Archives For Light Therapy

Light Therapy & Acne

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What Is Light Therapy?

Light Therapy is the process of using different forms of light to help reduce and/or treat a wide array of conditions and disorders. Dermatologists have been using light therapy on their patients for awhile now. And now, thanks to the convenience of new light therapy products, you can also use the treatment at home. Light therapy has been taking down acne one pimply face at a time and pretty much kicking it’s butt.

Light Therapy & Acne…

We all deal with them, those not so pretty blemishes on our cheeks, our noses, our foreheads, our backs, and other unfortunate places. Acne is a skin condition that occurs when hair follies plug with oil and dead skin cells. The bothersome condition results in pimples, blackheads, and bumps. It’s honestly a pretty difficult condition to conquer. Some people can lay off the greasy potato chips, change their pillow cases every single morning, and still end up with zits on their foreheads. Some people can apply all of the expensive creams in the world, try every homeopathic treatment, read every Pinterest article about how to get rid of their zits, and they will still struggle. Some people deal with terrible side affects with acne medications, or they just can’t afford to keep getting it refilled! This is where light therapy can kick acne right out of your life.

Exposing your skin to different forms of Light Therapy can help kill the bacteria in and on your skin that causes redness and swelling from acne. Using a form of Light Therapy will not be a quick kill for your zits. It will not just zap them away like a laser does. Instead, the treatment kills the bacteria that causes acne and reduces the amount of oil-producing glands on your skin. Giving your skin a chance to recover by itself, without harming or damaging it for the long run. Depending on what is needed and wanted, the treatment will either be using red light, blue light, or a combination of the two.

What We’ve Learned From The Sun…

If you’ve ever gone on vacation somewhere sunny and warm, or you spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, you’ll notice the effect the sun has on your skin. Not only are you nice and naturally tan, but it can treat acne and reduce the blemishes on your skin. The red and blue wavelengths of sunlight are what really do the trick. They’re not always visible, and let’s face it. Not all of us are lucky enough to live in paradise! We can’t all get natural acne treatments sitting on the beach every day! Sometimes we need a little help. For long term benefits, and for most of us who have to deal with seasonal changes, Light Therapy really does the trick.  Light Therapy helps mimic the sun, but actually does a better job due to the fact that you can target the exact light that you want. Meaning you can choose..red light, blue light, or both!

Red Light vs. Blue Light…

Red light and blue light each have different effects on the skin, both providing lots of benefits. Even more so when they’re combined!

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 the differences between red light and blue light. 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)

“There are specific wavelengths of visible light that kill acne bacteria. Visible blue light from the sun (in the frequency range of approximately 415 nm) that shines into pores can activate light-sensitive chemicals called porphyrins that are found in the outer cell membranes of the bacteria that cause acne. When these chemicals begin to vibrate in sync with solar energy, they rupture the outer lining of the bacterium. The contents of the bacterial cell begin to leak out, and the bacterium dies within 48 hours.

Visible red light from the sun has a complementary benefit in treating acne. Solar rays in the frequency range of approximately 650 nanometers reach deeper into the skin, down to the level of the sebocytes that produce the oil that sometimes clogs pores.

The red rays of the sun are absorbed by red compounds in the skin. They primarily heat up hemoglobin. Ordinary light shining on the surface of the skin, however, only reaches to the depth of the oil glands, and does not cauterize the blood vessels in the skin. The effects of red light on oil-producing glands are temporary, and they begin producing large amounts of all again a week or two after treatment.” (FacingAcne.com)

Don’t Forget…

It is also important to note that drying out your skin is very easy to do. And dry skin does not mean healthy skin. So when it comes to light therapy, more treatment does not mean better results. Drying or burning your skin by keeping your face too close to your lamp or wand does not improve your skin. Also, using light therapy as your only form of skin treatment will not fix your problems. Light Therapy should always be combined with other methods for the best results. For example, being sure to keep your skin clean, watching what you eat, properly moisturizing, changing your sheets and pillowcases when necessary, etc.

Are You Sold?

Light Therapy started becoming popular as a way to treat and cure acne when highly intense medicines such as Accutane and Retin-A were given a whole slew of restrictions from the government. Due to the lack of negative effects that Light Therapy has on the body, dermatologists hopped right on board, no longer being afraid of putting their patient’s health on the line. Now instead of prescribing medications or acne, you can now receive in office treatments from your dermatologist. But don’t forget, you can treat yourself at home as well. Blue light and red light therapy devices to use at home or while you’re at a spa have become extremely popular and easy to find.

