No one wants to have inflamed and itchy skin, yet, over 31 million people in the U.S. suffer from eczema. But can light therapy treatments actually improve eczema?
Let’s first understand exactly how the skin disorder works. Atopic dermatitis, known as eczema, is a skin condition involving the immune system and can be identified by itchy and inflamed patches of skin. However, there are multiple types of eczema, such as contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic dermatitis, and nummular dermatitis.
In general, symptoms of eczema include rough, itchy, dry, inflamed, and irritated skin. Eczema typically flares up and subsides, flaring up again. While it can occur anywhere on the body, it's typically found in the inner elbows, knees, head, arms, and hands. You may think only specific people are susceptible to this skin condition, but eczema doesn't discriminate. People of all skin tones and ethnicities can be affected by it.
A recent study of adults with moderate to severe eczema found that 70.5% reported severe, unbearable itch in the past two weeks, 85.5% reported daily itch, and 62.8% reported itching at least 12 hours per day. These numbers are alarming and show how it negatively impacts someone's life.
Interestingly, the medical community doesn't have much information on eczema. But what causes this skin condition? It's believed to be due to an overactive immune system when the body responds aggressively to an irritant. Common triggers can include synthetic fabric, rough material, chemicals in detergents and cleaners, sweat, stress, animal dander, and food allergies.
Currently, there is no cure for eczema. Most physicians recommend an anti-itch cream or prescription medication such as injections or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. However, those are temporary solutions, treating the symptoms and not the cause.
So - does light therapy work on eczema? And the answer is yes. Let's dive in a little deeper.
Red light therapy uses near-infrared and/or red light to restore the body's healing system. Red light therapy stimulates the ATP cells within the mitochondria, resulting in a quicker turnover of damaged cells and new cell production. The body's autoimmune system is also stimulated, which aids in recovery. As a result, red light therapy reduces inflammation that triggers eczema. As the inflammation decreases, the itching and redness diminish as well.
Dermatologist Michele Green, M.D., Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC, says, “When the itching improves, patients are less likely scratching, and the thickened areas of rash begin to resolve.” She explains, “people feel better, sleep better, and are able to live their lives more comfortably.”
Through light therapy, eczema sufferers may find more lasting relief. Whether the eczema is present on the face, knees, arms, head, light therapy has shown promising results in aiding in the condition. While creams and injections provide momentary relief, light therapy can help support the body's immune system and reduce inflammation, the main cause of eczema. In addition, many people suffering from eczema also experience other skin conditions such as acne, hyperpigmentation, and psoriasis. Light therapy has the power of treating multiple conditions simply with light.
Luckily, Kaiyan Medical produces MDA-certified and FDA-approved light therapy products and devices for your own at-home treatment or even for your patients. We've worked hard to provide solutions for both patients and healthcare practitioners, catering to various needs. Whether you're looking to private label your own light therapy devices or for home use, contact our team, as we would love to help you through your light therapy journey.
If there’s one thing both women and men are trying to achieve, it’s turning back the hands of time. This explains why the anti-aging industry is projected to be worth $83.2 billion by 2027. With anti-aging on everyone’s mind, people are looking for the best ways to maintain their youthful glow and complexion.
That said, many people interested in investing in anti-aging products are looking for non-invasive options that won’t require six weeks of post-surgical recovery time or monthly injections. While invasive options are anti-aging solutions, light therapy is an overlooked and underrated anti-aging therapy treatment in the skincare industry.
Light therapy uses varying wavelengths of light, emitting them onto the skin. The light penetrates through the layers of the skin, stimulating cellular regeneration and heals damaged tissues. While highly noted for its effectiveness for collagen production and tissue repair, it’s also ideal for reducing damage from acne, and eliminating wrinkles, inflammation, and age spots.
While there are various light therapy devices on the market, some are standing out among the rest. Aduro's highly-rated 7+1 facial mask, eyewear, and handheld devices help combat skin imperfections and reduce aging signs.
