Archives For August 2016

Red Light Therapy For Skin

What Is Red Light Therapy?

Red light therapy is a form of light that that uses red LED infrared lighting and bulbs to treat a wide array of conditions and disorders.

Red Light Therapy is commonly associated with anti-aging. Skin Rejuvination, to be exact. And while this is true, Red Light Therapy can works wonders in that department, the treatment has a long list of benefits. Ranging from acne to chronic back pain, Red Light Therapy may be the new magical elixir…except this actually works.

Uses For Red Light Therapy:

  • Wrinkles
  • Skin rejuvenation
  • Age spots
  • Acne
  • Sun damage
  • Chronic pain
  • Joint pain
  • Muscle pain
  • Bites
  • Bruises
  • Minor burns
  • Collagen production
  • Cuts
  • Scrapes
  • Dry skin
  • First aid
  • Hair loss
  • Psoriasis
  • Red marks from acne
  • Stretch marks
  • Rosacea
  • Flushing
  • Scars
  • Wound care
  • Uneven skintone

Red Light Therapy For Skin…

Red Light Therapy devices can be used to help slow down our natural cosmetic aging. Treatment can reduce fine lines and wrinkles while also tightening and firming the skin. Proper treatment can rid of age spots and hyper pigmentation, which usually occurs on the face, neck, and hands. There’s no need for face lifts when you can go the natural route. Red Light Therapy can also diminish blemishes and red spots, along with acne. Thought you could never get rid of those blackheads around your nose? Or those zits that keep showing up around your chin? How about those scars that acne left you with? Regularly scheduled treatment can help you say goodbye to those.

How Does It Work?

Red light therapy uses infrared light which delivers a burst of energy to the body’s tissues and triggers a response for the body to heal itself from the inside. Depending on the affected area and what your body needs, the burst of energy will trigger different responses from your body and kickstart the necessary healing process. This form of light therapy is much better than laser technology because it doesn’t cut the body’s tissues! It’s also much safer and effective than the sun’s rays because it has no harmful UV components. It’s a win win.

Red light therapy effectively treats the skin in a few different forms. When it comes to anti-aging, wrinkles, and sun damage, the treatment is wonderful. Red light therapy produces elastin and collagen which prevents skin aging. It also increases circulation by relaxing the blood vessels in the specific treatment areas which allows blood to flow more easily. This helps to prevent and diminish wrinkles because increased circulation encourages the production of new skin cells. Can you believe that? There’s actually a safe and effective way to say goodbye to wrinkles.

As for treating and getting rid of acne, red light therapy is an extremely popular form of treatment. Facing Acne, a website dedicated to helping people get the clear skin they desire, wrote a wonderful article explaining light therapy and it’s effects on acne. They wrote a brief summary on how red light therapy can treat acne. The website explains,

“Red light reaches deep into the skin and activates hemoglobin. Red light treatment cuts off just enough of the blood supply of oil-producing sebaceous glands that pores don’t get quite as oily. Blue light penetrates pores and kills acne bacteria—but not all the pore’s acne bacteria. There are always some acne bacteria in the sebaceous gland that can’t be reached by blue light.” (FacingAcne.com)

Commitment…

It’s important to understand that any form of therapy requires commitment. In order to receive the best possible results from red light therapy, patients must stick to a set schedule, even if they are conducting the therapy by themselves in their own home.

Are You Sold?

There are many different devices used for red light therapy treatments. From wands, lamps, bulbs, beds, pads, and masks, there is surely a device for everyone in need. As discussed, the lights penetrate into the skin, boosting the cellular process that your body is in need of. However, you need the right device in order to begin your healing. Red light therapy uses wavelengths of light between about 620 nanometers and 700 nanometers. At home devices are typically between 630 to 660 nanometers.

Treatment sessions can be done at home or in a doctor’s office. Treatment sessions range depending on the devices being used. Handheld wands and masks are usually held to the skin from as little as 30 seconds to 15 minutes. Tanning style beds are typically used between 10 to 30 minutes. Bulbs that are inserted into lamps can be stood in front of, set up above your place of need, etc., and are typically used for the same amount of time as the bed.



