Red Light vs. Blue Light Therapy: Key Differences and How They Can Benefit You

If you keep up with the skincare trends, you must have heard of the LED light therapy treatment. It’s the new hot topic among aestheticians, dermatologists, and beauty experts. It is a must-try if you want to go beyond just topical skin care.

A non-thermal, non-invasive treatment that uses specific wavelengths of light to improve your overall skin health and promote the healing process. The benefits don’t just end at the skin; it’s an all-in-one treatment for muscles, hair, and your overall well being.

In fact, studies[1] have found that short-term exposure to light therapy prevents seasonal sadness. And doctors now recommend blue light therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). 

Keep reading if you want to know more about this treatment. We’ve put up a detailed comparison of two popular light therapy treatments (red light and blue light). What are they? What’s the difference between them? And how they can benefit your skin differently.

What Are Red Light Therapy and Blue Light Therapy? 

Red Light Therapy: It is also called low-level laser therapy in scientific terms, where low levels of red light mixed with near-infrared light are used to penetrate your skin. There are multiple red light therapy benefits for skin rejuvenation.

It penetrates your skin typically at 660 nm and works at the cellular level to stimulate collagen production, reduce inflammation, and promote tissue repair[2].

Blue Light Therapy: This treatment is ideal for those with acne-prone skin and excessive oil production. It uses blue light of almost 460 nm to penetrate your skin and targets P. acnes, the acne-causing bacteria on your skin.

Also, blue light acts on your sebaceous glands to control the extra sebum production on your skin. It also works better when combined with other treatments like chemical peels and califying facials.

 

Comparing Red Light and Blue Light Therapy Effectiveness 

While doing a red light vs. blue light therapy analysis, you’ll see they benefit your skin differently. Therefore, each treatment should be used according to your skin conditions. Let’s see below which specific skin conditions can be treated by each light therapy treatment:

Red Light Therapy Benefits 

Red light therapy is mainly used for skin healing and rejuvenation purposes. It comparatively penetrates deeper into your skin, and when combined with NIR light, it works at the cellular level to accelerate the ATP production in your mitochondria. This results in higher energy production in your cells, which promotes wound healing and anti-healing effects.

Not only that, red light therapy can also be used to treat chronic pains[3] like arthritis in your body. It increases blood circulation and reduces inflammation, helping you combat these pains in your body.

However, if you’re a person with acne conditions, this treatment might be less effective for you. In that case, you can go for blue light therapy treatment, which is at the moment most studied[4] for its acne reducing abilities.

Blue Light Therapy Benefits 

 When compared to red light, blue light therapy doesn’t penetrate that deep into your skin, which means it only works on the superficial level. It’s most effective for acne, reduces your pores, and offers other antibacterial benefits.

However, like red light therapy, this treatment also has healing abilities, helping your skin repair itself faster. So whether it’s a small cut or a breakout, blue light therapy will help your skin healing process.

Getting cold sores or fever blisters? Blue light therapy will help repair those skin damages.

Combining Red Light Therapy and Blue Light Therapy 

Though red light therapy comparatively offers more benefits than blue light therapy. But do you know you can achieve your dream skin when combining both treatments together? For instance, you can treat your breakouts, but you want the acne scars to fade away as well.

Then, combining both light treatments would benefit. Plus, there are some conditions that are best treated with both light wavelengths, such as Eczema, acne, and Hyperpigmentation. Now, you can use an at-home, handheld device to provide your skin with both light therapy treatments.

LifeZoom offers a 3-in-1 handheld wand with blue, red, and near-infrared light, which you can use to treat your different skin conditions and get the ultimate smooth and plump skin.

Final Word!

Both red light and blue light therapy treatments have their own benefits, and there’s no comparison between them. In fact, these light treatments work best when combined together. For instance, if you want the anti-aging effects with a radiant, glowing skin, go for both blue and red light wavelengths.

And this easy switch between light therapies is accessible at LifeZoom. We offer a handheld, affordable light therapy wand for at-home skin treatments. Maximize your skin health and rejuvenate your natural glow with light therapy!

 

Sources and References:

  1. G, Reeves. G, Rosenthal. N. E., Sher. L, & Postolache. T. T. (2009). Short exposure to light treatment improves depression scores in patients with seasonal affective disorder: A brief report. Int J Disabil Hum Dev. 2009; 8(3): 283–286. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2913518/
  2. P, Gupta. A, Sadasivam. M, Vecchio. D, Pam. Z, Pam. N, & Hamblin. M. R. Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: Stimulating, healing, restoring. Semin Cutan Med Surgm. 2013; 32(1): 41–52. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4126803/
  3. M.R. Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS Biophys. 2017 May; 4(3): 337-361. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5523874/
  4. Gold MH, Andriessen A, Biron J, Andriessen H. Clinical Efficacy of Self-applied Blue Light Therapy for Mild-to-Moderate Facial Acne. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2009 Mar;2(3):44–50. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2923954/#B4