LED light therapy and why it is so good for our skin

LED light therapy, or to give it its full name, Light-Emitting Diode, has had a lot of press recently, with many celebrity clients advocating it as part of their pre-red carpet go-to treatment.
This month we look at LED light therapy, how it works, its effect on the skin, and why it's an essential part of the Iconic Facial routine.

What is LED light

LED light therapy is a photodynamic therapy which means it utilises light to bring about beneficial effects on the health of the skin. First discovered in 1903, by the 1960's it was being used to treat soft tissue injury, chronic pain, and arthritis. It remains popular in medical sports facilities treating sports injuries, muscle and joint problems and swelling.

With so many therapeutic benefits, it wasn’t long before the beauty and aesthetics industries started using LED light for a range of skin therapies.

LED light therapy is now an established and extremely popular non-invasive skin treatment for several reasons.

• Proven technology – Evidence-based results with proven medical uses, making it such a useful tool for skin treatments.
• Safe – Unlike a Laser or IPL, LED light is safe and does not damage the skin or eyes. It's so safe that it can even be used on pregnant or breastfeeding women.
• Painless – In fact, it's really relaxing and leaves you with a sense of calm and well-being.
• Therapeutic – LED light can treat a range of skin conditions, is rejuvenating, and can be used as a preventative treatment for ageing.

The science bit - how does it work?
Light travels in little weightless packets of energy called protons. This energy moves along in waves at very high speeds. Some of these waves we can see as visible light, but some waves we can't see. The waves we can’t see include ultraviolet rays (from the sun), radio waves, microwaves and x-rays.

The part of the light spectrum that we can see is known as visible light and is made up of 7 colours.
● Red.
● Orange.
● Yellow.
● Green.
● Blue.
● Indigo.
● Violet.

Each colour has a different wavelength, red being the longest and violet being the shortest. Visible light can penetrate the skin. The longer the wavelength, the deeper it can penetrate.

In LED light therapy, the light used is low energy which means it isn’t hot or damaging to human tissue. Unlike harmful ultraviolet rays (UV) from the sun, light from an LED is perfectly safe when it enters the skin. Once it’s in the skin, LED light targets light-sensitive skin cells in the upper and lower layers, which then causes positive changes within the target cell.

Glow & Skins courses in LED light therapy and the Iconic facial, cover all the underpinning knowledge needed to deliver a safe and effective treatment.

The Glow & Skin LED mask
Known as 'magic light', the Glow & Skins LED light mask uses the latest technology in bioactive luminescence (emission of light). Producing very little heat, and using low energy with touch technology, it treats the skin safely and effectively, giving practitioners the benefits of providing low-risk treatments without side effects and delivering superior results.

Using seven light bands, the Glow & Skin LED mask uses the principles of photodynamic therapy to activate cells deep in the skin, which then become charged with safe energy. The stored energy causes the cells to strengthen and produce anti-oxidant enzymes. This makes the cells very powerful, reducing oxidative stress, and resulting in many rejuvenating and anti-ageing benefits.

These supercharged cells are stimulated to increase collagen production levels and growth factors which stimulate healthy growth, metabolism, repair and reproduction of new skin cells.

There are so many skin health benefits with LED light therapy.
• Acting as an anti-oxidant to fight free radical damage.
• Increase the blood flow to the skin.
• Stimulate more Collagen, Elastin and Hyaluronic acid.
• Promotes wound healing.
• Reduces inflammation (one of the biggest causes of ageing).

Alongside all the skin health benefits, the Glow & Skin LED light mask treats a range of skin conditions. Treating multiple skin concerns with a single colour or a combination treatment using several colours.

To help us understand how light can treat and improve skin conditions, let's look at blue LED light. Blue LED light has a relatively short wavelength. It works mainly in the upper layers of the skin and has powerful anti-bacterial benefits, which is why it is such an effective acne treatment. Many people who suffer from acne say that their acne improves when they are in the sun or have sunbeds.

In actual fact, it's not the harmful ultraviolet light improving their skin. It’s the blue light in the safe, visible light spectrum.
Acne contains a bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes, which we shorten to C. acne. The blue light is absorbed by the bacteria and then destroys them.

Blue light is also anti-inflammatory and reduces skin inflammation and redness in acne. Combining blue and red light in a single treatment can achieve even more reduction of inflammation and promote scar healing.

Other skin conditions that we can treat with LED light therapy.
● Acne
● Ageing skin
● Dermatitis
● Dull skin
● Eczema
● Psoriasis
● Rosacea
● Scarring
● Sun damage
● Wounds
● Other inflammatory skin conditions

The power of LED therapy to improve skin health is why it is such an essential part of the Glow & Skins 13-step Iconic facial.