There are lower cost options such as handheld led lamps for your face or other problem areas. These help heat the oil under your pores so that blackheads can pop out. But there are also higher end devices that have proven to be much more effect. You will not see instant results from any product that you purchase or use at a spa, but being consistent and knowing what you’re doing will go a long way.

TrophySkin.com

Trophy Skin Blue MD
$249

This highly recommended device combines blue light and red light therapy to help achieve the best possible results. The Trophy Skin Blue MD uses LED lighting to safely kill bacteria that causes acne. The device “penetrates deep into pores, eliminating P. Acnes at the source to heal blemishes and prevent future breakouts. BlueMD also emits red light to reduce inflammation and promote skin healing. In as little as 20 minutes a day a few times per week, BlueMD heals your acne from the inside out for clearer, smoother, blemish-free skin.” (TrophySkin.com)

Your skin is waiting for you to make it healthy again! It’s time to use Light Therapy to cure that acne.
Posted on February 15, 2016 In Acne, Light Therapy, Skin Treatments
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No Excuses For Light Therapy…

When most people first hear about light therapy they either think…
I don’t need that! or Who’s got time for that?

light-therapy-2

Maybe You Do Need It…

A great majority of people struggle with conditions that make getting through your days not so smooth and peaceful. Season Affective Disorder, work fatigue, seasonal changes, and jet lag are just a few examples. Most people don’t do anything about these conditions. They sleep a little longer on the weekend, hope it will just go away, drink too many energy drinks, and the cycle continues. Using a form of light therapy such as a light box can help ease some of the tension from these issues. Light boxes block the release of melatonin, which is a sleep hormone. You may have used the all natural pills to help you fall asleep. When less melatonin is being triggered in your brain, your energy levels and alertness can increase.

Sleep disorders are very common among Americans. Maybe it’s because we are so connected to our devices that we can’t rest from them, or maybe because we’re so easily tensed and stressed. Or depending on your location, maybe daylight savings is throwing you for a loop. Using a light box on a regular schedule or just in times of need can easily improve your quality of life. Did you wake up too late and not get enough sunlight throughout your day? Keep a light box by you for your evening. Recharge those internal batteries. Is it basically impossible for you to wake up to the sound of your alarm when the sun isn’t even awake yet? Or does that boisterous alarm sound just make you go mad? Wake up to vibrant LED light shining from your bedside table instead. Is daylight savings confusing the heck out of your mind and body? Is it virtually impossible to know what time it is without a watch? Get yourself back on track with a light box. Wake yourself up with a light box and keep it on until it is a normal time for the sun to retreat.

All of these conditions require LED lighting. LED lighting works by mimicking the natural sunshine that occurs outdoors. In the past, white light LED lighting was the only form used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder, which was discussed above. But in recent research, we have come to learn that blue light therapy is an effective method as well. SAD.org.uk, a website based in the UK, is dedicated to helping treat Seasonal Affective Disorder. In their section on choosing the right light products, they discussed why blue light is becoming more prevalent in the practice.

“Although the light emitted by the sun appears to be white, it is actually made up of the full spectrum of colours. This becomes apparent when sunlight shines through rain and it is split into the full spectrum of colours creating a rainbow.” (SAD.org.uk)

Thus explaining why experimenting with other forms of light should not be out of the question. Blue light therapy has indeed been proven just as effective as white light while treating SAD.

No, the LED light boxes are not warm. And no, they won’t give you a tan. But they sure will trick your mind. And guess what? Tricking yourself isn’t always a bad thing.

Making Time For It…

The other excuse for not trying light therapy goes a little something like this… “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” Well guess what, you do. Adding light therapy into schedule should not be life changing or stressful.
The process of using a light therapy box depends on what you’re using it for it. If you are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, work fatigue, seasonal changes, jet lag, decreased mood levels, or anything else that has got your internal happiness radar down, a light box set up on a table in front of you is what you need. The recommended process for the treatment involves sitting in front of a light box, which typically consists of fluorescent bulbs and a diffusing screen. Looking into the lights is far from recommended, but rather finding something to pass the time, something you enjoy to do, will be the most effective. For example, reading a book, eating some meals, knitting, writing, etc. It is important to make sure that your body and face are facing the light, but you are staying focused on your activity, rather than thinking too deeply about the treatment occurring.

The therapy can last as long as you see fit. Some people just need fifteen minutes a day, while others need three hours. Some people need to use the process just once a day, while others use it much more frequently. Discussing your options with a doctor if you’re dealing with severe conditions may be a smart decision.

