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Recently I was asked my opinion on LED Light Therapy and how this compared to High Frequency Ultra-Sound (HIFU) Therapy for a variety of skin conditions. Although neither of these therapeutic approaches fall under natural skincare, it is my opinion that they have a place in the Skincare Routine Approaches discussed in previous articles and worthwhile to review. In fact, it is fascinating to see how technology is based on quite complex optical physics concepts has penetrated the realm of beauty therapy.

In this article, the focus is on LED Light Therapy, leaving the HIFU for a future discussion.

Cheat Sheet or Quick Facts on LED Therapy 

What is it?

• LED Light Therapy – Light Emitting Diode Light Therapy - is a form of skincare treatment that utilises the red and blue wavelengths of visible light to heal/improve various skin conditions.
• Red LED Light Therapy is mainly used to help diminish the signs of ageing.
• Blue LED Light Therapy tends to be used to target acne issues.

Is it Safe?

• Since LED are designed “not to contain” Ultra-Violet rays (UV), they have generally been considered safe to use, according to most regulatory authorities such as the FDA. It also appears to be safe on all skin types.
• LED Light Therapy, because of its mechanism of action, does not lead to issues encountered with chemical peels, dermabrasion and laser treatments.
• LED Light therapy should not be used in conjunction with retinoid containing treatments.
• Normally, the side effects are minimal, but there is always the possibility that some people will experience some redness or inflammation.

Practicalities of this Therapy

• Normally 10 – 12 weekly sessions of 20 – 30 minutes are the starting point. Afterwards, ongoing monthly 30 minutes sessions are highly recommended to sustain the initial benefits.
• Home devices are reasonably practical and convenient to use, however as the quality of the instruments will not be as that of the professional equipment, users might find that the results are less noticeable, and it will take much longer to achieve a specific goal.

What it Costs

• You can expect a beauty therapist LED Light Therapy session to cost between NZ$150 - NZ$500.
• Home devices can cost between NZ$50 – upward of NZ$500.

Does it Work?

• Ongoing research is suggesting that LED Light Therapy can improve skin conditions over time, though ongoing maintenance treatments are a must to keep up with the benefits.
• Home devices have not been shown to be as efficacious, as the intensity of the light frequencies is lower, and the quality of the diodes is more variable.

What is LED Light Therapy?

LED Light Therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses “visible light wavelengths” that penetrates the skin’s layers to improve or repair the skin with a known beneficial track record. In fact, LED Light Therapy has been used by the USA Navy Seals as well as NASA in the 1990’s to improve wound healing and the repair of damaged muscles.

Since then, its use extended to dermatology and beauty therapy practices to manage a variety of skin conditions including acne, wrinkle reduction, decreasing hyperpigmentation, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, sun damage, hair loss and even some forms of superficial skin cancers.

Market opportunities have been recognised with the selling of home devices that are most seen as LED Face Masks or as Wands.

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How Does it Work?

A search of the scientific literature shows that that LED Light Therapy has been the focus of intense research both to define the exact mechanisms of action and to identify the ideal LED Light parameters to achieve the most beneficial improvements for each of the skin conditions. 

The fundamental mechanism behind the use of LED Light Therapy is based on the visible light that we are accustomed to, in the form of sunshine, comprising various wavelengths that correspond to different visible colours, such as what we see in a rainbow. 

Each wavelength can penetrate the skin to different depths, having a variety of beneficial outcomes that are leveraged to treat specific skin issues. This summarised in the figure and text below. 

Figure Legend – The visible light spectrum comprises lights of different wavelengths between the UV range of about 300 nm and the Near Infra-Red of 770 nm. In comparison the electronic devices used in our day to day emit light at around 400 nm, whereas artificial light corresponds to just short of 770 nm. The skin penetration of the Blue, Green, Yellow and Red wavelengths are shown alongside stylised skin diagrams.

Sunlight or visible light spectrum (light blue area in the figure) can be split into wavelengths ranging in wavelength from about 300 nm, at the ultraviolet (UV) side of the spectrum, to about 650 nm on the red end.

The down arrows on the right side of the figure show the depth to which the light penetrates to different depths of the skin layers, in the young and old stylised skin diagrams.

The Blue Light (440 nm) penetrates below the epidermis, into the dermis.

The Green Light (540 nm) reaches down to the dermis, were collagen, elastin, hair follicles and sebaceous glands are located.

The Yellow Light (585 nm) goes further into the hypodermis, were fat cells, ligaments and some fine muscles attach to the musculature.

The Red Light (650 nm) reaches the muscular layer below the hypodermis.

Besides, since the different LED colours have different actions in the different skin layers, this has implications on how they are used in skincare therapy.

How Are the Different Types of LED Lights Used in Skincare Therapy?

Blue LED Light Therapy

As shown in the figure above, this light penetrates the dermis. And Green LED Light goes fully into the dermis.

Since the Blue and Green Lights are close together, in the light spectrum, and they reach the layers where the sebaceous glands and hair follicles are located, it makes sense why these lights have been used in the treatment of acne. 

Also, there is evidence that the acne-causing bacteria, P. acnes is destroyed by the Blue-Green Lights. This is indeed a useful benefit.

Red LED Light Therapy

This Light appears to reduce inflammation and stimulate the production of collagen, and potentially also elastin.

Since these are the proteins that support the skin scaffold that keeps our youthful look, it makes sense to use this light in anti-ageing therapeutic approaches.

Improvement has been reported with reduction of fine lines and hyperpigmentation.

Because of the stimulating effects on collagen synthesis and the inhibition of the proteases that breakdown collagen and elastin, this LED Light Therapy has successfully been used in accelerating wound healing.

