Rosacea: What is Light Therapy and Why is it Used?

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that mainly affects women past their 30s. According to the National Rosacea Society, approximately 16 million people in the US alone are affected with rosacea. It is a very common problem, especially among fair-skinned people. Rosacea causes redness over your nose, cheeks and forehead. This could potentially have adverse effects on one's social life.

Although there is no cure for rosacea, its symptoms can be controlled, allowing the affected individuals to lead normal lives. Red light therapy is one such treatment method, recommended by several dermatologists.

What is Red Light Therapy?

Red light therapy is a treatment available for skin care and is an alternative for laser therapy. It is used in the treatment of rosacea, acne and skin wrinkles. Studies suggest that red light is absorbed by the mitochondria in your cells and stimulates the production of collagen, the building block of the skin.

How Does it Work?

Red light therapy uses wavelengths between 620nm and 700nm. These wavelengths are absorbed by the skin up to a depth of about 8mm to 10mm. Once it is absorbed by the mitochondria in the skin cells, it converts the red light into a type of energy that is responsible for the following results:

• Reduced inflammation.
• Increased production of collagen and fibroblasts to improve the elasticity of your skin.
• Increased blood supply to the face.
• Enhanced natural cleaning mechanisms by the cells.

What Are the Benefits of Using Red Light Therapy?

• Reduced inflammation.
• Reduced redness.
• Evening out of the skin.
• Restored skin moisture.
• Less expensive than laser therapy

When Will I See the Results?

You may not be able to see results immediately after red light therapy, but this does not mean the therapy has failed. It takes a minimum of two weeks for results to appear. A minimum of twelve weeks of therapy is recommended for definite change.

The frequency of treatment with red light therapy will depend on the severity of your disease. If you have mild rosacea, then only a few treatment sessions are needed, whereas more treatment sessions will be required if you have moderate to severe rosacea. However, you should be getting at least two treatments a week.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Soon after the treatment, there might be some pinkness and puffiness of the face, but this will disappear within a few minutes. You can also place an icepack over the area to lose the pinkness faster. Here is some good news for you – red light therapy has been used as a treatment method for rosacea for several years now. In all these years, there has not been any report of adverse effects so far.

With the use of red light therapy and other treatment options, rosacea can be kept under control.