LED treatments & SKIN

  / drdavinlim  
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Low Level Laser Emission Devices or Light Emitting Diode treatments & Skin

Dermatologists are well versed in the use of light to treat skin conditions. Phototherapy can treat acne, psoriasis, vitiligo, & dermatitis. Light can also treat conditions such as seasonal affective disorder, back pain and aid in tissue recovery.

Mode of action: LEDs can exert a powerful cascade of events in the skin. Blue and red
light can activate naturally occurring chemicals made by bacteria in acne lesions. LEDs can also activate chemicals called porphyrins applied to pre-cancerous sunspots. Diode LEDs can also speed up wound healing- especially useful after laser surgery.

Clinical application: Acne treatments, sunspot treatments, post laser healing, rosacea therapy (laser is better), marketed as collagen generating (optimistic :)

Skin colour treated: Fitz. skin type 1 all the way to 6. Super safe as light is delivered in wavelengths that do not promote sunburn, PIH or skin cancer

Recovery time: Minutes to days depending on the application. Simple blue - red light without photo activating chemicals- no downtime. Photodynamic therapy associated with biophotonics or porphyrins will have a 1-6 day downtime.

Aftercare: Depends on the clinical application of LEDs

Is it painful?: Anti-acne and recovery LED therapies are painless, whilst PDT or photodynamic therapy requires analgesia.

Caution: LED therapy is supersafe, in fact this is the therapy of choice for the treatment of acne in pregnancy. Watch out for photosensitive drug interactions in the blue spectrum, 405nm to 420nm.

Recommended skin care range: Sunscreen, adjunctive retinol, niacinamide. Retinoids may thin the stratum corneum however the action spectrum is in the long wave UVA range.

Davin’s Protip: Low level LEDs are invaluable in clinical practice as a dermatologist. Research over the past decade has confirmed the efficacy of LEDs in the treatment of acne as well as other inflammatory dermatoses. For those seeking a natural or drug free acne remedy, look into the light!

Dr Davin Lim
Clinic Cutis, Brisbane. Australia.