The Next Generation of Skincare: LED Therapy (A Real Review!)
Word on the street was incorporating LED light therapy into your everyday skin-care routine was the next big thing. Or so I was being told. To be honest, the whole notion of it seemed a bit galactic, out of this world, silly and sometimes even scary to me. I was also extremely suspicious - how much difference can a light really make on my skin?
Fast forward 8 months later, all I can say is I wish I had started using this in my early 20’s!
And to top it off, it’s non-invasive, easy to-use with zero down time, you just need a bucket load of patience because you reap the rewards over time (there’s no instant gratification effect, which I can see why people would give up so quickly!)
My Skin Journey
At the beginning of 2022, my skin was the worse it had been. How did I get to 30 years old and I still hadn’t nailed my skin-care routine. I was breaking out all across my forehead (this is your wine & dine area, usually a sign of poor digestion or gut health issues) as well as my jaw-line/chin (often correlates with hormonal imbalances). I had tried (and spent a silly amount of money) on the latest products / trends and NOTHING seemed to be working. I was at my wits-end.
I was extremely self-conscious and would be that girl wearing a heavy, full face of make up to the gym and would be too scared to let anyone see me without full coverage. On a night out, my concealer would also be packed and truth be told, I would edit some of my photos to smooth out my blemishes. Oh and there were tears. Lots of them.
A friend of mine had recommended a subscription-based model service, called Light Years Skin Studio. Her skin was flawless, so I thought she must be onto something!
After visiting the team, being consistent with 3 treatments of 13 minutes of LED therapy every week (without fail) and completely overhauling my products, just like your favourite rom-com, everything changed… for the better, and I’m not looking back!
What is LED Light Therapy?
LED (Light Emitting Diodes) complements our skin’s biological ability to rejuvenate, boost collagen synthesis and stimulate wound healing. The brilliance of LED light therapy is that it literally re-boots our cells to function optimally and thrive. By irradiating cells with light at a very specific wavelength, our cells’ mitochondria (their energy-generating centres or batteries) are stimulated, kick-starting biochemical changes. More energy in your cells means more cellular repair and regeneration, as well as an improved ability to fight decline, damage and disease.
In a single sentence, LED emits light deep into the core of your skin-cells, providing them with energy to reboot, regenerate, heal and essentially turn over quicker!
The History of LED Therapy
Truth be told, the origins of LED light therapy really began in outer space with NASA. While using LED (Light Emitting Diodes) to grow plants, Astronauts noticed their cuts were healing faster. And just like plants, our skin has the ability to absorb light and convert it to energy, promoting cell repair and regeneration.
This “accidental” discovery of LED drove research into the medical application of light on wound healing and tissue growth. Over 2,500 scientific published papers and journals, here we are!
Is LED Therapy Safe?
Yes - but that doesnt mean ALL light therapy is. We suggest visiting a qualified practitioner / seeking medical advice to ensure you are using the appropriate equipment.
What Are The Different Lights For?
When it comes to effective LED Light Therapy, there are only three proven wavelengths that are of value and they can manifest in different colours.
BLUE
Blue light is effective for acne-prone skin, killing acne’s bacteria. (NO this is NOT the same maligned blue light that your gadgets emit!)
RED
Red light is great for treating a wide variety of skin issues, including wrinkles, wound healing, hair regrowth and is great for everyday skin maintenance.
What Are Some Of The Other Benefits?
-
LED reaches different depths of the skin, helping activate anti-oxidant molecules in the skin. They despatch cell-destroying and irritating free radicals (which come sailing in from the environment, pollution, UV etc).
Overtime, using LED helps bolster cells’ ability to combat damage and subdue redness and inflammation as well as assist calming chronic inflammatory skin conditions such as eczeme and flushing.
-
The anti-inflammatory, energising, skin-boosting benefits of LED are anti-ageing and healing in itself! The deep penetrating waves reach the collagen-producing dermis to kickstart collagen, elastin generation as well as help hydrate and brighten the skin.
-
Blue LED light controls sebum production, destroys acne and other bacteria while helping calm other bacterial conditions for improved skin clarify.
Blue light at the right wavelength has the potency to become anti-bacterial - damaging blue light like UV or smartphones can nuke skin cells.
-
LED can also affect our hormone levels, boost serotonin (happy hormones) and melatonin (sleep hormone) levels, as well as balancing cortisol.
-
the impressive fostering of cell regeneration is also beneficial for wound healing and scarring. Some customers who visit Light Years Therapy who have undergone a recent surgery (rhinoplasty or of the like) have seen a quicker healing time by incorporating LED into their skin-care routine.
-
LED is like exercise - the more you do, the more you gain! One session will boost cellular activity, however being consistent (2-3 times a week, 13 minutes per session) will offer more visible results. Your skin cells will absorb and react to light differently from day to day.
For me, LED is like a soft, rejuvenating, warm hug on my face!