A bit of history
LED light therapy has an established history of skin uses. NASA originally developed it for plant growth experiments on shuttle missions and later found it to have promise for wound treatment. The U.S. Navy SEALs began using it in the 1990s to help heal wounds quickly and to help regenerate damaged muscle tissues.
Since then, the treatment has been researched for different situations in aesthetics. It’s mainly noted for increasing collagen and tissues. All of which can smooth out your skin and reduce the appearance of damage from:
- age spots
- acne
- wrinkles
Red light
Red, or infrared, light is used for treating the epidermis, which is the outer layer of skin. When the light is applied to your skin, the epidermis absorbs it and then stimulates collagen proteins.
In theory, more collagen means that your skin will look smoother and fuller, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Red LED light is also thought to reduce inflammation while improving circulation, which can give you a healthier glow.
Blue light
Blue LED light therapy, on the other hand, targets the sebaceous glands, which are also called oil glands. They’re located beneath your hair follicles.
Sebaceous glands are necessary for lubricating your skin and hair so that it doesn’t dry out. However, these glands can become overactive, leading to oily skin and acne.
The theory is that blue LED light therapy can target these oil glands and make them less active. In turn, you may see fewer acne breakouts. Blue light can also kill acne-causing bacteria beneath the skin, which can help treat severe acne pimples, including cysts and nodules.
Oftentimes, blue LED light is used in conjunction with red LED light to:
- help treat acne
- decrease scarring
- promote anti-inflammatory effects
One 2018 animal study found that blue LED improved healing of third-degree skin burns.
Orange light
The orange light is mainly used to strengthen muscles and stimulating the nervous system. It calms and balances the skin tone and prevents uneven pigment production. An excellent treatment that leaves the skin even and bright, whist calming the skin and stimulating the lymphatic drainage system, also improving dullness and looseness.
According to EstheticianEDU, each LED light therapy treatment lasts about 20 minutes. You’ll likely need up to 10 treatments total, depending on the results you’re looking to achieve.
Targeted areas
While LED light therapy can technically be used on any part of the body, its most popular use is for the face. Skin damage tends to occur to your face because it’s exposed to the elements more than other body parts.
LED therapy can also be used on the neck and chest, which are other areas that tend to show signs of aging.
What should you expect from Light Therapy
LED light therapy is noninvasive, so no recovery time is required. You should be able to continue with your everyday activities once your treatment is over.
With Ignite Mask, we recommend you doing 20 minutes sessions 3 times a week. You may start to see minor results after your first session. Results will be more dramatic and noticeable once you’ve finished all of your treatments.
Even after you’ve achieved the recommended number of sessions, your results aren’t permanent.
As your skin cells turn over, you may lose some collagen and start to see signs of aging again. You may also start to see acne breakouts. This is why it’s recommended that you do maintenance session with the mask every few months.
Home LED light therapy treatments aren't as dramatic because the light frequencies aren’t as high, but you will see very similar results with much less money spent!