LED Light Therapy Skin System For Beautiful Skin
Amazon for $99.99

The LED Light Therapy Skin System for Beautiful Skin uses multiple forms of light therapy to target skin conditions. As you’ll see, this device is at a slightly higher price point. The reason being, you get more for your buck. This skin care package includes three detachable light heads which can be changed according to what your skin requires. The device is hand held, cordless when in use and charges with the included cord. The device is aimed to give you a 30 minute treatment per charge and has a built in timer to let you know when your treatments, which are typically 10 minutes long, are finished. The LED Light Therapy Skin Care System has wonderful reviews for not only treating acne. It can also tighten the skin on your face and body and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

LEDs and Acne

What Is Acne?

Pretty simple question, right? We all know what acne is. It’s those bright red zits that always showed up at the most inopportune times when you were 16. It’s those pestering black heads all across your nose that you can never seem to squeeze out. It’s those patches of red spots showing up on your cheeks when you feel far too old for it. We know acne is, but why does our skin react the way it does?

Acne is an extremely common skin condition, according to HealthLine, a website dedicated to explaining medical conditions and the intricate details of them. In the Symptom Checker section of the website, HealthLine explains just what acne is.

“Acne occurs when the pores on your skin become blocked with oil, dead skin, or bacteria. Each pore on your skin is the opening to a follicle. The follicle is made up of a hair and a sebaceous (oil) gland. The oil gland releases sebum (oil), which travels up the hair, out of the pore, and onto your skin. The sebum keeps your skin lubricated and soft. If you develop acne, this may be because of one or more problems in this lubrication process. These possible causes include:

  • Too much oil or sebum is being produced by the follicle
  • Dead skin cells are accumulating in the pore
  • Bacteria has built up in the pore

An overabundance of oil, a pore clogged by dead skin cells, and bacteria all contribute to the development of pimples. A zit appears when the bacteria grows in the clogged pore and the oil is unable to escape.”
(HealthLine.com)

If your skin is repeatedly being affected by your pores being plugged, you may be struggling with acne. And no, you’re alone if you’re 40 years old and have acne. Acne can affect people of all ages. From young children just entering puberty, to residents in nursing homes. Life isn’t like the movies and sometimes you just get acne.

What Causes Acne?

Acne can be caused by a wide array of things. Hormonal changes, such as puberty or pregnancy can cause temporary acne. Certain medications can increase the risk as well. Birth control pills and corticosteroids are just a couple examples. Diet also plays a major role in developing acne. Unhealthy diets, diets high in refined sugars, and diets high carbohydrates such as bread and chips make the body more susceptible.

People assume that they’re just not washing their face enough, or they need a new face cream, but most of the time that’s not the case. Hey, maybe washing your face did the trick. But for most people, that’s just not the case. Most people need some medical treatment without the crazy costs. Light Therapy is known to treat acne, especially in the form of Blue Light.

What Is Blue Light Therapy?

Blue light therapy is form of Photodynamic Therapy or Light Therapy that uses UltraViolet LED lights to treat conditions related to the skin. Blue Light Therapy is proven to have treated some skin cancers. It also aids in minimizing superficial skin lesions, acne, wrinkles, and more. Blue Light Therapy has been working miracles such as warding off skin cancer, so I think it’s safe to say it can treat the acne-causing bacteria in your pores.

How It Works…

Blue light therapy treats acne by using blue LED light treatments on a set schedule for a solid amount of time. It works by means of a blue wavelength that has been proven to reduce p. acnes, which is a bacteria in your pores. The blue LED lights penetrate deep into the skin, stimulating the bacteria in your pores, ultimately making them work against each other and self destruct. The LEDS destroy the bacteria that causes inflammation during breakouts, reduce pore size, maintain proper oil production, and promote healthy cell growth.

How To Do It…

Blue light therapy treatments can be conducted at home or in an office. Regardless of the treatment plan you choose, a set schedule must be made and followed. You can’t expect changes over night. Anything worth having takes time! In-office sessions are typically more expensive than at-home sessions, but the devices are more powerful and they’re being conducted by an expert.

