UV light clears up acne, but it can also damage the skin and cause cancer. Today, doctors don’t use UV light to treat acne. Instead, they use certain wavelengths of blue or red light. Blue and red light therapy kills acne-causing bacteria without damaging the skin.
Is red light or blue light better for acne?
Combining red and blue light therapy treats acne more efficiently than blue light alone: as blue light destroys the acne-causing bacteria beneath the skin’s surface, the red light reduces inflammation and accelerates healing.
What color light therapy is best for acne?
Blue light therapy is the type of light therapy most commonly used to address acne breakouts. The wavelength of blue light has an antimicrobial effect, making it effective at killing several types of bacteria that can collect in your pores and oil glands and cause breakouts.
How often should I do red light therapy for acne?
In general, you can use red light for 10-20 minutes 3-5 times a week for 1-4 months, and continue with a maintenance program as recommended by your dermatologist.
Does blue light kill acne?
A: Blue light kills the acne-causing bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes, or P acnes, which can cause inflammation. P acnes is sensitive to blue light. Using the blue light, eliminates the bacteria found in the oil glands in the skin.
Does blue light help hormonal acne?
These lights may be blue, red, or both blue and red. Phototherapy can bring down swelling and reduce the number of pimples in some people. Studies show blue light therapy clears up acne by nearly 70% within 8 to 10 treatment sessions.
Can red light therapy make skin worse?
A red light therapy device does not harm the surface of your skin or the underlying tissue. Instead, the red or infrared lights stimulate cellular repair and increase blood flow.
Can blue light damage skin?
Research shows blue light from electronic devices can lead to changes in your skin cells, including cell shrinkage and death. These speed up the aging process. Even exposures as short as 60 minutes can trigger these changes. Too much blue light could also lead to pigmentation.
What Colour LED light for acne scars?
Purple LED Light
As a result, purple light is highly recommended after aggressive and invasive treatments (such as Botox, fillers or lasers), since it considerably reduces inflammation and marks. It also helps wound healing and reduces visible acne and acne marks.
How do you use blue light for acne?
How Often to Use Blue Light Therapy for Acne. You can use your blue light therapy device up to three times per day. We recommend making light therapy a part of your skincare routine so that you use your device at least twice a day — once in the morning, and once before bed. That way, consistent use is easy!
Can you overdo red light therapy?
What Are the Risks? Red light therapy is generally considered safe, even though researchers aren’t exactly sure how and why it works. And there are no set rules on how much light to use. Too much light may damage skin tissue, but too little might not work as well.
Does red light therapy tan your skin?
Red light is proven effective in the repair and rejuvenation of skin. Red light emits ZERO UV and will NOT tan you.
Can you use red light therapy everyday?
Unlike many other health treatments, red light therapy is safe to use every day, is non-invasive, and has virtually zero risks and side effects.
What is the best for acne?
While it is advised to consult with your doctor around dietary guidance and curating the proper beauty regimen, our experts share that salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, and topical retinoids like adapalene are the most effective ingredients to treat and prevent acne.
Does blue light shrink pores?
For those who are hoping to reduce acne or make pores appear smaller, Skotnicki recommends blue light therapy. This is because the light may help shrink your oil glands, which in turn can reduce the oil production in your skin.
How long are you under red light therapy?
Sessions should generally be between 10-20 minutes long. While the more frequent the sessions the better (every day is ideal), increasing the length of individual sessions has not been shown to increase efficacy.