Industry Trends and Combining Modalities

It seems that consumers have fallen in love with dermaplaning, and with good reason – when done by a trained professional, this exfoliation is smoothing, brightening, and can help with product penetration. The downside of course is the potential for redness and irritation.

Since light therapy is so well known for relieving these side effects, it is widely embraced as the perfect post-dermaplaning treatment. As a bonus and depending upon the device you’re using, LED may even support product penetration and ingredient efficacy.

This treatment has been in practice for thousands of years; however, it has become far more popular throughout the past decade. As a practice that uses tiny needles to puncture the skin, facial acupuncture promotes a wound healing response that builds collagen to smooth fine lines and wrinkles. In this way it is similar to microneedling, but not as intense. Acupuncture also stimulates the circulatory system, which provides nourishment to the skin, and the lymphatic system to remove wastes.

Because acupuncture shares these benefits with light therapy, these treatments are wonderfully compatible and supportive of each other. Once again and as with dermaplaning, microneedling, microblading, and many other facial services, light therapy can help relieve redness and discomfort that may be experienced as a result of acupuncture treatments.

There are many merits to the tried-and true-methods of treating acne. However, as we learn more about its pathogenesis, our approach has expanded to include products and modalities that directly affect these somewhat lesser-known contributors. One such approach is balancing the skin’s microbiome. Many companies now offer products that contain probiotics to help restore balance, thereby re-establishing a healthy microbial environment that inhibits acne development.

Like probiotic acne treatment, red and infrared light therapy can also help regulate an environment that contributes to acne – that is one of chronic low-grade inflammation. While most people think of inflammation as a consequence of acne that has already begun to develop, recent studies suggest that underlying inflammation may precede microcomedone formation and actually serve as a trigger for acne that has not yet begun to develop. Blue light in the low to mid 400nm range is well known for its ability to destroy C. acnes bacteria, but in light of this more recent evidence, red and infrared light – long recognized for their anti-inflammatory effects – actually offer another pathway to managing acne.

Red and infrared light also promote healthy blood circulation and have been shown to reduce sebum production, both things that are important to successful acne treatment. If you’re a professional who already uses red and infrared light for its many benefits to the skin, this is one you can add to your list. If you’re not yet using light therapy, this is one more example of its utility and versatility.

Trends come and go, but as professionals it’s our job to distinguish what’s rooted in evidence and worth our attention. Once we’ve done that, we can also consider how to amplify the results of the choices we make to better serve our clients. One way to do this is by including LightStim. LightStim devices have been used and recommended by estheticians, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and wellness professionals both as a stand-alone treatment and as an adjunct to many other treatments for over 23 years.