Aduro's light therapy uses different color and color combinations to target various skin conditions. In the 7+1 facial mask, each color offers a different treatment:
Red: increases collagen production for fuller and younger looking skin.
Blue: eliminates acne-casuing bacteria and reduces the appearance of acne.
Green: balances the skin’s complexion.
Yellow: reduces redness from inflammation and rosacea.
Orange: revitalizes the skin and adds glow.
Cyan: calms and soothes irritated skin.
Purple: promotes cell rejuvenation.
Infrared: amplifies desired results.
Users can either opt for one specific color or a combination of colors to tackle their skin’s needs.
“I originally purchased it to calm down my acne problem. And I am not getting any younger so all other lights, including wrinkle reducer will be a great help for my skin. The mask isn't heavy to wear. You can wear it while you are meditating, doing sit-down exercises and or other stuff.”
-Sandra G., verified buyer
As most people have more than one skin condition they’d like to treat, light therapy provides an all-in-one treatment for your clients. The 7+1 facial mask is intended for professional use, and gives equal coverage to the entire face. However, for clients looking for spot treatment on specific areas, handheld and eyewear devices can provide targeted treatment to areas with redness, inflammation, and discomfort.
“I purchased this for a recent flare of roceacea I got from using too many ordinary acids on my skin. I stripped the skin barrier and ended up with redness and red spots. I use the green, orange and blue and violet colour each morning for 1 minute each and notice skin evenness and definite reduction in roceacea I also use it after microneedling and it calm the red down.”
- Sonia M., verified buyer
As more celebrities are turning to light therapy, people are becoming aware of its capabilities as a non-invasive treatment and are looking at light therapy as a solution to their skincare troubles.
For clients looking for a relaxing facial experience with the added benefits of reducing their skincare imperfections, light therapy is the best solution. Kayian Medical produces medical-grade laser light devices for the skincare industry. All Kayian light therapy devices are MDA-certified and FDA-approved, ensuring your clients' high quality and results. Keep them coming back with skincare therapy that works.
Dr. Claudia Aguirre which has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from USC and travels the world lecturing on a broad range of topics from neuroscience to skin care has been researching the power of the skin and its connection with the brain.
The skin is highly innervated and intricately connected to the brain and central nervous system, just as other sensory organs are. Dr. Claudia Aguirre is discovering that the skin has a lot of neuro potential, or neuroplasticity, that has gone unrecognized. For example, just as our eyes have receptors that transduce light photons into signals to the brain that we process as vision, we’re discovering that our skin also has light receptors. Although we don’t yet know how they work, we speculate that they might be signaling the brain to make systemic changes that affect the full nervous system. Similarly, olfactory receptors in the hair follicles, just as we do in the nose.
Another example is touch, for which our skin is the primary sense organ. Skin is also our largest organ, which gives us a clue as to how important touch is. Different receptors in the skin can tell us not only whether what we touch is hot or cold, rough or smooth. Skin can even sense the intention behind the touch. A gentle touch feels much different than an aggressive one. We can tell whether the person giving us a massage is paying attention or whether they’re distracted. Moreover, different kinds of touch elicit different biochemical and hormonal responses, which have systemic results. A hug or kiss stimulates the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, through the bloodstream, while a punch or shove will release adrenaline and cortisol. All of these capabilities are what we say by the hidden brain in the skin.
The skin is connected to the nervous system; it’s connected to the endocrine system. The skin is impacted by our emotional states and, conversely, our skin can impact how we feel about ourselves. Cultural stress and anxiety can trigger or aggravate many skin conditions—from acne to eczema to herpes, psoriasis, and rosacea. Conversely, a disfiguring skin condition can trigger stress, anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Chronic, generalized anxiety can create chronic inflammation and exacerbate inflammatory skin conditions, such as the ones mentioned previously. Chronic stress can result in chronic anxiety, hypervigilance, poor sleep, and a whole cascade of effects resulting in a constant breakdown of tissues and organs, including the skin. There’s a whole new field of medicine being developed called psychodermatology, which is the study and treatment of the psychological component of skin conditions. Better understanding of the neuropotential of skin also opens the possibility of whole new avenues of treatment with light therapy for many of our chronic conditions.
