Updated April, 2020
Light affects us in many different ways. A little sunshine can brighten a gloomy day and make a person happier and have a better mood. Its absence can trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder or depression related to changes in season.
Light therapy has been used from ancient times to disinfect objects, preserve food, and combat different illnesses and health problems.
Today, we still continue using light and thanks to science, we can safely harness its powers and use it to help warm premature babies, correct hair loss, alleviate muscle pain, treat acne, and correct signs of skin aging.
Although there has been a lot of scientific studies about light therapy, its use in cosmetics is still controversial. How can light manage to have so much health benefits? If so, why can’t we just spend a day out in the sun and soak up all the juicy goodness that light can bring?
The pro's and con's in sun bathing...
Yes, sunshine is good for us. We need sunshine to convert cholesterol into Vitamin D. However, too much sun exposure is not good. In fact, unsafe sun exposure can lead to premature skin aging. (1)
UV rays damage the DNA in our skin cells causing premature wrinkles. Age spots can result to years of sun exposure and may appear on our 40's or earlier, depending on your skin type.
If you want to get some sunshine, it is best to do it under 15 minutes, maybe less. Always, always use sun protection even on cloudy days.
Not all LIGHT are therapeutic
Although it is true that light can bring lots of health benefits, there is a specific wavelength that produces a therapeutic effect and combats specific skin problems. And there are those that can damage the skin. Remember that not all light are created equal.
Different wavelengths of light and different colors trigger chemical reactions in our skin or body that increase cellular activity to produce the desired effects that we want, like eliminating acne or rejuvenating the skin.(2)
Blue light has been used to treat mild to moderate acne. Red light is known to improve skin quality by triggering collagen production. Infrared light has been proven to have anti-inflammatory effects and help improve blood flow.
Trophy Skin has developed two LED lamps to address 2 different problems, acne and skin aging. Aside from just using the lights Red and Blue, Trophy Skin has also incorporated Infrared light to boost the anti-inflammatory effects of the light therapy devices.
BlueMD uses 3 different lights: blue, red and infrared. The blue lights use the same proven 405nm to 420nm wavelength that dermatologists and medical spas use in their clinics to fight off acne.
It has been proven that Blue light within this wavelength kills P. acnes bacterium, the leading cause of acne. Acne also causes redness and inflammation. Red and infrared lights are used to increase blood flow and trigger anti-inflammatory effects that usually comes with acne.
RejuvaliteMD contains four different colors in the red spectrum. Red (660nm), Yellow (590nm), Amber (630nm), and Infrared (880nm). These different wavelengths work great in reducing signs of aging by penetrating the different layers of the skin to create new collagen, elastin, and fibroblasts.
It is far safer to spend 5 minutes under the LED lamps than taking antibiotics or going under the knife to correct aging problems. Advancement in technology has made it possible for us to harness the power of light. Now, all we need to do is try this out for ourselves and use the technology available to us.
From Our Shelves:
Light therapy is a groundbreaking technology used by dermatologists to support the skin’s natural healing processes.