Thanks for the tip from Dan, this very interesting paper has recently surfaced. The researchers found that simply placing cotton pads that had been soaked in green tea on the skin for 20 minutes improved the outcome of red light treatments.

The author suggests that the scavenging capability of green tea extends the `action spectrum’ of phototherapy. If this complementary action is further detailed and proven we may see new ways of using topicals and low level light to treat skin conditions.

This paper confirms a 2009 paper that suggested that Green Tea helps in the recovery after and efficacy of IPL treatment.

You just have to love a paper that manages to use a term like “synergistic complementarities” !

Green tea and red light–a powerful duo in skin rejuvenation, Photomed Laser Surg. 2009 Dec;27(6):969-71.

OBJECTIVE: Juvenile skin has been the subject of intense research efforts since ancient times. This article reports on synergistic complementarities in the biological actions of green tea and red light, which inspired the design of a green tea-assisted facial rejuvenation program.

BACKGROUND DATA: The approach is based on previous laboratory experiments providing insight into a mechanism by which visible light interacts with cells and their microenvironment.

METHODS: After 2 months of extreme oxidative stress, green tea-filled cotton pads were placed once per day for 20 minutes onto the skin before treatment with an array of light-emitting diodes (central wavelength 670 nm, dermal dose 4 J/cm2).

RESULTS: Rejuvenated skin, reduced wrinkle levels, and juvenile complexion, previously realized in 10 months of light treatment alone were realized in 1 month.

CONCLUSION: The accelerated skin rejuvenation based on the interplay of the physicochemical and biological effects of light with the reactive oxygen species scavenging capacity of green tea extends the action spectrum of phototherapy. The duo opens the gate to a multitude of possible biomedical light applications and cosmetic formulas, including reversal of topical deterioration related to excess reactive oxygen species, such as graying of hair.

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The Daily Mail has a recent article looking at a futuristic LED array that wraps around your whole face. Along with a brief review of the device, the author finds it hard to wrap their mind around the claimed benefits of red light therapy.

The `futuristic fencing mask’ delivers multiple doses of red and near-infrared light all over your face at the same time.

Low Level Light Therapy holds many promises as a non-invasive therapy that can benefit acne and rosacea sufferers. Red and near-infrared light is used for its anti inflammatory effects.

Miracle mask: Can anything banish lines, clear spots and repair sun damage? The LED mask claims it can

And it’s all done by a magic gadget which patters red light over your face for 25 minutes. I suspect you’d say that I’d lost my mind, but bear with me.

The Light Masque does look quite weird, like a futuristic fencing mask, but, hey, it has to have a drawback.

And since it’s trying to deliver multiple doses of red and near-infrared light all over your face at the same time, without making you feel claustrophobic, it’s a neat solution.

The light works like photosynthesis for the skin by converting light energy to promote healing and anti-ageing effects at a deep level. It also works on preventing bacteria in the skin.’

How can light do this? Well, there is a lot of research into LED light treatments and what they can do for the skin.

Unlike laser light (it’s a different wavelength), LED is gentle on the skin. Blue LED light is good for treating acne and rosacea, as it affects the ‘superficial’ levels of the skin to tackle bacteria and inflammatory conditions. Red light goes deeper, to affect the collagen production in the skin, supercharging the cells.

It is difficult to find much more information on this grid as it is only briefly mentioned on the web site Urban Retreat, listed in the article. The web site does list a 30 minute treatment as costing £75 though, also mentioning that a course of 6 treatments is recommended.

This facial grid is an interesting alternative to the infra-red LED array as sold by Omnilux or other clinician only treatment machines. The LED treatments offered via a professional salon offer the benefit of increased power compared to home based or hand-held devices.

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Here are example screen shots of what the introductory and red and blue screens look like when running the Acne Application.

AcneApp also scored a brief mention last December in the New York Times article Better Skin to the Touch? The piece offers the opinion from its creator that a lot more clinical study is required before any efficacy can be quantified. Dr. Pearson is said to fascinated by the concept of users treating their acne while talking on the phone.

