Is LED Light Therapy the At-Home Beauty Gadget You Need Now?
Kim Kardashian says the Baby Quasar handheld LED light helped with her psoriasis. Fashion and beauty editor Cayli Cavaco says she uses light treatments to help keep plastic surgery at bay. Jessica Alba was photographed wearing a LED mask, part of her perfect skin approach. They are just some of many who are seeing the light-literally. The handheld devices (which, yes, look a little like something you might take to the bedroom for some me time) are enjoying a surge of popularity. In 2015, sales grew 20 percent, according to the consulting firm Kline.
But are they worth the money and time?
Do they really work?
In a word, yes. The blue- and red-emitting lights work within a specific wavelength and intensity to kill acne-causing bacteria (blue) and to diminish fine lines and wrinkles (red). "There are a lot of LED lights on the market; one thing to understand is that it's a proven technology. There is no doubt in the medical community that it works-it reduces inflammation, speeds the healing of the body by 300 percent, and grows collagen," says Joanna Vargas, the sought-after New York City and Los Angeles aesthetician who has patented light beds in her salon (above).
But light beds are expensive-$150 for 20 minutes at the Vargas salon-which is why the handheld light devices are appealing to many. Lisa Liss, a registered nurse outside of Boston, was bowled over by how well the Baby Quasar, $249 handheld device that combined blue- and red-light LED therapy, worked in clearing up her teenage daughter's acne in just a couple of months of regular use. Inspired, she decided to purchase one of the company's more expensive anti-aging devices: the $399 Baby QuasarPlus, which promises to boost collagen and elastin.
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"The lines around my eyes have diminished and I have people asking me if I'm using injectables," said Liss, who is in her 50s (and says the answer to that question is a firm no). Liss says she adhered strictly to Baby Quasar's suggested regimen of using the light for five 15-minute sessions a week (the maximum permitted by the FDA) for eight weeks.
What should you be looking for?
"In the field of LED light rejuvenation, we have a safe lie-detector test: wavelength, which refers to color, and intensity, which refers to power, " explained Dr. Andrei Sommer, a Germany-based physicist at Ulm University's Institute of Micro and Nanomaterials who conducted some of the pioneering research on red light technology.
Red-light therapy, which was originally studied by NASA when the agency was looking for way a improve healing in space, works by stimulating ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a molecule that supplies energy to cells. ATP is crucial because it produces collagen and elastin, those fountains of youth. But only certain intensities of light do the trick. Dr. Sommer says an intensity lower than 500 watts per square meter (W/m2), roughly half the intensity of sunlight, might not work as well to stimulate collagen production.
Blue-light therapy kills the P acne bacteria on the surface of the skin, and doesn't need to be as intense. Just 200W/m2 has been proven effective. Researchers have found that light at the 405 to 470 nanometer wavelength is the most effective. According to the FDA, some of the most popular brands on the market-including Silkn Blue, which is the number one selling cosmetic blue LED light, according to Kline-Quasar Blue, Tria, and Tanda-all operate in this range. (If you need more evidence, the American Academy of Dermatology recently published a post that said lasers and lights show great promise in treating acne.)
So how do I choose one?
That depends on what you want to treat-and your budget. For someone who hopes to clear up their acne, Tria's blue light requires replacement cartridges that cost $40. LightStim's $169 blue light offers a combination of red and blue wavelengths in a single one-sided device. (Mixing red and blue may be more effective for clearing up and treating acne than blue light alone, according to a 2009 study in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy.)
If you're in search of anti-aging effects, you may have to up your budget. The more expensive Baby Quasar red light devices, which range in price from $399 to $595 (makeup guru Hudu Kattan swears by them), clock in at 650 W/m2. That makes Baby Quasar one of the most powerful red-emitting LED devices on the market, along with LightStim, whose red lights retail for $249, and also has the same intensity, according to the company.
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Another good rule of thumb: It should come with a plug. The battery-operated ones probably aren't strong enough to stimulate collagen or clear up your skin.
"I personally have not come across any non-battery-operated devices in the U.S. that did not get results. So as long as you stay away from the cheap stuff made in China that's battery-operated, you should be fine," said Steve Marchese, CEO of LightStim, the Irvine, California-based company, which has sold 1.7 million devices since they launched in 2001.
"I'm impressed by NuFace and Tanda hand-held LED devices. These two devices are excellent sources of red-emitting LED light," said Dr. Steven Colbert, a dermatologist at New York Dermatology who personally uses both. NuFace's Trinity, which markets itself as a wrinkle reducer, retails for $325. The Tanda Luxe Rejuvenation Photofacial device, also red-emitting, sells for $195 and, according to their FDA filing, has an intensity of 500 W/m2.
Manage your expectations.
If what you want is a more defined neckline or tighter skin, then you'll need to look to other, more invasive, cosmetic treatments, says Melissa Doft, head of New York City-based Doft Plastic Surgery. "LED lights only truly work on the skin's surface for pigmentation and very fine surface lines. I do not think these devices will satisfy most patients who are seeing the signs of aging. I would place them on the level of cosmetic creams. They will make a small difference when used religiously, but will not replace the need for lasers, fillers, botox, and surgical intervention," she said.
And for breakouts, Dr. Howard Sobel, a Manhattan-based dermatologist and founder of DDF Skincare, says the blue lights are good to treat mild acne, but for more severe kinds, medication can really help to get it under control.
The takeaway is that these devices aren't cure-alls or magical lights, but rather as Dr. Sobel put it: "A great addition to any anti-acne or anti-aging routine."
"Light therapy will guard your elasticity as you age and make your skin look bright and glowy," said Vargas, "although LEDs might not fill in a line."
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