As I write this, I’m surrounded by a deep red glow. I’m not in Hell—quite the opposite—I’m luxuriating in the skincare benefits of an LED mask. At-home LED devices have taken the beauty world by storm. Once, they were a treatment only available at spas and dermatologists’ offices. Now, for a price, anyone can administer their own light therapy from the comfort of their couch. So, how do these machines work? What are their benefits? And the question on everybody’s mind: are they worth the hefty price tag?
Class is in Session
Before we get into which products you should buy, there is much to learn about LED. When I first heard about light therapy as skincare, I thought it might be a fad. But forms of light therapy, also known as phototherapy, have existed for centuries. Many ancient cultures used sunlight to treat illness and promote health. Even the most famous nurse of all time, Florence Nightingale, insisted her patients be near a window, “second only to their need of fresh air is their need for light…not only light but direct sunlight.” In 1903, physician Niels Ryberg Finsen, the father of modern phototherapy, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his research into how different wavelengths of light can treat skin conditions and for developing the first artificial light for this purpose.
Moving from History to Science class, learning how these devices work is essential. If you’re strapping on a Hannibal Lecter-style mask to your face and turning bright red or blue, you ought to know what it’s doing to you and how.
First, a little bit about wavelengths. By now, we all know that UV rays can be extremely harmful, and while sunlight provides us with nourishing vitamin D, it can also lead to sun damage, premature aging, and skin cancer. UV, or ultraviolet, is invisible to the eye and has short, intense wavelengths. Visible light, such as red or blue, has longer wavelengths, and near-infrared light (NIR) has much longer wavelengths. The longer…
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