Refinery29, a lifestyle blog, has a piece about blue light LED therapy treating acne. When it comes to discussing in office treatment sessions the blog reads:

“When you receive a professional blue-light session, the first thing you’ll notice is that the “light” is actually multiple diodes attached to a flat-panel apparatus that looks similar to the metallic sun shades that were popular in the ’80s (think Magda in There’s Something About Mary). You’ll be fitted with a pair of protective goggles, the panels will be placed on top of your face, and then you’ll percolate for about 20 to 30 minutes.

“Professional treatments — Somerville uses the LightSlim device at her clinic — are more powerful and can cover a much larger surface area than handheld gadgets. One of the major differences between in-office and handhelds (besides the panels) is the power source. As Dr. Grossman notes, in-office machines have a stronger battery, which makes them able to work much faster than their at-home counterparts. Because of this, in-office treatments are ideal for those with moderate to severe acne — the type that covers large patches or the entirety of the face.

Somerville says another benefit of in-office visits is that, depending on the machine used, you can attack your acne on multiple fronts. “The LightStim combo light is phenomenal for treating acne, as it has five wavelengths,” she explains. Different wavelengths have different benefits: blue light, to kill bacteria; amber light, to build collagen and strengthen the skin; two variations of red light, to reduce inflammation and promote circulation; and infrared light, to accelerate healing. “Five lights in one treatment [makes it] stronger [and] more effective,” she says.” (refinery29.com)

At home light therapy devices may not be as powerful, but they come with a long list of benefits. They are far less expensive and typically a convenient and portable size. Sessions can be conducted in the comfort of your own home and you can create your own schedule.

In Conclusion…

It’s pretty easy  to understand how we feel about blue light therapy. We freaking love it. A harm free, drug free, non-invasive, alternative for killing acne? Count us in!

Light Therapy for Weight Loss

Light therapy…

is being used all over the world for a wide array of conditions and disorders. Among other things, the all natural treatment is:

  • curing acne
  • rejuvenating skin
  • diminishing wrinkles
  • curing skin cancer
  • treating chronic pain
  • curing seasonal affective disorder
  • easing depression symptoms
  • treating insomnia

Depending on the condition and the symptoms, the process differs. Some devices are handheld and used once a day. Some are table lamps that you turn on in the morning; some you use before bed. Some are full beds that resemble tanning beds. Some devices are portable light boxes that can sit on your desk at work. Basically, the options are endless! No matter what kind of light therapy device you need, it’s available.

Light Therapy for Weight Loss…

The newest breakthrough in the light therapy world is an LED light machine that is aiding in weight loss. The concept of losing weight without having to diet or exercise sounds pretty incredible, right? Most people diet like crazy, work out to a point where they want to die, spend too much money on supplements and herbs, get injections, take pills, and much more. The sad and silly part is that a lot of these methods don’t work.
A few companies have been exploring this concept, but there’s one invention in particular that is blowing everyone’s minds.

Developed under the Korean government via R&D support, AinA’s Smartron was created to promote weight loss with a few different methods in mind. The Smartron uses low frequency and infrared rays to ease muscular pain. The company says that the device was based on alternative medicine and and IT technology. The device combines the meridian pulse technology and an LED light system  to simulate body parts, specifically the hands and feet. Doing so promotes blood circulation, strengthens muscles, alleviates muscle pain, and deconstructs fat. The Smartron uses an abdominal belt with LED light to penetrate to the epidermis of the user’s skin. This deconstructs cellulites and rejuvenates cells.

Most medical devices are heavy and bulky. The Smartron is portable, light, and easy to use. The instructions on how to use it are simple and very straight forward. By being a positive, safe, and easy to use health managing device, Smartron is gaining tons of public attention. With so many diseases and unhealthy habits in the world, we need a device like this!

Smartron won the gold award at the Seoul International Invention Fair as well as the Taiwan International Invention Fair. It triple crowned in all three major invention fairs. The device is currently being sent to 15 countries in Asia, Europe, and America. The company is attending as many trade shows as possible to get their product out to the world.

