Like many new technologies the use of light for photo rejuvenation purposes generates a lot of confusion about what is best, how it works, why it works, and the difference between the different devices out there. In past articles I’ve addressed some of the above points however what I’d like to accomplish in this series of articles is to clear up or remove the confusion surrounding lasers with regards to laser skin treatment and LED photo rejuvenation for the skin. In Part 1, I’ll focus on laser, pun intended!
We hear a lot about lasers these days, they’re in the news, talked about on the Internet, offered as facial treatments etc., but what is a laser? Well, the word itself is actually an acronym, coined in the 1960’s, and stands for, “Light Amplification by the Stimulation of Emitted Radiation,” but don’t let those big words put you off. Let’s put that mouthful in very simple terms; lasers are devices that bounce light around in a tube that has mirrors at each end. The mirror at the end where the light exits is half the strength of the mirror at the opposite end of the tube. This allows the light to easily pass through making it a very focused beam. The surface area covered by this laser beam is very focused, and generally covers an area as small as a pinpoint and up to 3/16th on an inch when used in a photo rejuvenation device.
We read that Lasers are hot and can be used in industry to cut or burn through very hard materials, they’re used in dentistry now instead of drills, they’re used in medicine during surgery to cut and cauterize tissue and they can even be used as weapons by the military. So if they are that powerful how can they be used safely on the skin? Well, in the case of laser skin treatment, these lasers are used in very short bursts and feel like a rubber band snapping against the skin. When used in such short bursts, they cause micro injuries to the skin, that the body has to heal, resulting in fresher looking skin.
As a final note, realize there are different kinds of lasers, some are “Hot” and some are “Cool”. For the purposes of this article we’ll limit our discussion to cool lasers. These lasers produce no heat and when applied to the skin they cause an effect by stimulating the metabolism of the skin cells through the process of photo stimulation. This in essence is LED photo rejuvenation.
We’ll start with exactly what an LED is. The term LED is derived from the beginning letters of the words Light Emitting Diode. A diode is basically a computer chip. So, an LED is a small computer chip that when, a small electrical current is passed through it, will light up or “Emit Light”. The diode is encased in a clear resin that can be shaped causing the light to cover a wide or narrow area. Now, the factors that determine the color of the light are the elements that the diode or chip is made of, different combinations of different elements create different colors of light. As a side note, you will often see the term wavelength used to describe the light coming from LED devices; this term refers to the color coming from the device.
We now know what an LED is so why are they so prevalent in photo rejuvenation and photo facial devices. The answer is simple, they are compact and lightweight, strong, durable, very powerful, bright, efficient and when correctly powered they create very little if any heat. And most importantly they are extremely effective in facial skin care. All of these qualities make LED’s ideal for photo rejuvenation and photo facial machines. This also helps to explain the current popularity of these devices, as 20 years ago, the technology didn’t exist to make what is now becoming commonplace. The advances in facial skin care, and natural skin care products, have just begun. It makes me wonder what the next 20 years will bring in this field.
We’ve discovered in the first 2 articles that lasers by their nature shine a very concentrated or focused beam of light, whereas LED’s shine light, though not as powerful, over a wider unfocused area. Think of the difference between the light from a laser pointer and the light from a flashlight and you’ll get the idea. Let’s keep in mind the objectives of photo rejuvenation whether from lasers or LED’s. We want to apply the desired colors or wavelengths of light, in a powerful enough form that will penetrate into the skins’ deeper layers. This stimulates cell metabolism, causing an increase in collagen and elastin production. This is your LED photo facial and the ultimate in skin care treatment.
The key word in the above statement is “desired”. If you are using laser or LED, as long as you are applying the desired colors does it matter what the source of the color is? In a word the answer is no. Do you need the penetrating power of a laser? In my opinion, no you don’t. So what it boils down to is time, cost and convenience. Lasers are typically expensive, found in salons and their session times are quite lengthy by virtue of the fact that they can only be applied by an operator (cosmetologist or aesthetician), to a very focused area then moved to another area. Even if there are multiple lasers in the appliance most of the skin surface is not receiving the light. This fact makes them less convenient.
Let’s go back to the laser pointer and flashlight analogy. How much longer would it take to apply light from a laser pointer to every square millimeter of skin on the back of your hand compared to a flashlight? I rest my case.
To summarize then the key to effective photorejuvenation is using the correct colors of light or wavelengths with adequate power to penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin. I feel LED based devices have a distinct advantage, as many different effective colors of light can be tightly packed together and overlap each other to deliver multiple colors or wavelengths simultaneously over a large area. The LED photo rejuvenation or photo facial devices will stand on their own in fighting fine lines and wrinkles, and brings to light a new era in natural skin care products.
