What is Light Therapy?
This is a process where your skin is exposed to light which destroys bacteria thus accelerating the acne healing process. The exercise can either be performed using red or blue LED light depending on your doctor’s recommendation.
The non-invasive nature of this process makes it favourite for many people who wishes for an effective treatment for their acne. You can find plenty of facial promotions around that offer light treatments if you wish to try it out.
What to expect
During consultation, your condition will be evaluated to determine the most effective light to use. Before the treatment begins, you will have to wear goggles to protect your eyes. A handheld device will emit a very low and ultra-safe wave of light to your face and treated areas.
Is light therapy effective in eliminating acne?
For a long time, laser rays have been used in the treatment of skin conditions. This triggered the urge to discover alternative light therapies apart from going for facial extractions and laser treatments. Scientists discovered that the use of LED light would offer similar effects.
Since its inception, various modifications have been made to the technique to ensure that it entirely eliminates acne, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and other skin related conditions.
While this technique has high efficiency, the duration of treatment depends on the severity of the condition. Your medical professional will advise you on the time required for treatment to ensure complete healing.
How light therapy works
The blue light used in the therapy easily penetrates the hair follicles and destroys all the bacteria causing inflammation. These microbes are highly sensitive to the blue light and they cannot survive when exposed to the light intermittently.
On the other hand, the red light is a popular therapy used to reduce inflammation. Also, it helps in accelerating the synthesis of collagen which ensures that the acne treatment process will be blemish-free. This feature also ensures that your skin develops anti-aging properties which give it a youthful look. Your doctor will determine whether to use the two lights together or independently upon evaluation.
How many sessions are required for complete treatment?
Your medical professional will advise on the number of sessions that you require depending on the severity of your condition. Generally, you will require to undergo 8 sessions over the course of 1 month to entirely eliminate the acne.
Benefits
- Painless: This technique is highly non-invasive and you will not experience any pain throughout the process. In fact, you will not come into contact with any device; the machine dispensing the light is approximately 8 inches away from your face.
- Effective: A traditional facial treatment is not able to reach the collagen layer unlike light, which can stimulate a healing effect and stimulate new collagen production for your skin.
- No down time: You can walk in and out with no recovery time and continue with your day.
- Glowing results: The collagen building factor will take place over time, and leave your skin firm and tightened, with clearer skin complexion.
Side effects
There are minimal side effects associated with this therapy. Some common occurrences include redness and mild inflammation. However, these effects will resolve within a few days and should not be cause for alarm.