Is light therapy best for Acne and Rosacea or better for anti-ageing?

04 Feb Is light therapy best for Acne and Rosacea or better for anti-ageing?

The short answer is – it’s incredible for all of it! If you have skin, you will 100% benefit from light therapy treatment.

With society’s obsession with holding back the years and the myriad of ‘anti-ageing’ skin products and procedures on the market everywhere we turn, it can be very confusing when deciding what the best option for us is!  This is a quick look at an award-winning treatment that harnesses good old-fashioned light but delivered in a high tech, scientifically based way.

Have you heard of the Dermalux?? Sounds kind of ‘space-age’ doesn’t it? To be honest it looks a bit like it too – but we love it!

So what can the Dermalux help with?

Our skin is the largest organ of our body and is subjected to a bashing every day of our lives!  It’s exposed to the elements; wind, rain, sun; it is smoked, steamed and covered in chemicals with all the different products we use. Add into the mix a good old dose of hormones – teens, pregnancy, menopause, monthly cycle – and it is no wonder we see problems showing up in our skin.

We are frequently seeing problems at Rediscovered Skin Clinic such as Acne, Psoriasis, Rosacea and Eczema, all of which are great candidates for treatment under the Dermalux.  Dermalux LED phototherapy uses the power of pure light to naturally stimulate skin rejuvenation and greatly improve such skin conditions.

This might sound like a contradiction in terms – anyone who has been to the clinic knows how we nag about using sun protection factor every single day, yet here we are advocating light therapy! Whilst UV light causes skin damage and ageing, light also has many beneficial effects on the body. It helps us produce Vitamin D, can accelerate tissue healing and boosts serotonin levels (serotonin is thought to have a positive impact on our mood).

What’s good light and what’s bad?

The differences between positive and negative effects of light are a) the amount of light and b) the parts of the light spectrum we are exposed to.  The Dermalux uses controlled levels of blue, red and near infrared light which are proven to be beneficial. Blue light has a powerful anti-bacterial effect which is very effective for killing off the bugs that cause acne or rosacea and for normalising oil production.  Red light increases collagen and elastin production which gives us firmer, smoother skin.  It shrinks enlarged pores and evens skin tone and texture. Lastly, near infrared works together with red to reduce inflammation and pain, and to reduce pigmentation and scarring.

With the Dermalux, we can use these lights in isolation or utilise a combination of some or all of them to tackle your main concern, while getting multiple benefits in one treatment!

How many sessions will you need?

Generally a course of treatments is required and can be had as often as daily for quick results. The number of treatments can vary with age, skin type and condition but you can expect 6-10 for the best outcome. With light therapy the results are cumulative and improvement will continue even after the treatment has stopped. Treatments taken in quick succession will achieve the best results and maintenance treatments may also be recommended. An individual treatment plan will be discussed during consultation.

So why would you choose this treatment?

Others options such as laser, skin peels, or micro-needling for example, all have their place and their benefits, but if you want a speedy treatment that no one knows you’ve had (apart from wondering why your skin is so glowing!) then this is the one for you!

The treatment takes 20 minutes, relaxing on a comfortable couch with the area to be treated positioned under the light canopy. The light can appear quite bright, however it is a very pleasant, warm, very relaxing experience and there is no downtime.

We hope that’s been useful in explaining what light therapy with the Dermalux is all about!