Dr Hany shares his guide to Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy a.k.a. RLT is a popular treatment that incorporates low levels of red light to reduce the appearance of aging, scars, redness, acne, and dark spots, it’s no wonder then that it’s all the rage with companies such as Omnilux offering medical-grade LED light therapy devices that can be used from the comfort of your own home. A beauty must, revered expert Dr Hany shares his guide to red light therapy.
What is LED Therapy?
LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes, and they work through a process called phototherapy where the LEDs emit certain wavelengths of light into your skin to stimulate biochemical reactions, such as re-energizing cells and stimulating collagen production. It’s a non-invasive and completely natural process for treating a variety of skin concerns and conditions.
Different wavelengths
The wavelengths, or colors, of light that is best for anti-aging and overall skin rejuvenation are red (633nm) and near-infrared (830nm+). The red wavelength helps to reduce inflammation and redness while near-infrared is able to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin to target fibroblast cells and stimulate collagen production. If your concerns are anti-aging focused, you’ll absolutely want to use a device that has both red and near-infrared at the optimized wavelengths (like the Omnilux Contour masks). The best wavelength for treating acne-prone skin is blue light (415nm) as it can neutralize and kill p.acnes bacteria in the skin – if you combine this with red (633nm) light to reduce inflammation and redness it’s a wonderful way to naturally treat breakouts. The Omnilux CLEAR mask uses both blue and red simultaneously, so you get the benefits of both lights at the same time, in one treatment. Brilliant.
What skin goals can LED masks target and how?
LED masks that use red and near-infrared light can reduce signs of aging skin such as fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation (especially from sun damage), and uneven skin texture and tone. LED red light has also soothing & calming properties. A mask with blue light can be used to treat acne by killing acne-causing bacteria.
How long until you can see results?
If you are using a high-quality mask consistently, you can expect to start seeing results within 4 weeks of treatments. I typically recommend my patients use their masks (my favorite brand being Omnilux) 3-5 times per week, 10 minutes per session.
Are there any associated risks?
LED light therapy is a non-invasive and safe treatment. Home-use LED masks are great as long as they have been cleared for safety by the FDA/TGA and/or have CE certification. There are a lot of masks out there that do not have the proper clearances.
