You might have heard of light therapies but still don’t understand how they work or what their application is. The truth is that light-emitting diodes (LEDs) treat so many different conditions that it’s easy to get confused.
Furthermore, there are different colors for light therapy: red, yellow, green, blue, and so on. You can even combine some of them for better results, which makes everything even more confusing.
Have you ever wondered what yellow light therapy is used for? Or the green one? This article will explain what low-level light therapy is. We will also describe the purpose of each color in general. Hopefully, this will help dispel confusion about light therapy devices
Table Of Contents
What Is Light Therapy?
LED light therapy is a non-invasive and pain-free treatment that involves exposure to artificial light that penetrates the skin. Estheticians and dermatologists typically use this therapy to improve skin conditions, along with other remedies like creams or pills.
As mentioned above, the primary purpose of light therapy is to treat skin conditions. These conditions include:
- Mild to moderate acne reduction
- Wrinkle reduction
- Sunburned skin or scar removal
- Wound healing
- Hair growth treatment
How Does Light Therapy Work?
Mitochondria are components of cells responsible for taking in nutrients and breaking them down to create energy molecules. These energy molecules are known as ATP and they help carry out a number of vital functions in the body.
Scientists believe that certain wavelengths of light can affect and enhance mitochondria functions, thus creating more ATP. And thanks to higher levels of energy, cells can perform better.
What Is Each Color Used For?
Light is a form of energy that travels in waves, which, like ocean waves, have a measurable height, length, and duration. Every one of these waves, or wavelengths, is represented by a color of the rainbow, from violet – the shortest wavelength – to red, which is the longest. In light therapy, each color has a unique level of penetration into the skin.
- Blue light affects the uppermost layer of the skin.
- Yellow light can penetrate deeper.
- Red light goes further into the skin.
- Near-infrared light is the light that penetrates the deepest.
Regarding the uses and benefits of each color, here are some of the main takeaways:
- Blue light therapy is popular among people who suffer from acne. Blue light therapy can help reduce scars and spots in people with mild to moderate acne, especially when combined with red light therapy. It targets the sebaceous glands and dries out the skin, reducing grease and thus acne.
- Red light therapy seems to help with relieving pain, improves blood flow, reduces inflammation, and even aids people in losing weight. Since red light therapy can be used to increase blood flow and reduce inflammation, it can be a powerful tool for treating skin disorders. Is It Safe To Use Red Light Therapy Every Day? Click to learn more.
- White light therapy can help treat affective disorders such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Light therapies became popular on the Internet thanks to people who suffered from depression or SAD and noticed an improvement in their mood after undergoing light therapy treatment.
- Green light therapy aids in relieving migraine or headaches in patients who commonly experience them. Green light therapy also seems to help with improving circadian rhythm and sleep health.
- Yellow light therapy. As far as skin is concerned, yellow light therapy produces effects that are very similar to those of red light. Yellow light therapy can help in the treatment of the redness caused by sun exposure and it also stimulates blood circulation.
What Is Yellow Light Therapy Used For?
Although yellow light therapy (YLT), also known as amber light, has numerous benefits and advantages, it’s not as popular as other color therapies. Amber light might help with:
- skin redness
- skin irritation and rosacea
- fine lines and wrinkles
- UV radiation damage
- blood vessels on the face
- blood circulation
- cellular growth
Its wavelength range of 570 nm to 620 nm and a low penetration level make it useful for treating skin conditions involving redness, such as spider veins or rosacea. YLT stimulates collagen production and helps rejuvenate the skin. Overall, this therapy hydrates the skin and improves your skin health.
Now, here’s one key takeaway. We’ve mentioned above that blue light therapy dries the skin to reduce acne and grease. If overused, blue light therapy can cause an acne breakout. On the other hand, yellow light therapy does the opposite. YLT helps keep your skin moisturized. You will achieve better results and prevent skin irritation or dryness if you combine both types of LED treatments.
What Color Light Helps With Anxiety? Click the link to learn more.
Conclusion
As you can see, choosing which color light therapy to undergo depends on what your condition is and how you combine colors to make the most out of them. Sessions involving light therapy are short. They usually last less than 30 minutes. Medical professionals have used LED light therapy for years, and now the devices are making their way into our homes. It’s easier than ever to buy one of the light therapy devices and use them at home.
If you have doubts about whether you should undergo light therapy, you should contact your dermatologist or doctor for counsel. They will know better than anyone what you need and what color light therapy, along with other treatments, will work best for you.
