Estheticians Use LED Therapy to Shed Light on Damaged Skin

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, Canada, or Alaska, you may be familiar with a form of LED therapy that treats SAD (seasonal affective disorder). LED light therapy technology has several applications. Even NASA has used LED technology to heal wounds. Estheticians and spa therapists use LED light therapy to improve the skin's function and appearance.

What is LED Light Therapy and How Does It Work?

LED stands for light-emitting diode. Unlike thermal lasers and other light source devices, LED devices do not use heat or cut into the skin. Instead, LEDs use low-level light to cause a photochemical response in the skin and activate cell metabolism. A client is placed in front of an LED device that contains panels of small diodes. The esthetician operating the machine must know the correct array sequence corresponding to the target skin response, and execute that sequence on the machine. The targeted skin response may include stopping cells that produce spots of pigmentation on the skin, healing wounds, reducing inflammation, or increasing collagen production.

What Skin Conditions Benefit from LED Therapy?

Different wavelengths of light are used for different skin conditions and purposes:

Blue: Acne
Green: Hyperpigmentation (skin discoloration)
Yellow: Sensitive skin, inflammation, edema
Red: Mature skin, sun damage, collagen/elastin stimulation, increased circulation

A study at the Advanced Laser and Dermatologic Surgery Clinics showed that particular near-infrared wavelengths of LED light were effective in treating sun damage. The study concluded that this treatment resulted in "significant improvement" of eye wrinkles for 81 percent of subjects. LED therapy is also being used on skin conditions like eczema and stretch marks.

Although side effects are uncommon and usually mild, the Mayo Clinic reports that LED therapy may cause:

Nausea and vomiting
Agitation and irritability
Sleep problems and fatigue
Headache and eyestrain
Mania
Dry mouth

In addition, light therapy is not advised for people with skin sensitivity to light, eye conditions prone to light damage, or taking medications that react with sunlight. This emphasizes the importance of proper esthetician training and a complete and thorough client interview.

LED Light Therapy Training for Estheticians in Beauty School

In some esthetics courses in cosmetology school, students learn the theory behind LED and how to operate the equipment, if the school has a device available. Master or advanced esthetics training, including CIDESCO, typically includes electrical skin care equipment training as part of the program curriculum. Many estheticians attend one-day LED light therapy workshops at conferences or at continuing education centers so they can expand their treatment repertoires.

A typical course curriculum may include the following:

Technological developments in light therapy
Various light therapy techniques
Practical application of LED light therapy
Hands-on demonstrations and training
Integrating light therapy into your treatment protocols
Using light therapy together with other modalities (laser) and services (peels)
Contraindications of LED therapy
Marketing LED therapy in your business

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