LLLT can include light emitting diodes (LED), lamps and fluorescent tube devices. This form of therapy appears to help the inflammation of rosacea. LED is one example of a gentle form of light which can be used. There are also infra-red and near infra-red forms of light therapy being reported as effective. Drop by here to find out the latest about this emerging treatment area.
My new derm (I recently moved from Missouri to Georgia, so I got a new derm because of the move... not because I didn't like my previous doc) just recommended that I add in blue light therapy along with the red light therapy that I've been doing for the past 5 months (red light therapy has been very effective for me). She says the combo may give me even better results than just the red light alone. I haven't done this yet, but I'm considering it at the moment. I'm also waiting for pay day before getting a blue light unit because the light units aren't exactly cheap.
Does anyone here have any experience with either blue light therapy alone or blue/red combo?
I love how quickly Smarter Lights gets their units delivered!
I already did one session today for 60 seconds. I went ahead and did it after I completed my PM red light therapy (5 minutes of the red light)... giving my skin about 10 minutes between red and blue. The blue felt nice, rather relaxing actually, and I did wear my eye protective gear.
I plan to do 2 sessions a day, AM & PM, just like I do with my red. Should know more in a week or 2...
Ok... 1 week into adding the blue light, and it's time for an update!
The blue light is going GREAT! I'm actually totally shocked to find it's helping (it wasn't something I would've considered adding to my routine on my own). I do my red light for 5 minutes first, then switch to the blue for 3 minutes (I want to work up to 5 minutes on this as well, but I'm taking it slow). I'm currently using both therapies 2x per day.
The derm wanted me to use blue after the red to essentially "make my skin barrier more resilient and balance my microbiome." According to my derm, rosacea folks tend to have a weakened barrier, which leads to a lot of environmental sensitivity and a greater risk of infection. I can say that I have had random infections pop up now and then since being diagnosed, so I'm praying this stops that completely.
While my red light seems to handle any inflammation well (decreased pinkness/redness, less itching, less burning, and the occasional bumps are pretty much gone), the blue light seems to tone down the circulation increase I get after doing red light. The blue light does also appear to be making me less sensitive to environmental stimulation (strong perfumes worn by others, increased heat and sun tolerance, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable with bug sprays and basic cleaning products that have mild scent). Plus, the tone and texture of my skin is becoming more even (I do have a fairly even tone anyway, but I'm noticing a positive difference on top of that).
So, I would say that I'm still seeing the biggest daily benefits from red light therapy, but adding in the blue light therapy took the power of red up a notch. I plan to continue with both, as this is giving me the best results so far.
Hope this post helps. Again, I'm only a week in... so that's just 14 treatments. I didn't see the biggest results start to emerge from red light until the first month. It might be that blue light still has more to show me.
Hey folks... so end of week 2 (28 treatments) and all is well! I had a tiny bump or 2 crop up this week, but I was outside in the sun and heat for longer than I should've been (daytrip to Senoia, GA). That was my bad, but it all cleared up in a matter of a couple of hours. I even hit one of the bumps with a minute of extra blue light to test a "spot treatment's" effectiveness, and it calmed right down.
The blue light does seem to be doing something positive for me. I do feel less sensitive to external stimuli, and when I stopped by my dentist's office to get my new bite guard yesterday, he actually commented on how nice I looked. He said I looked very "refreshed and healthy." I don't wear any makeup, so this was a big lift to my spirits.
Still at 5 minutes per session 2x per day with the red light, followed by 3 minutes per session 2x per day with the blue light. I am planning to just keep on this regimen for the foreseeable future.
I'll report back more at the end of 1 month's time...
