LED light therapy is receiving loads of attention these days. Retailers are now promoting travel-sized lamps, full-size lights, pens, and other handheld devices that all come with a promise of providing several health benefits.
If you aren’t familiar with LED light therapy, LED stands for light-emitting diodes. Light-emitting diodes are semiconductor light sources with flowing currents of energy. Without getting too “sciency” picture a bunch of tiny light bulbs fitting into an electrical circuit, resulting in a production light that’s not overly bright and often monochromatic.
The concept of LED light therapy is simple, yet the benefits are impressive. Believe it or not, LED therapy has been studied by NASA scientists for decades to find out how red light affects circadian rhythms.
Since the early NASA studies interest in LED therapy has been growing, leading researchers to invest more time into learning how it can confer more health benefits. One of the most impressive findings is its effects on the largest organ in your body – the skin. Studies show regular exposure to LED therapy improves skin quality, reduces acne, improves wound healing, reduces inflammation, and even slows down the aging process.
If we take a deeper dive into LED therapy’s ability to create biological changes in your skin, the process is quite impressive. You see, the skin has receptors that change in response to heat, chemicals, and certain vibrations. So when wavelengths from LEDs penetrate the dermis – one of the layers of your skin – a chemical and vibrational response is activated. This causes the skin to begin rejuvenating itself by boosting collagen production and giving skin cells a hefty dose of nutrients.
Another added benefit of light therapy is the impact it has on your mood. Research has shown that there is a clear correlation between your skin and your mental health! So not only will light therapy improve your skin health and slow the signs of aging, but it will also help you feel better at the same time! Although it’s not well known, there is a subset of dermatology known as ‘psychodermatology,’ which focuses exclusively on just how connected the skin and the brain really are! Pretty incredible!
If you’re sold on the benefits of LED and want to purchase a device of your very own, hold up just a minute. Not every LED device on the market is to be trusted. Be sure to buy a device that has FDA-approval, which may mean you’ll pay a bit more upfront, but the investment will be worth it. Those with lower price points may not deliver the results you’re expecting. And in fact, some of the lesser-quality LED devices have been associated with neurological issues such as ocular migraines. So, in this case, you get what you pay for!
Using LED to improve your skin, mood, and likely even more things is yet another tool to enhance your health and look and feel younger at the same time! Let us know if you need help sourcing a quality LED device – we’re happy to tell you which one we love!