In Kaiyan Medical we have understood that neuroscience should absolutely be part of the conversation about skincare and beauty because the brain and the skin are intimately connected. Skincare is important not only for the skin, but also the brain. That's why we keep developing light therapy devices for skin and brain. In Kaiyan we always recommend to listen for all the little signs that your skin tells you that you tend to ignore. You get a rash, and you brush it off: “Maybe it’s just dry out. Maybe I need to switch creams.” But if it occurs repeatedly, you need to look more closely and ask, “What could my skin be trying to tell me?” Are you repressing emotions? Is there a relationship issue you’re avoiding? Is there some other life circumstance that’s “gotten under your skin”? The body has a wisdom we should listen to.
We’ve all been in the search to help us achieve perfect skin. But is it just a dream, or can it really be achieved? It looks like having light shined on your face may be the most important part of your skin routine.
Red light’s anti-inflammatory and collagen-building effects on the skin have been documented for years, showing its healing abilities. However, light therapy is branching out, including other light spectrums such as green, blue, purple, and amber, for different healing abilities.
Ellen Marmur, a New York dermatologist, said, It has just enough variety that people stay excited to use it.” While many at-home devices are small and require multiple treatments to cover the entire face, masks help solve this issue.
“It makes people feel good, like they’re taking care of themselves,” Dr. Marmur said. “You can treat your skin while doing other things, so it’s easier to form the habit of doing it every day.”
LED therapy, known as photobiomodulation, can alter biological matter using varying wavelengths of light.
Jared Jagdeo, associate professor of dermatology and director of the Center for Phototherapy, SUNY Downstate Health Science University, studies LED therapy. “You can alter the skin through photo-damaging with lasers, or photobiomodulation, which is a much more gentle way of changing the way the skin functions,” he said.
When asked why red light works particularly well with skin, he said, “There’s a specific receptor in the mitochondria of the skin cells that red light specifically acts upon. And that’s why red light is an ideal wavelength for changing the way the skin functions.”
Red light can pass through the skin, deeply entering tissue and stimulating the cell’s mitochondria, which results in anti-inflammation and the skin’s rejuvenation. Collagen is also produced in the dermis, smoothing out wrinkles and plumping the skin.
While blue light doesn’t penetrate deeply into the skin, it kills acne-causing bacteria on the skin’s surface. Green light, on the other hand, focuses on melanocytes, reducing excess melanin production.
Eye safety is a valid concern, particularly because earlier this year Neutrogena recalled its LED mask over fears that it could cause eye injuries.
Brain S. Biesman, assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology, dermatology, and ENT at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, states that most red light therapy devices aren’t powerful enough to cause eye damage. “Just normal blinking and eye movements should be sufficient to protect the eyes,” he said. “But never stare at a bright light source.”
More Thoughts
“As far as the F.D.A. is concerned, if I use CO2 laser resurfacing, it better work because of the amount of risk involved,” said Suzanne Kilmer, a clinical professor of dermatology at the UC Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento and director of the Laser and Skin Surgery Medical Group.
“Compare that to a home device,” Dr. Kilmer said. “If it doesn’t kill you, blind you or make things much worse, it’s probably going to get approved. So it’s actually more incumbent upon the people selling home devices to show efficacy. You have to trust the people who are selling them.”
“LED is real, but it’s probably not optimized yet,” Dr. Kilmer said.
With light therapy, various factors help determine the amount of light your skin needs: the light’s strength, the distance from the skin, the length of time the device is used on the skin, and the natural color of your skin.
“Some of these lights on the market are very weak, and they may not have enough energy output to actually have a biological effect,” Dr. Jagdeo said. “Imagine a glow stick. It produces a color. But you could shine it on your face all day, and it’s not going to change the way your skin works.”
