Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/393439
30 ASCP Skin Deep November/December 2014 All about LED therapy By Michele Phelan Light-emitting diode (LED) modalities are increasingly popular in skin care clinics as well as physicians' offi ces. The multiple healing uses of this therapy enable practitioners to bring tremendous benefi ts to the skin without the need of an invasive or uncomfortable machine. LED therapy has very few contraindications and can be used safely on most clients, either alone or as an adjunct to other treatments—for example, to help calm the skin after extractions, or during a microcurrent treatment to aid in cell regeneration. In the medical world, "LEDs can be used before laser, dermabrasion, and cosmetic surgery procedures to help prepare the skin for the healing process," says Bradley Greene, MD, FACS, a board-certifi ed facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon located in Portola Valley, California. "They can also activate fi broblasts to help generate collagen remodeling." So, what are LEDs anyway and how can simple light waves be so healing to the skin? How LEDs Work A diode is any type of electrical component that allows electricity to pass through it in only one direction; a light-emitting diode is a semiconductor in which a one-way current releases energy in the form of photons (light particles). The color of the light does not come from the bulb or plastic casing of the LED, but is created by the diode itself. In simplifi ed terms, an LED converts electric energy into light energy. This is not new technology. LEDs were fi rst developed in 1927 and have been used in electronics since the 1960s, though their potential uses in healing have only been explored within the last 20 years.