An iPhone application is a small program that you can download and run on your phone.

According to a piece in WebMD, Dr. Pearson was not available to comment on the application, nor is his office able to comment on or support users of the application.

This application is no doubt only garnering publicity because it is not a free application. If the application was free it could easily be characterised as only being for entertainment value. Once an application costs money and looks like it treats a medical condition, it is natural for readers’ interests to be piqued.

So what is going on here ? The use of LED therapy to treat skin conditions is a hot topic. Various studies have shown that red and blue LEDs can offer anti-inflammatory benefits to some of the symptoms of acne and rosacea. The display on the iPhone is a LED display. The makers of this phone application want us to make the leap of faith that because the iPhone can display colors that are thought to be helpful, LED therapy is literally just a phone call away.

Dr. Pariser, president of the AAD says that the output from the iPhone would need to increase a thousands times to match treatments available from professional LED treatments.

Can You Treat Acne With an iPhone App?

AcneApp Promises to Clear Skin With Light Therapy; Dermatologists Express Doubts

By Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News. Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

Feb. 12, 2010 — iPhone users love their apps, so it’s no surprise that AcneApp, a light-based therapy, is drawing interest from the blemish-prone who like the concept of zapping zits while talking to friends.

It’s supposed to work like this: Download the application and hold the phone to the skin so the light therapy can do its work. Multitask if you wish, remembering to switch sides so your entire face gets the treatment.

But more than four months after its release, there are still no clinical studies proving it works. Other dermatologists express doubt it could help, and users are giving it mixed reviews — from terrific to skeptical.

…

Though the wavelength of light used in the AcneApp is similar to that used in office-based light treatments, the intensity of the light used by dermatologists "is at least thousands of times greater," agrees David Pariser, MD, a Norfolk, Va., dermatologist and president of the American Academy of Dermatology. "I would be very surprised if there is enough intensity of the light [from AcneApp] to make any difference."

…

So aside from wasting $1.99 and still coping with zits, is there any potential harm?

Yes, Rahimi says. "I am worried about the patient with deep cystic acne and open, draining sores that uses this app." Bacteria on the phone could lead to a skin infection, he says.

The application is available from the iTunes Store: AcneApp, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

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Internal organs and cancer sites are now being treated with PDT using endoscopes and fibre optic catheters.

Even though some research papers about rosacea and PDT are available, as a rosacea treatment the usage of Levulan and light therapy combined is still experimental. Beware of possible adverse reactions if you are considering PDT as a skin treatment.

Fighting cancer with light

Though far more common in Europe, light-based therapy is gaining proponents in the United States.

Called photodynamic therapy, the technique represents part of medicine’s continuing quest for treatments that target tumours while sparing the rest of the body from unpleasant side effects. Though far more common in Europe, this light-based therapy is gaining proponents in the United States, where it has long been approved for treating certain lung and skin cancers.

… the therapy does have one significant side effect. The medicine that makes the tumor cells sensitive to light has a similar effect on the rest of the body. Regular cells excrete the medicine more quickly than do cancer cells, yet the kind of drug Correa received still had a fairly long impact. She would have to stay away from bright light for several weeks, or else suffer a bad sunburn.

…

In a randomized European study, photodynamic therapy had extended the life of patients with inoperable bile-duct cancer by more than a year, on average — in some cases several years. It worked so well that the trial was stopped early.

…

Correa received her infusion of the light-sensitizing medicine, called porfimer sodium, on Dec. 15. Two days later, she was placed under anesthesia, and Loren inserted an endoscope down her throat and into her small intestine.

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A newly filed patent contains a proposed rosacea treatment using small bands of infrared radiation between 790nm and 900nm with a power between 1 and 100 mW/cm^2. The unit proposed could be a LED device, used from twice a day to every 10 days. An energy density between 3 and 180 Joules/cm^2 is proposed.

