto the skin has the ability to stimulate the fibroblast cell. It is used as a booster for antiageing benefits alongside scar tissue treatments. The red light has been reported to help in facial muscle relaxation, ideal for the frown line and naso labial line region we all dread!
Finally the amber or yellow light treats reactive sensitive, red and vascular skins. This one may do well on our weather beaten island so! It helps to minimise the redness alongside the bumps blemishes and irritation that accompanies it. It targets environmentally induced irritation while inhibiting bacterial growth.
Although the target zone for the light is the dermal layer, the living layer of the skin, all layers will benefit i.e. the 5 layers of the epidermis, so thorough skin rejuvenation shall take place. Some before and after pictures have visible differences in skins clarity, smoothness, texture and even open pores.
There is a grey area however, as it is still relatively new science in the mainstream capacity as there are many conflicting opinions. Many claim there should be more clinical papers and scientific reports to support the claims being made. However the visuals, testimonials and results that regular clients attribute to this treatment tend to speak volumes. Indeed some clinical nursing clinics have LED rooms now as the lights also boost serotonin (happy hormones) levels ideal in the treatment of depression. This is also a must for us in the northern hemisphere, a nation prone to SAD( seasonal affective disorder) and clinically proven to be deficient in Vit D thanks to the lack of UVB rays! If our serotonin levels are peaked it may affect us positively mentally aswell as physically.
Overall the lights seem to claim benefit on stretch marks, rosacea, hyper pigmentation and severe photodamage, the hardest coupling of skin conditions to treat.
A course is usually advises one- 6 treatments a week apart for optimum results. The treatment itself can take as little as 5minutes – 30minutes dependant on need and severity and also the size of the machine head. Some machines are hand held small devices, while others are body designed heads to cover a large area at one time. It is an enjoyable treatment to receive. It does not cause heat unlike IPL treatments so there is no downtime or ‘hiding’ time! Shall we see this trend take over our little country?