Light therapy or phototherapy, classically referred to as heliotherapy consists of exposure to daylight or to specific wavelengths of light using polychromatic polarised light, lasers, light-emitting diodes, fluorescent lamps, dichroic lamps or very bright, full-spectrum light.
There are various kinds of LED facials available on the market today, and the technology is rapidly evolving. Some skin treatments involve the use of blue light, while some only use red light.
The basic premise of LED skin therapy is that different colors trigger different reactions beneath the epidermis, and penetrate the skin at varying depths.
Blue light is generally used to kill the bacteria that causes acne, providing an effective treatment for blackheads and whiteheads, whereas wavelengths of red light are normally used to speed up healing and stimulate collagen production, simultaneously shrinking enlarged pores and tightening the skin.
Each patient might require different treatment time, but generally it should be 15-20 mins per sessions. It is recommended to have 4 -6 sessions.
It is practically painless and it is tolerable for the patient, although some patients may feel some discomfort and heat, inherent to the LED.