Infrared Light is in the invisible spectrum below red, with wavelengths from 700nm to 2,000nm. We know that infrared light penetrates skin tissue more effectively than visible light.

An example device described is the OMNILUX Plus, which is promoted as “(Infra-red) works as a combination therapy with the Revive (red) head for even better skin rejuvenation, ideal for deeper lines and wrinkles”. OMNILUX Plus is based on a matrix of Infra Red LEDs, which provide narrowband 830nm light. This device is not currently promoted as a treatment for rosacea, so it seems that this patent covers using an existing treatment method for a new condition – rosacea.

The example treatment regime used an OMNILUX Plus unit at 830nm (+/- 0.5nm), using 55 mW/cm^2 at a distance of 1-10cm from the skin for 20 minutes with a power of 66 Joules/cm^2, twice a week for four weeks. Goggles were used and the unit was further placed 3-5cm from the patient’s nose.

The patent says that the patient enjoyed substantially reduced telangiectasia and reduced inflammatory papules.

Treating erythematotelangiectatic rosacea or papulopustular rosacea with narrow-band infrared light radiation and radiation kits therefor

United States Patent Application 20090270847, Lee; Seung Yoon, October 29, 2009

A method of treating erythematotelangiectatic rosacea or papulopustular rosacea in a subject comprises exposing the subject’s skin in need thereof to narrow-band infrared radiation at a wavelength(s) in a range of between 790 nm and 900 nm and having a band width of between 0 nm and 20 nm, in an effective dose to treat erythematotelangiectatic rosacea or papulopustular rosacea and essentially not to cause photothermolysis of the skin. Alternatively, a method of treating erythematotelangiectatic rosacea or papulopustular rosacea in a subject comprises exposing the subject’s skin in need thereof to narrow-band infrared radiation at a wavelength(s) in a range of between 790 nm and 900 nm and having a band width of between 0.1 nm and 20 nm, in an effective dose to treat erythematotelangiectatic rosacea or papulopustular rosacea. A kit for such methods comprises a radiation source generating narrow-band infrared radiation at a wavelength(s) in a range of between 790 nm and 900 nm, the narrow-band infrared radiation having a band width of between 0 nm and 20 nm and having a power density of between 1 mW/cm^2 and 100 mW/cm^2, and a manual instructing a user how to use the narrow-band infrared radiation for treating erythematotelangiectatic rosacea or papulopustular rosacea.

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This paper is a further confirmation of the benefits of LED therapy post laser treatments.

More directly relevant to rosacea sufferers is a 2008 paper in Cosmetic Dermatology that also showed that LED helps recovery after IPL and reduces redness.

Further, this is building on the encouraging comments from the interview with laser and light therapy expert Dr. David Goldberg Combining Light-Based Treatments and Topicals for Rosacea.

The effect of IPL and LED appears to be additive. That is, the combination works better than each one separately. Papules & pustules are generally best treated with oral and/or topical agents. Inflammation or swelling is best treated with a combination of IPL and yellow/red LED. This group also is treated with near-infrared LED.

Here is the new abstract;

Improvement of Postfractional Laser Erythema with Light-Emitting Diode Photomodulation, Dermatol Surg. 2009 Apr 2, Alster TS, Wanitphakdeedecha R., Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, Washington, District of Columbia.

BACKGROUND The most common side effects of fractional laser skin treatment are erythema and edema. Low-level light therapy and light-emitting diode (LED) devices have been used to stimulate fibroblast activity and hasten wound healing.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether LED treatment immediately after fractional laser skin resurfacing affects the severity and duration of postoperative eythema.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty patients received treatment with a 590-nm wavelength LED array to randomly selected facial halves immediately after undergoing full-face fractional laser skin resurfacing with a 1,550-nm erbium-doped fiber laser. Differences in erythema between LED-treated and untreated facial halves were recorded at 24, 48, and 96 hours post-treatment.