Moreover, the medical community hasn’t determined the standardized dose for treating skin conditions such as hyperpigmentation and acne at home. Dr. Marmur chose her MMSphere dosing on Blu-U, an in-office blue light typically used as an alternative therapy for precancerous lesions.
“Consistent Sphere treatment for seven weeks will equal the energy given in the office with the Blu-U,” she said.
Another device, the Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro, $435, releases red and blue light in a mask format, with each session lasting only three minutes. The mask’s LEDs are in contact with the skin, which may be a more effective treatment.
Dr. Jagdeo said, “This is a tremendously undertapped area in medicine. But LED light therapy is going to revolutionize the way home medical treatment is delivered for skin care over the next 10 to 15 years.”
If you’re considering developing your own LED facial mask, at Kayian Medical, our team of experts knows what they’re doing. We developed the Aduro mask, the top facial mask in the beauty industry with celebrities such as Julia Robert fans of the Aduro Mask. For more information, visit https://www.aduroled.com/.
Who’s more apt to try the latest anti-aging treatments than celebrities? Though most everyone is trying to maintain their youthful glow, many actresses and on-camera personalities will be the first to try new skincare modalities as their careers depend on their glowing skin for all of those close-ups. So, whatever anti-aging treatment is on trend, celebrities have already likely tried and tested it.
While many celebrities opt for injections and surgery, some look for alternative and non-invasive ways to stay young. We’ve talked about celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, Emma Stone, Chrissy Teigen, and Julia Roberts using light therapy masks as a facial treatment, but there are so many others following suit.
If you saw the 93rd Annual Academy Awards, then you probably had your eyes on Carey Mulligan. Yes, there were tons of other A-listers at the event, but something was different about her. She truly glowed – and Carey Mulligan’s radiant Oscar skin was due to one thing: light therapy treatment.
But what does light therapy do for your skin? Before we talk about the health benefits of led light therapy, it’s important to understand how light therapy works.
Red light therapy penetrates through the skin, altering the cells. With light, the cell’s ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the powerhouse of cells, is stimulated. With this stimulation, the cellular regeneration process is quickened. Through this process, the results of led light therapy for skincare are remarkable. The light therapy process decreases inflammation and enhances collagen production, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, essentially turning back the clock.
Carey Mulligan’s markup artist Georgie Eisdell used a light therapy mask during her pre-Oscars prep. On Instagram, Eisdell wrote, “I cannot live without it [red light therapy mask]. I made sure we got 15 minutes of relaxation and skin love this morning with Carey before we started getting glam.”
But who says celebrities are the only ones who can have a red carpet glow? Let your clients be their own celebrity with a light therapy mask. At Kayian, we’re leaders in the light therapy industry, creating MDA-approved and FDA-certified light therapy devices for clinical or at-home treatments.
Kayian’s Aduro light therapy mask uses wavelengths to create 11 different treatments, healing a variety of skin conditions. Aduro 7 LED light option allows you to select the colors that will penetrate the skin, boosting cellular activity and rejuvenation.
Aduro facial mask offers a range of benefits, including:
For example, blue light will aid with acne by destroying harmful bacteria, while red light will reduce scars and act as an anti-inflammatory treatment. In addition, regardless of the colors selected, the facial mask will enhance collagen, purify and calm all skin types.
Whether you’re a makeup artist, skincare practitioner, dermatologist, or looking for an at-home light therapy device, it’s clear light therapy is becoming a staple in the skincare and wellness industry. More importantly, you can now incorporate a mask into your practice, creating your own private label premium light therapy facial mask!
If you’re looking for an all-in-one facial mask, we recommend the Aduro facial mask. However, whether it’s for private labeling or at-home use, you can customize your light therapy device to exactly your needs.
If you have questions on creating your own facial beauty mask or any other light therapy device, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to guide you through the entire creative process.
