Beauty tips: LED Therapy as a solution for #isoskin

@shanidarden

Coming out of lockdown, many of us have skin that needs a little extra TLC and may be showing the symptoms of ‘iso-skin’ (yes, it’s a thing). It refers to the clogged pores, breakouts, inflammation and irritation that can result from spending too much time indoors or being more stationary than usual. Despite going for days sans makeup and being able to wear sheet masks between Zoom meetings, not everyone’s skin is loving the new normal – including mine. One of the quickest fixes I’ve found for irritated skin in all forms is light therapy, be that with your favourite therapist or if you’re lucky enough to own a light device – at home.

Gentle and painless with zero downtime, light therapy has been used by beauty experts for years to treat everything from breakouts to rosacea and collagen breakdown. It’s one of the few treatments that has seriously made a difference in times of trouble when I’m dealing with rosacea, and gives my skin a major boost to boot. Overshadowed (pardon the pun) over the last few years by more invasive procedures, it is now firmly back in almost every beauty clinic and I am SO here for it.

THE SCIENCE

When people talk about skincare technology going space age, I mean it literally in the case of LED (light emitting diode) treatments. Developed by NASA in the 80s to speed up astronauts’ tissue repair, LED light therapy recently found its way back into the current zeitgeist as an Insta-worthy skin treatment loved by all. With a huge celebrity fan base like Chrissy Teigen, Jessica Alba and more, it’s clear that light is just so right for right now. It’s also becoming increasingly accessible as an at-home skin treatment thanks to beauty tech breakthroughs in the form of all-over face masks, targeted pens, goggles and other handheld devices, but more on that in a bit.

HOW DOES LED ACTUALLY WORK?

Most in-salon LED devices work with a sort of traffic light system depending on your particular skin goal: different colours elicit various benefits and can be combined for extra skincare clout, and regular LED light therapy can boost collagen, reduce acne bacteria and even prevent pigmentation before it happens. To work out which you need, here is a run-down on the particular powers of each:

RED LED light is renowned for speeding up collagen synthesis and enhancing cell repair and was the original therapy utilised by NASA. Red light energy stimulates the mitochondria (the power generators) in cells so that they function optimally, boosting the production of collagen and elastin. Red light is also considered anti-inflammatory and it’s for this reason that many skincare experts and dermatologists follow up a more intensive treatment with a red light treatment to calm redness.

ORANGE LED light is particularly hailed for its soothing effect on rosacea and redness as well as gently revving up collagen production.

GREEN LED light is used to even out skin tone, and probably the rarest light to find at most skin clinics. This particular wavelength targets melanocytes, slowing down the production of melanin so that not as much pigmentation reaches the top layers of our skin.

BLUE: The shade of choice for acne. Blue light has been scientifically proven to kill the  bacteria on the surface of the skin that’s most commonly responsible for breakouts.

So why did it take so long for LED skin treatments to enter mainstream? I think it’s mainly due to the lack of consumer knowledge, and much confusion. Some see a light treatment and immediately think it uses the same UV-emitting light that comes from tanning beds, which are most definitely NOT a good idea on any level. In reality they do quite the opposite, and their popularity is soaring with the opening of ‘light lounges’ at various beauty destinations and even an LED ‘Bootcamp’ on offer at Spring Spa. Not that you should chuck out your serums, but many skin experts believe that LED light’s powers of cellular repair could rival some of the most effective skincare ingredients you can buy, although I think the two used in combination are the way to go.

HOME CARE

It’s also got a lot easier to buy trusted LED tools for use at home too, with the Dr. Dennis Gross offering at Mecca purported to be the best.

The crème de la crème of at home devices is the Dr. Dennis Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro (above) RRP$725. The mask is fitted with red LED lights to encourage collagen and elastin production in the skin as well as improving the appearance of pigmentation and redness. The blue LED lights help to combat the appearance of acne. After cleansing and exfoliating, you just place this futuristic-looking beauty over your face and adjust the head strap to fit. Press and hold the ‘on’ button until the device switches on. Choose your desired setting and leave on for three minutes – scaring small children optional!

The Dr. Dennis Gross Spotlite (above) targets all signs of acne, even before blemishes have reached the skins surface, and with an RRP of $89 it is definitely a great entry level light if acne is a concern for you. The Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite EyeCare Pro RRP$274 (below) uses professional light to help improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles specifically around the eye area, which I definitely need right now. The hands-free light device is designed to use for just 3 minutes a day from the comfort of the living room to reduce signs of ageing around the eyes.