In a research clinic at Columbia University, students attempted to treat winter symptoms with light therapy. In their article written about the clinic they explained,

“The average length of a session for a system delivering 10,000 lux illumination is, for example, much shorter than for 2,500 lux (30 minutes vs. two hours). In clinical trials at our institute, with over 100 SAD patients who used a 10,000 lux system with UV-filtered light diffusion and angular tilt, for 30 minutes each day, about 3/4 showed major improvement of depressive symptoms. In another experiment, we found that 30 minutes was an unnecessarily long exposure for some patients (who responded fully at 15 minutes), while several required 1-hour exposures to show the effect.” (Columbia.edu)

If you have decided to experiment with light therapy and you are struggling with some of the other conditions discussed above, such as having trouble waking up or having trouble getting to sleep, a different method may be what you are looking for. Using a light therapy box that is set to a timer, could be a simple and effective option for you. Simply set the lamp close to where you sleep in your bedroom and set your preferred wake up time. The lamp will slowly increase it’s strength of light, awaking you in a peaceful way and keeping your mind on track with day cycle.

Case in point…you do have time for it. Light therapy is not as crazy as it seems!
Posted on February 10, 2016 In Light Therapy
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Celebrities Who Use Light Therapy

Image from trbimg.com

We always look to celebrities for the little details in our lives. Where do they shop? Where do I get pants like that? How are they so skinny? What kind of makeup do they use? Where do they buy their groceries? Do they work out? What kind of hair products do they use? What’s their diet?

The most common questions usually revolve around their cosmetic appearance…

How is their skin so perfect?
How come I have acne but they don’t?
Where are their wrinkles?
Why don’t they age?!

We all ask ourselves these questions. Jennifer Lopez is forty six years old, a mother to two children, probably busier than any of us can even imagine, and has been in the spotlight for at least thirty years.

How is her skin still so perfect? Where are those wrinkles hiding? Her legs seriously have no cellulite? You’ve got to be kidding. She’s forty six and still rocks booty shorts better than any eighteen year old.

The effervescent J-Lo, perhaps the eighth Wonder of the World for most of us, is just one of many celebrities who use light therapy as a part of her every day routine. Celebrities use multiple different forms of light therapy, some more excessive than others, all showing wonderful results. The options range from light boxes, wands, masks, panels, lamps, wraps or one of the many other options to improve their skin. The results can decrease wrinkles, clear acne, open pores, diminish cellulite, and basically slow down the aging process that we all unfortunately have to go through. Light therapy can help make that whole process is bit easier.

Jennifer Lopez is a huge light therapy fan. She has never gone on the record and told the press exactly what products she uses but she is known to use LED Light Treatments to tight her skin and reduce the lines on her face. She may also use a red light therapy bed to help reduce the lines on her entire body.

 

Image from GQ.com

 

Katy Perry is often posting to her social media accounts about light therapy. She posted the photo above of her using a red light therapy portable mask. Although Perry is only thirty one and probably does not need to worry too much about her skin, she is known for looking pretty dang close to a Barbie Doll. Her skin is flawless for a thirty one year and it’s probably safe to say she wasn’t born that way. This mask uses red lights to keep her looking young! It tightens the skin on her face, reduces any fine lines, treats acne, and more.

 

 

Image from LightTherapyOptions.com

 

Jessica Alba is another celebrity who has taken to her social media to share her love for light therapy. The thirty four year old mother of two is definitely luck to have been blessed with beautiful Latina skin, but that doesn’t stop her from going the extra mile with light therapy treatments. Alba posted the photo of her Opera light therapy mask above and wasn’t shy about it. Why should she be? Notice the color of the mask. Alba’s facialist chose to use “pink” lights, which are a combination of red and blue lights, to treat her skin. The red light plumps the skin and decreases wrinkles by increasing the collagen in the skin while the blue helps say goodbye to acne by killing the bacteria underneath the skin. This Opera mask lets you choose if you would like to use red, blue, or both lights, maximizing your skin’s potential. Jessica Alba uses this treatment about once a week to help her achieve that flawless skin.

                         

We all seem to have it in our minds that celebrities are different than we are. They’re above us, right? Super humans. But the truth is, they’re humans too. Jennifer Lopez doesn’t just magically have the legs of a twenty something year old, Katy Perry’s skin on her forehead doesn’t magically get tighter over time, and Jessica Alba isn’t Super Woman, although most of us are convinced that she is. There’s no shame in needing a little help to make aging bearable. Why not explore an option that is all natural and isn’t harmful? You wouldn’t be the only one.

Posted on February 10, 2016 In Blue Light Therapy, Celebrities, Light Therapy, Red Light Therapy
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