RESULTS The LED-treated facial halves were less erythematous in all 20 patients 24 hours postoperatively. The six patients who received the highest mean energy densities during fractional laser treatment continued to exhibit decreased erythema in the LED-treated areas at 48 hours. At 96 hours post-treatment, no discernible differences between facial halves were observed in any patient.

CONCLUSIONS Photomodulation with a 590-nm-wavelength LED array can decrease the intensity and duration of postfractional laser treatment erythema. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.

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Has anyone had their laser or IPL practitioner suggest LED as a post treatment therapy ? I wonder how long it will be before this form of recovery therapy will become the norm.

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Synergistic effect: Combining LED devices with PDL or IPL optimizes rosacea treatment

Combination laser and light-based treatments for rosacea have a synergistic effect and are now being studied, according to David J. Goldberg, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in practice since 1985 at Skin Laser & Surgery Specialists of New York and New Jersey.

…

“Recently, we have started to look at trying to do something new that decreases the inflammation of rosacea in a totally different way. We have begun to combine the light-emitting diode (LED) devices — which have a totally different mechanism — with either PDL or IPL to optimize outcomes for treatment of rosacea,” says Dr. Goldberg, also clinical professor of dermatology and director of laser research, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.

“We have completed a six-month, 20-subject study looking at one side of the face treated with IPL and the other side treated with both IPL and 20 minutes of continuous-wave, 633 nm, red LED energy. The results were clearly better on the combined treatment side.

For more information see also our RSRP interview with Dr. Goldberg: Combining Light-Based Treatments and Topicals for Rosacea: Dr. David J. Goldberg, MD.

The effect of IPL and LED appears to be additive. That is, the combination works better than each one separately. Papules & pustules are generally best treated with oral and/or topical agents. Inflammation or swelling is best treated with a combination of IPL and yellow/red LED. This group also is treated with near-infrared LED.

See also: Red LED Lamps & Other Forms of Low-Level Light Therapy and other LED Therapy articles.

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Blue light in combination with red light has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acne. It has been proposed that the 2 colours act together synergistically to combine their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actions.

This paper looks at the handheld unit called the Omnilux clear-U (from Photo Therapeutics). This unit has a flat plane measuring, 60mm x 50mm, consisting of LEDs emitting light at wavelengths of blue light; 415nm (at 40mW/cm2) and red light; 633nm (at 70mw/cm2). The unit allows you to switch between the red and blue modes of operation.

According to the clear-U web site, the LEDs `destroy the bacteria responsible for the inflammation, stimulate healthy tissue growth, decrease inflammation and pore size, and limit oil production in the future’.

Photo Therapeutics Ltd. have recently trademarked the term `OMNILUX clear-U’ and also the logo .

Those doing the trial rated the unit very easy to use and just 2 of them reported mild transient redness after their self-treatments. The treatments consisted of 20 minutes of blue light and 30 minutes of red light, alternating every 2-3 days. The unit was held in contact with the face.

There are now several studies that show that LEDs using blue light alone or in combination with red light can successfully treat rosacea. Previous studies demonstrated the effectiveness of a clinic-based treatment scenario – this paper duplicates the results using a self-administered regime.

Following is a quote from the paper discussing how the LEDs are thought to provide a benefit.

Although the exact mode of action is still to be elucidated it is believed that the effectiveness of phototherapy is brought about by the destruction of P acnes through the mechanism of photodynamic therapy combined with the stimulation of cellular activity by intracellular and intercellular pathways. Red light (633 nm) although less effective at activating coproporphyrin III than blue light, penetrates more deeply into the tissue and importantly has noted anti-inflammatory properties. It has been demonstrated in vitro, that red light has influenced anti-inflammatory cytokines from macrophages and increased the synthesis of fibroblast growth factor from photoactivated cells and low-level laser irradiation within the visible red waveband can produce various beneficial effects such as stimulation of cell proliferation, release of growth factors, collagen deposition, and neovascularization.

