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We’ve always heard from doctors and industry experts alike that if we desire youthful, wrinkle-free skin it’s best to stay out of the light. But there are some exceptions to that rule, and one of them is for red light. This season red lights should do more than just twinkle in the holiday decorations as this effective and simple treatment can help to restore skin’s natural texture and glow. Get ready to break for this big red light breakthrough!
How It Works:
Red light therapy is actually a pretty simple concept. There is a wide spectrum of visible light from violet to green to red and they all have different levels of intensity. Violet to blue light is the most powerful and is what physicians call upon for conducting X-rays in a hospital, and red light is like radio waves, comparatively pretty innocuous. It’s also important to note that red light is outside of the skin-damaging UV range of the sunlight we soak up at the beach.
Light therapy can penetrate the deepest layers of skin where beauty creams and serums can’t reach on their own. Coupled with heat, light therapy can stimulate our cells to speed up their production mode. New skin cells production means increased amounts of collagen, the protein complex that give skin its elasticity, lift and structure and smooth texture. ATP, the powerhouse molecule for energy in our cells, also gets a boost which can help all the other functions of our skin cells, including healing and waste disposal, work more efficiently.
Dermatologists have harnessed the power of light in the form of laser therapy for many years but with each treatment came with a hefty price tag. Today we are beginning to see a few over-the-counter options for red light therapy but, beware, not all are created equal. Some red light tanning beds or light therapy devices claim to be red light therapy but the bulbs being used are actually fluorescent lights, which do emit UV rays, not the LED (light-emitting diode) that dermatologists use for red light treatment. A great at-home option for red light therapy that uses LED bulbs is the Silk’n FaceFX Anti-Aging Device with Serum.
As with all new cosmetic treatments it’s best to consult your doctor to make sure it’s going to be the best treatment for you, even if it’s already worked wonders for your friends, family and neighbors! For example, those using retinoids, another skin care superhero, can be more photosensitive and should not use red light therapy in combination with other treatments.
What do you do for anti-aging in your skincare routine?