The vice president of AinA, Dong-Oh Chung, was quoted saying, “In this age where people are living up to 100 years of age, AinA hopes to aide everyone to fully, healthily live their lives via our company’s technology and service.”

We are loving the Smartron and everything it stands for. What about you?

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Light Therapy Linked to Dementia and Sleeping Habits

What Is Dementia?

Simply put, dementia is a group of thinking and social symptoms that interferes with normal daily functioning. However, dementia is so much more than a simplified, condensed, one sentence long description. Dementia is chronic and persistent and affects not only the mental process of the victim of the disease, but also anyone else involved. Dementia is a general term and there are many different forms, levels, and stages. For example, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. This is a condition that most people know about. Dementia is an overall term that can describe a long list of symptoms, all of which are more than difficult to deal with.

The Symptoms…

The symptoms for dementia greatly vary but in order to have the condition, the patient must be significantly impaired by at least two of these specific core mental functions…

  • Memory
  • Communication / Language
  • Ability to focus and pay attention
  • Reasoning / Judgement
  • Visual perception
  • Some of the symptoms for dementia that are not one of the core mental functions are…
  • Difficulty handling complex tasks
  • Difficulty with planning and organizing
  • Confusion
  • Disorientation
  • Personality changes
  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Inappropriate behavior
  • Paranoia
  • Agitation
  • Hallucinations

Due to the fact that dementia is a general term, the symptoms do vary greatly and depending on the exact form, there are different ways patients live and seek treatment.

The Cause…

Dementia is a result of damage to the nerve cells in the brain. This can occur for many different reasons. Depending on the part of the brain that is affected by this nerve damage, people are affected differently. The different forms of dementia are grouped by what they have in common as well as which part of the brain they are located in or affecting. Some forms of dementia are progressive, meaning that they get worse and worse over time, and some are brought about by medications, deficiencies, etc., and can be treated.

Progressive Dementias:

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Vascular dementia
  • Lewy body dementia
  • Frontotemporal dementia
  • Mixed dementia

Disorders Linked To Dementia:

  • Huntington’s disease
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
  • Parkinson’s disease

Dementia Conditions That Are Reversible:

  • Infections
  • Immune disorders
  • Metabolic problems
  • Endocrine abnormalities
  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Medication reactions
  • Subdural hematomas
  • Poisoning
  • Brain tumors
  • Anoxia
  • Normal pressure hydrocephalus

Light Therapy & Dementia!

Dementia can greatly affect it’s patients sleeping habits and increase their agitation levels. This is the last thing that someone suffering with a life changing condition needs to deal with. That’s why we’re going to talk about light therapy!

Ecumen, which is a senior housing and services provider, conducted a pilot study and came to the conclusion that light therapy can help dementia victims. They found that light therapy can improve nighttime sleeping and reduce agitation levels in their patients that have dementia.

In the study, almost 60% of the participants had fewer episodes of sleep disturbance and 32% had fewer behavioral episodes compared to patients that didn’t partake in the experiment. It’s important to note that antipsychotic medication usage decreased by 11%.

For the experiment, bright light tables were placed in dementia patient’s rooms as well as common rooms where they spend time for group activities. The residents were exposed to the bright lights for about 30 minutes each day during Daylight Savings Time and 1 hour after Daylight Savings Time. The experiment was conducted from April 1st to December 15th at three different Minnesota facilities. One in Chicago, One in Detroit, and one in Grand Rapids.

The company is greatly pleased by their results. Sonya DeSmith, an Ecumen Quality Improvement Nurse, supervised the experiment and then spoke about it in a press release. DeSmith said, “We’re very encouraged by the results. Our sample size was small, but based on the data and the anecdotal observations by our nurses, we plan to promote the therapy across all our sites. We view this as another tool in the tool box of evidence-based, non-drug interventions for residents with dementia.”

Why Is It So Important?

While light therapy isn’t at the stage where it could completely treat individuals struggling with dementia, it is making a difference. And if these patients who are greatly struggling can take two less pills or worry about a few less things, their path to recovery is going to be smoother. Every day is a battle for dementia patients. This study can help dementia patients slowly feel like themselves again without highly sedative drugs and that is so important.