How Will LED Light Therapy Enhance the Benefits of Your Skincare Routine?

Many dermatologists and beauty therapists use LED Light Therapy in conjunction with the appropriate Skincare Routines, to ensure that the that skin is properly moisturised and hydrated.

This means that having regular LED Light Therapy should improve the benefits you implemented with your own routine.

However, there are several substances that must not be used while undergoing LED Light Therapy.  One example is the retinoid group, whose application has previously been discussed.

All retinoids are light sensitive and in the light they breakdown to non-effective molecules. So, by combining retinoids with therapies that are light based, you are defeating the very reason for using them.

Besides, since retinol treatment leads to thinning the top skin layers through exfoliation, there is a higher risk of irritation, sensitivity and inflammation. 

And, especially for those using at-home devices, it is highly recommended to have a discussion with your doctor or therapist before embarking on mixing different types to therapies, to avoid the risk of unpleasant side effects.
 

What Types of Skin Concerns LED is Light Therapy Not Suitable For?

Blue LED Light Therapy has not been shown to be effective in cystic acne, black heads and white heads.

Also, some researchers have reported a potential for Blue Light to contribute to skin ageing, especially when the quality and calibration of the devices is inferior, such as the at-home devices. This is especially important where the risk of the Blue Light being closer to the UV range (damaging) rather than the to the Green Light (beneficial), can result in the generation of oxidative cellular processes that accelerate collagen breakdown.

RED Light Therapy is normally not used in the above conditions as it targets the deeper layers of the skin, rather than just the layer where the sebaceous glands are present.

Also, although there are some reports that LED Light Therapy has successfully been used in some superficial skin cancers as a rule, this form of therapy is not suitable to treating skin cancer or eye diseases, and people with these conditions or a familial history of these conditions should not use LED Light Therapy.

How Long Will Light Therapy Take to Improve the Skin Condition Targeted?

In the Clinic

Several clinical studies show that noticeable results are only visible with several treatments. Ideally a course of 10 – 12 sessions of 20 – 30 minutes each is recommended, then followed by a monthly maintenance session for about 3 – 4 months. After this, you might need another cycle of 10 – 12 sessions.

However, this depends on the issue that is being addressed, and some conditions will improve faster than others.

For acne treatment, often benefits are seen with courses run over 9 – 12 months.

At Home

Since at-home devices are less powerful than the professional ones in the clinic, you are going to have to devote a substantial amount of time to see notable improvements.

This means that you may have to block 30 – 60 minutes, twice a day for 4 – 5 weeks. If you are using an LED Light Mask, you can set it up and lie down for the 30 - 60 minutes time required, however, for those using LED Wands, You may have to do 10 minutes at a time to give your arm a rest.

Then assess and decide, what your maintenance schedule might need to be.

What Happens Before, During and After LED Light Therapy?

Prior to the start of the sessions, your face needs to be cleaned and free of any make-up. Sometimes the therapist may recommend a facial. Goggles need to be worn to protect the eyes from the lights.

Once the goggles are on, and you are comfortably positioned on the therapy bed, the therapist will place an LED Light mask or a dome over your face. The treatment will last between 20 – 30 minutes, during which you’ll have to lie still and relax.

LED Light Therapy is non-invasive, and certainly not painful, but you may become aware of warmth over your face.

After an LED Session, you do what you normally do in your daily activities, however it is recommended that you stay out of the sun for the first 3 – 4 days after the treatment, certainly do wear sunscreen or a big hat.

Home Devices vs Professional Treatments

Home devices are certainly less powerful, less accurate and less well calibrated as the in-clinic versions.

Hence, the difference in cost between a home and professional instrument. In general, the home instruments are also smaller and much more portable than the professional machines.

In this instance, machine size does matter, because although we live in a world where very sophisticated components can be made incredibly small, like computer chips, some of the light energy generating components will still have a minimum size requirement to be as accurate and as well calibrated as possible, to ensure that when you set the instrument for instance on Blue LED Light, it really is going to emit the correct wavelength.

This is an important consideration as the potential for Blue Light to contribute to skin ageing, because its wavelength is closer to that of the UV range (damaging) rather than to the Green Light (beneficial). Thus, the use of Blue Light LED, could lead to the generation of oxidative cellular processes that accelerate collagen breakdown, resulting the typical formation of fine lines, wrinkles and skin dullness.

At home, you will need to follow the instructions carefully, and check the distance that you need to have the device away from your face.

For handheld devices, it is important to respect the distance from the face, but also do one 10 minutes at a time, to avoid tension on your arm and hand. Afterall, you are meant to be relaxed.

Balancing Risks & Benefits of Using LED Light Therapy

Risks

Although LED Light Therapy has been FDA approved, and it is rare to see reports of side effects, there is always the possibility that instead of improving, the skin condition may become worse, and increase inflammation, a rash, redness and even pain might be experienced.

This is of particular importance for those using at-home devices.  Care ought to be exercised to select an instrument from a reputable organisation, with an FDA stamp of approval. You do not want to use something put together in someone’s garage.

Benefits

As described above there is a huge amount of research to identify the exact mechanism of action of LED Light Therapy.  There are a considerable number of reports showing benefits in the reduction of fine lines, crow’s feet, uneven texture and tone, pigmentation, acne and general wound healing.

But of course, there is a cost associated with the Therapy both in time commitment and investment.

Take Home Message

Like everything that you do in life, you have to adopt a consistent, perseverant approach be it for exercise, diet, daily skincare routines, and of course the more technological therapeutic approaches that will make feel better, look better and feel confident.

However, there are no quick fixes that last because we are living organisms, not statues, so we will continue changing and ageing, though we can certainly look and feel superb as we go on our journey. Have fun!