If you struggle with severe acne (and have acne scars as a result), just know you’re not alone. Contrary to popular belief, acne isn’t something that only affects teenagers. Many adults suffer from moderate acne, too. Thankfully, there are plenty of options for the treatment of acne these days.
Doing light therapy sessions (with red light, blue light, or a combination of both) is one such treatment option. Once primarily recognized for treating active acne, red light therapy is increasingly being used to minimize the appearance of acne scars.
You may be wondering what causes these acne scars in the first place, and how light therapy devices work for treating acne scars. That’s exactly what we’ll be talking about in today’s blog post, so stick around!
What Are Acne Scars?
To put it simply, acne scars are changes in skin texture that typically occur after a breakout heals. These scars usually form in response to severe acne or inflammatory acne. There are a few different types of acne scars. For example:
Ice pick scars
Ice pick scars are small, deep, and narrow. They often resemble tiny pinpricks in the skin. Unfortunately, ice-pick scars tend to be quite difficult to treat.
Boxcar scars
Boxcar scars are wider acne scars with defined edges. They’re similar to the marks left by chickenpox.
Rolling scars
Rolling scars look like wave-like indentations on the skin (due to tissue damage beneath the skin’s surface). This type of acne scar tends to be fairly easy to treat in comparison to other types of acne scars.
For many people, red light therapy may be an effective treatment option for acne scars. It’s been proven to help heal and improve the appearance of these different types of scars over time.
What Causes Acne Scars?
Acne scars typically form because of inflammation and skin damage from moderate to severe acne — especially when said acne is left untreated (or you tamper with it by picking at or squeezing blemishes). Here are some of the main factors that can cause acne scars:
Severity and duration
More intense and prolonged acne cases are more likely to result in scarring. Inflammatory acne is a huge trigger because the swelling damages skin tissue. This can lead to scarring.
Picking and squeezing
Manipulating pimples and blemishes (by squeezing them or picking at them) further irritates the skin. It may make inflammatory acne worse, which means acne scars will be more likely to form.
Genetic factors
Some people are more prone to acne scarring than others. This is mainly due to genetics. That said, if you’re predisposed to acne, there’s no need to worry. With red light therapy, most types of acne are very treatable.
Red Light Therapy for Acne Scars
Red light therapy (RLT) is different from other types of light therapy because it uses longer wavelengths of light that penetrate deeper into the skin. RLT is also known as photobiomodulation, and it focuses on using low-wavelength red light to target the skin.
Unlike blue light therapy, which is quite effective at killing acne-causing bacteria, red light is specifically geared toward reducing inflammation and improving the body’s natural healing processes. Red light therapy is considered to be very safe and effective since it doesn’t involve ultraviolet light.
How Does Red Light Therapy Work for Acne Treatment?
Now, let’s talk about how red light therapy works for treating acne scars (and promoting healthy skin in general). During a red light therapy session, your skin is exposed to red or near-infrared light from a device — such as an LED light mask.
The wavelengths from the light device penetrate below the skin’s surface to stimulate cellular repair and improve blood circulation. This increased activity helps repair any skin tissue that has been damaged by acne and acne scars. Let’s take a closer look at how red light therapy helps with healing acne scars:
Boosts collagen production
Collagen is an important protein that helps with skin structure and skin elasticity. When skin cells are exposed to red light, collagen synthesis is stimulated. This helps to repair tissue and reduce scar visibility.
For acne scars, this increase in collagen production can fill in the pits (left by the scars) over time. Whether you have severe acne or mild-to-moderate acne, you can look forward to smoother skin with acne LED treatments.
Reduces inflammation
Inflammation is a major contributor to the formation of acne scars, which is why reducing inflammation is such an important step in minimizing acne scar development. Red light therapy has anti-inflammatory effects and calms the inflammatory response in the skin.
This can help prevent new scars from forming (as well as reduce the appearance of any existing scars). By targeting inflamed acne lesions and damaged or dead skin cells, red light therapy effectively lessens the visibility of both old and new acne scars.
Improves blood circulation
Red light therapy also stimulates blood flow to the skin. This helps bring more oxygen and nutrients to the area that’s being treated. This increased circulation encourages cell turnover, and speeds up the body’s healing process (i.e. its ability to repair damaged skin).
No matter what your skin type is, better blood circulation will also lead to a healthier complexion and more significant acne clearance over time. This makes sense because the skin will be receiving more of the resources it needs to heal properly.
Red Light Therapy vs. Blue Light Therapy
Light therapy uses different colors and intensities to treat skin conditions at different depths. Low-level light therapy — which is often delivered through light-emitting diodes (LEDs) — uses either red light, blue light, or a combination of both to treat specific skin issues. Each color of visible light affects the skin differently:
Blue light therapy
Blue light therapy uses shorter blue wavelengths that penetrate the skin’s outer layers, which means it’s quite effective at killing acne-causing bacteria (Cutibacterium acnes). Blue light works by exciting compounds within the bacteria, which eventually leads to bacterial destruction and a reduction in acne severity.
Red light therapy
As we’ve already discussed, red light penetrates quite deep into the skin and specifically targets cells that help repair and rejuvenate skin tissue. While blue light focuses on eliminating bacteria, red light reduces inflammation and encourages healing (which is why it’s a recommended treatment for acne scars).
Blue/red light combination
When it comes to treating acne, a combination of blue and red light therapy can be especially beneficial. Once again, blue light kills the bacteria that cause acne, while red light minimizes inflammation and encourages skin healing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is red light therapy safe for facial acne?
Yes, red light therapy is safe for facial acne vulgaris. It can improve both acne breakouts and skin texture, so we’d highly recommend giving it a try.
Can you use red light therapy for cystic acne?
Yes, you can use red light therapy to help treat cystic acne. Once again, red light therapy helps to reduce inflammation in the deeper layers of the skin, which assists in healing painful cysts.
Is red light therapy safe?
Yes, red light therapy is quite safe, even if you do it at home. At-home red light devices are available and generally safe, though professional treatments may provide stronger results. Make sure to choose a device that’s scientifically tested and proven effective.
How does red light therapy compare to treatments like chemical peels?
Unlike chemical peels or harsh topical treatments for acne and other skin issues, red light therapy doesn’t involve chemicals or abrasives. This means red light therapy may be an especially good treatment option for people with sensitive skin.
How long does it take to see results with red light therapy?
Red light therapy often requires multiple sessions over several weeks to see significant results, especially when it comes to treating acne scars. Four to six weeks of consistent treatments are usually recommended, but some people may notice clearer skin sooner. It depends on the person, and how severe your active acne lesions are.
Is red light therapy painful?
Nope! Red light therapy isn’t painful at all. People may feel warmth on their skin during treatment, but it’s generally a comfortable experience. If you’re using an LED device at home, you can even do your red light therapy treatments while watching TV or reading.
Why use red and blue light therapy together for acne?
Using both blue and red light can be very beneficial for people with acne and acne scars, since the blue light fights the bacteria that causes acne and the red light heals your skin over time. So, this combination can reduce active acne breakouts as well as improve the appearance of your skin.
Conclusion
Dealing with acne and acne scars is never easy, but now you know that there’s hope. Red light therapy is a super effective treatment for acne scars, especially when used in combination with blue light therapy. Keep in mind that it may take some time to see major results. Red light therapy is ultimately a non-invasive treatment option for acne, but it’s very effective over time.
