Red light therapy and rosacea

Red light therapy and rosacea

Rosacea is a very common skin condition affecting more than 450,000,000 people worldwide according to a study conducted in 2018. Not only does it affect your presence it can also cause mental discomfort when you’re outside and about. With the industry having thousands of thousands treatment options available, finding the actual one is a painstaking process.

Now How Does Rosacea Come About?

Dermatologists around the world have still not come to grips to find the true cause of rosacea making the general population accept that rosacea is only genetic and there is no other way to deal with it then let it be. Let me tell you that is a myth far away from the truth. Yes, it may the main cause of rosacea but there are many other factors to consider

Other things that may cause rosacea:

⦁ Going outside in sunlight without wearing sunscreen
Stress
⦁ Hot Baths
⦁ Hot or cold temperatures
⦁ Alcohol
⦁ Exposure to heavy sweating

Rosacea is especially difficult as you may be fine for a week or two but then it can come back in waves making it feel like it’s an everlasting battle. 

What are the different types of rosacea?

Rosacea appears in many ways across your body. There are 4 different types, and it isn’t uncommon to have more than one genotype.

Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea 

Characterised by persistent redness on the face, tiny blood vessels beneath the skin that become enlarged and visible. This condition can come and go and is known to be persistent 

Phymatous Rosacea
Phymatous rosacea simply means the thickening of the skin. Usually found on the nose it can also occur on the chin, ears, forehead, and neck

Ocular Rosacea 
Ocular rosacea affects the eyes. It may cause a feeling of irritation and a burning sensation. Symptoms include a dry, gritty feeling, and may form cysts on the eyelids.

Papulopustular Rosacea 
Papulopustular rosacea is also known as inflammatory rosacea. Symptoms mainly are “Whitehead” pustules that are pus-filled blemishes and red, swollen bumps. These typically appear on the cheeks, chin, and forehead and are frequently misidentified as acne.

Red Light Therapy At Home

How Can Red Light Therapy Treat Rosacea?

Using red light therapy has shown potential to treat rosacea with wavelengths of 660nm – 850nm. It can reach deep into the blood flow cells that naturally increases the oxygen flow around the affected area to decrease the appearance and redness of rosacea.

Red light therapy takes what can be described as an inside-out approach to skin health and rejuvenation by stimulating natural healthy skin regeneration at the cellular level.

It accomplishes this by increasing cellular energy synthesis and collagen production.

By inducing a biochemical effect in skin cells. This biochemical effect strengthens the mitochondria, a part of all cells including skin cells known to be the powerhouse of the cell. This part of the cell is where energy, in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is synthesized.
It enhances the function of the mitochondria using red light therapy, research suggests that a skin cell can make more ATP which means that the cell has more available energy for all its functions. With more energy, the skin cells can then function more efficiently, rejuvenate themselves, and repair damage.

Studies on red light therapy for rosacea

A 2020 study published in the journal on surgery and medicine, saw rosacea patients treated with a prescription topical treatment and red light. Those in the study both saw the greatest improvement in the severity of their redness, more so than from either therapy alone.

Researchers concluded that mixing topical creams and red light is an effective way to treat rosacea.

A 2014 study involving 136 volunteers, with a wavelength of 610 to 1,000 nanometres concluded that it’s useful for promoting wound healing, tissue repair and skin rejuvenation. Some patients suffering from rosacea found that the redness of their skin diminished significantly.

I also recommend checking out this government website where any clinical trial on the planet can be found on any health matter

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

Treatments on the market to treat rosacea

Topical Creams – Often recommended by doctors to treat rosacea due to its lightening effects

Oral Medication –

For more severe cases you may be prescribed to take oral tablets.

IPL- Intense pulsed light works by reducing blood flow at a high intensity of light

PDL- Pulsed light uses concentrated light energy to target blood vessels in the skin. The Light is converted into heat that destroys the blood vessel leaving the skin undamaged.

How Does Red Light Therapy Weigh Up Against the Treatments above?

Does it have to be administered by a health care professional?

It’s 100% safe, has zero emf and is completely non-invasive. Making it completely unnecessary for a health professional to administer.

You can literally jump out of bed, turn the switch on and start your treatment while being in the comfort of your own home.

It wasn’t like this 10 years ago, but thanks to the rapid investment in this technology it has allowed for the introduction of at home red light devices that are even approved by the FDA.

Is Red Light an Affordable Option Compared to the other treatments on the market?

PDL sessions cost more than $300 per session and IPL treatment costs start at $500. You’re often made to sign up to a bundle that makes it look cheaper, but it’s a large sum for a treatment that you haven’t even tried yet. Both treatments also don’t offer results right away and take up to a month for you to start seeing the results.

Red light therapy on the other hand is a very affordable treatment on the other hand. You can start using this technology from a little more than $100 while if you want to make an investment for yourself a full body device ranges from $ 1,000 to $1,500 and that is the full cost no ifs and buts. The minimal lifespan of a red-light therapy device is around 100,0000 hours.

So finally, is Red Light Therapy a Legitimate Option For Rosacea?

Due to the popularity of red-light therapy trials are coming thick and fast on the benefits for the skin.

There isn’t one trial yet to determine on its own if red light therapy can make rosacea go away but with hundreds of trials on its ability to reduce inflammation and redness it can be an effective option for reducing the appearance of rosacea.

As always talk with your doctor or health care practitioner before considering any treatment for rosacea.

For your convenience, please check the Leredd range of light therapy devices from handheld to full body devices that are FDA,CE and ROHS approved and come with a 1-3 year warranty

Take for example the Pro 40. It has a treatment area greater than your face and neck and costs less than  a PDL session. Think about that, a one-time investment that is cheaper, that you can use throughout your future years.  It can also treat issues that may arise later while also giving you the host of benefits that red and NIR light is known for.

I really appreciate your time reading through this blog and I hope I was able to educate you on what is rosacea, how it comes about and how it can be treated.

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