These results, although relating more directly to acne, are still promising for rosacea sufferers. The anti-inflammatory actions of low level light therapy are ideal for rosacea lesions as well as acne lesions. This plays well with the theory that rosacea is an inflammatory condition, and breaking the inflammatory pathway is key in achieving relief from symptoms.

Here is the abstract of the recently published paper;

Handheld LED array device in the treatment of acne vulgaris, J Drugs Dermatol. 2008 Apr;7(4):347-50., Sadick NS., Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Department of Dermatology, New York, NY, USA.

The successful treatment of acne still remains problematic. Conventional therapies often prove inconsistent with unacceptable side effects and recurrence rates, leading to patient noncompliance. A thermal phototherapy treatment using a combination of blue light and red light has recently attracted much attention and seems to offer an effective alternative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of blue light (415 nm) in combination with red light (633 nm) in the reduction of inflammatory lesions on the face of subjects (n=21) with mild to moderate acne vulgaris after a course of 8 20-minute (blue) or 30-minute (red) alternated light treatments, self-administered by a handheld unit over a period of 4 weeks.

Lesion counts progressively reduced throughout the 4-week light therapy period and continued to reduce up to 8 weeks post therapy, with a final average reduction of 69% seen 8 weeks after the treatment course (P>.001). This pattern is similar to previously reported studies.

Note that Photo Therapeutics also sell a similar handheld unit called the OMNILUX new-U which offers red and near infrared treatments in the same unit. Although this is targeted at treating the effects of aging, it may also be useful in treating rosacea.

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This recent update is from a document called Cellular Mechanisms of Low-Power Laser Therapy.

Thanks for the update TP. This thread is worth a read for those interested in Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT) such as LEDs, infrared, red and blue light.

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This paper is good news for both those undergoing IPL treatments and those interested in Light Emitting Diode (LED) therapy as a anti-redness treatment. Patients treated immediately after IPL with a LED device showed that their post-treatment redness subsided faster compared to not also being treated with LED.

Use of light-emitting diode photomodulation to reduce erythema and discomfort after intense pulsed light treatment of photodamage, J Cosmet Dermatol. 2008 Mar;7(1):30-4., Khoury JG, Goldman MP., La Jolla SpaMD, La Jolla, CA, USA.

Objectives: This study evaluates the use of light-emitting diode (LED) photomodulation therapy to accelerate resolution of post-intense pulsed light (IPL) erythema.

Methods: In this split-face study, 15 subjects were randomized to receive LED treatment to one side of the face as determined by computer-generated randomization numbers. All 15 subjects received a single IPL treatment for facial photodamage. Immediately after IPL treatment, one side of the face was treated for 35 s with the LED device. The other side was not treated. Subjects returned 24 h later for a second LED treatment on the same side of the face. Post treatment erythema was rated on both sides of the face by the blinded investigator and by subjects immediately after IPL treatment, 24 h later, and 1 week later on a scale of 0% (no erythema) to 100% (severe erythema). Patients commented on post treatment discomfort immediately after IPL treatment.

Results: Mean erythema scores on the first visit were significantly higher (P = 0.0054) on the side not treated with LED (52.7 +/- 24.6) than on the LED-treated side (43.3 +/- 21.9). Visit 2 data showed a similar trend (P = 0.0281). The subjects reported similar findings with mean erythema scores on the first visit on the LED-treated side (46.7 +/- 25.3) compared with the untreated side (60.0 +/- 23.3); the difference was significant (P = 0.0382). On the second visit, the mean erythema scores trended lower on the LED-treated side (24.3 +/- 22.1) than on the untreated side (27.9 +/- 25.8), but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.1365). Erythema scores on both facial sides were 0 for all subjects 1 week after IPL treatment. Four patients commented that post treatment discomfort was considerably less on the LED-treated side immediately after treatment.

Conclusion: LED photomodulation treatment may accelerate the resolution of erythema and reduce post treatment discomfort in IPL-treated patients with photodamage.

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