Healthy Eating
Developing a health eating routine into your lifestyle is not only good for your health, but it also allows you to experience a variety of flavors while still adhering to a nutritious eating plan.
Most treatments targeted towards replacing aging skin with the younger variant target the decrease in collagen, elastin, and other scaffolding proteins with age. Whether it be through injections, fillers, or abrasion, the goal of most treatments is to stimulate the skin’s healing process. But with improvements in technology, more and more non-invasive procedures for skin rejuvenation are coming to light, or more specifically LED light.
But before that, it’s best to explain skin aging so the light makes more sense. With age, the density of elastin and collagen in the skin decrease. Collagen makes up most of a person’s skin, and thus is vital as a structural protein not only there, but also in muscles and bones. Elastin, as it’s named, is responsible for the skin’s elasticity. When we’re young, we can furrow our brow, or smile, and when we stop, our face goes back to its normal position. It's the effect of these two proteins that allows this snap-back property of the skin. The body produces less and less of these proteins with age, however, so the snap-back effect goes away and the grooves from smiling and raising eyebrows don’t go away anymore. While this decrease is natural with age, other factors such as smoking and sun damage also speed up this ‘aging’ of the skin.
LED (light-emitting diode) therapy was originally used by the army to heal wounds and regenerate tissue, but it can now be used to improve the complexion of your skin. Different types of light can be used separately or together to ameliorate a whole plethora of skin-related issues. The four basic types are red, blue, yellow, and infrared. Each type works because certain cells absorb that wavelength of light. Red light is absorbed in the epidermis and stimulates collagen production and reducing pores, providing that anti-aging effect. Blue light is absorbed by sebaceous glands deeper in the skin, killing bacteria and getting rid of acne. Yellow light is absorbed by blood vessels, improving circulation and reducing fine lines. Finally, infrared light stimulates healing mechanisms in the body. Used together, these lights can treat a variety of skin conditions.
Red, blue, and infrared light were tested in clinical trials and found to help acne, psoriasis, basic skin cancers, wounds, and improve overall skin complexion. Not only can it treat a wide array of medical and aesthetic conditions, but it was found to be very safe.
Since the treatment is non-invasive and the intensity of the light can be adjusted for skin type, there is no damage to skin cells and very rarely any side effects. It is possible, though, to experience some redness or tenderness in the applied area after treatment.
If you have any questions about this treatment, or want to schedule an appointment, call our office at (609) 300-1517 or e-mail us at info@sleep-wellness.org.
References:
Ablon, Glynis. “Phototherapy with Light Emitting Diodes: Treating a Broad Range of Medical and Aesthetic Conditions in Dermatology.” The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology vol. 11,2 (2018): 21-27.
LED Light Therapy: Efficacy, Procedure, and What to Expect (healthline.com)
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