Aesthetic phototherapy with LED lights

Text approved by the AFME Board of Directors, updated on 04/10/2021

Everywhere in our environment, LEDs or light-emitting diodes are now part of our daily lives (lighting roads, houses, car headlights, etc.).

History of phototherapy

The origins of phototherapy (light treatments) date back to the 1950s. It was in an English hospital that nurse Jean Ward noticed that sun exposure in newborns with jaundice caused their skin to lose its yellow color. Medicine then began to study the benefits of light on the human body.

It was only in the early 2000s that, through NASA's work on weightless healing and the desire to speed up wound healing time, that the benefits of using light for anti-aging purposes were discovered.

In this article we will tell you about LED light aesthetic treatments and give you information on its principle, the duration of the treatment, the prices charged and the opinion of our association of doctors on this technique.

At the bottom of the page, you'll find our AFME patient-physician connection tool . You can search for a practitioner located in your city (Bordeaux, Paris, Strasbourg, etc.) or region.

Phototherapy and biostimulation by LED light

LED biostimulation is a stimulation of the mitochondria of our cells by cold light (which does not produce heat like lasers). This is a so-called photo-modulatory action and not photo-thermal like lasers. It is a photomodulation .

This action will activate cellular metabolism, increase tissue oxygenation and stimulate fibroblasts, the cells that produce collagen and other skin-supporting substances.

LEDs – an acronym for light emitting diode – offer the ability to emit several wavelengths of light such as red, yellow, blue, green, and violet. The colors we use most in wound healing and anti-aging treatments are red and yellow . Blue will be more used for acne and dermatitis.

LED phototherapy will help calm inflammation, stimulate immunity, improve healing processes, erase stretch marks, stimulate fibroblasts and create collagen, thicken and stimulate hair growth.

Similarly, LEDs can reduce the risk of pigment rebound and brown spots after an inflammatory process (for example after a burn, peeling or laser treatment, etc.).

LED Treatment Overview

Treated areas

All areas of the face and body can be treated. There are no contraindications for specific areas. If you have a specific case (pregnant woman, particular health condition, taking medication, etc.) do not forget to tell your practitioner. Avoid treatments that react with light: photosensitizers such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, etc.

Course of a phototherapy session

LED light is applied near the area to be treated for 20 to 30 minutes. Nothing touches the skin, no pain is felt. There is no risk of burning.

On average, 5 to 10 sessions are required, with one to two weeks and a maintenance treatment once a month to ensure lasting results.

What LED light colors for anti-aging?

In the context of use in anti-aging aesthetic medicine, there are three main lights that are used: red, yellow and blue.

Red light:

The use of red LEDs is aimed at people who want to have the following effects:

– Regeneration of collagen and elastin
– Stimulation of blood circulation
– Actions on wrinkles, scars, stretch marks (and in slimming)
– Tissue regeneration (activation of fibroblasts) and elastic fibers
– Light thermal action which stimulates anti-infectious defenses
– Treatment of red stretch marks
– Significant reduction of white stretch marks
– Tightens skin pores
– Action on cellulite and body remodeling
– Hair loss treatment…

Infrared light:

– Skin hyperpigmentation: sun spots (melasma), spots that appear after inflammation. The choice of this light, in this indication, is logical because it penetrates deep into the dermis to act on the pigment (melanin) that colors the skin.

– Action on cellulite and body remodeling (fat cells are located deep under the skin).

– Hair loss treatment: red or infrared light acts on increasing the number of stem cells (responsible for new hair).

Yellow light:

During a phototherapy session with yellow LEDs you will benefit from the following effects:

– Improved blood circulation
– Lymphatic drainage
– Toning of the skin muscles
– Consolidates the skin surface
– Help with wrinkles
– Lightening of scars
– Smooths the skin…

Blue light:

Blue light is mainly used for:

– Obtain an anti-bacterial effect on the skin (action on acne)
– Purifying and healing effect on the dermis
– Promote healing.

However, the blue wavelength is partially harmful to humans. Therefore, the exposure times indicated by the manufacturers must be observed.

Advantages and disadvantages of LEDs

Disadvantages

There are no side effects with phototherapy! It is a non-invasive medical procedure that allows patients to resume their normal activities after a phototherapy session. One drawback may be the relatively high number of sessions required.

Contraindications to LEDs

They mainly concern certain skin diseases:

– hereditary dysplastic nevus syndrome
– personal history of melanoma
– systemic lupus erythematosus
– diseases with DNA repair disorders.

Major contraindications:
– Persons under eight years of age
– Previous exposure to ionizing radiation or arsenic
– Presence of actinic keratoses

Minor contraindications:
– Person under 12 years old
– Pemphigoid and pemphigus
– Previous treatment with methotrexate or ciclosporin
– Skin photosensitivity
– Patients with numerous moles (more than 50)
– Patients with more than 5 atypical nevi…

Benefits

LED phototherapy has the following advantages:
– Painless
– Non-invasive
– Very few or no side effects
– Effective and lasting results
– Natural and deep stimulation of tissues (biostimulation).

This technique is very practical and effective, but it still requires a qualified practitioner. It is important to respect the duration and frequency of sessions. Failure to follow the instructions will result in the beneficial effects of this aesthetic medicine treatment being nullified.

What are the results?

The desired improvement is only seen after 3 or 4 sessions. Patient satisfaction is generally good in the indications mentioned above.

Price: How much does an LED session cost?

The price of LED phototherapy varies depending on the desired results.

On average, you should expect to pay between €40 and €80 per session. For example, it takes between four and five sessions to treat a fresh scar. Very often, practitioners offer a package of around €500 to €600 for 12 sessions, for the treatment of hair loss or stretch marks, for example.

For anti-aging facial effects, some cosmetic doctors offer packages at €120 per month for 5 to 10 minute sessions, two to three times per week.

For complexion maintenance, the average fee is €300 per month for 2 to 3 sessions per week. The total treatment duration is approximately 2 months.

AFME's opinion on phototherapy

Anti-aging or cosmetic LED phototherapy is a gentle and non-invasive method. It is often used as a complementary treatment to more "strong" treatments such as lasers, medium and deep peels, and reduces the after-effects.

LED phototherapy also boosts other anti-aging treatments by stimulating skin-building cells that generate collagen. It's a promising technique that likely has a bright future.

As with all aesthetic devices, the results will be noticeable or not depending on the quality and power of the machines. There is no comparison between the small LED screens sold in supermarkets and LED panels for medical use.

Continue exploring our site

On our site, you'll find dozens of detailed fact sheets (e.g., face and neck treatments here ). Use the menu at the top of the page to access other fact sheets. All of this information will help you find out more before considering a cosmetic treatment. Finally, be aware that each article on the site is reviewed by our editorial board, which is made up of experienced doctors.

Find a practitioner in your city ( Marseille , Paris , Bordeaux , etc.) with our tool

The link below will direct you to our networking tool. It will allow you to search for a practitioner who is a member of our association located in your city (Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, etc.) or region.

You can also ask questions about phototherapy or any other aesthetic treatment presented on our site. Questions and answers then appear in the right-hand column of our relevant presentation articles.