Red Light Therapy: Why I've Opted Out

1. Why Red Light Therapy Isn't for Me

Lately, it seems like RED and LED therapies are on everyone's lips. Are you familiar with what sets them apart? LED therapy and RED therapy both involve using light for treatment.

Red light therapy focuses on red and near-infrared light for medical and cosmetic purposes like healing and rejuvenation. On the other hand, LED  (light emitting diode) therapy includes various colored lights emitted by LEDs, each targeting specific skin and body effects. Red light therapy can be a part of LED therapy options.

Here's a question I received: I am curious on your opinion of Led red light therapy and wonder why you have not incorporated this into your routine considering the cited benefits.

I did give it some thought. Financially, it could be profitable, considering an average retail price of $500. Manufacturers have approached me several times with offers to add a red light therapy device to my product line. So, why not say yes to these offers?

The barrier is a standard I've upheld for the two decades I've been in business: If I don't use a product myself, I won't offer it to others. And why don't I use it myself? As my correspondent has pointed out, the benefits cited for LED therapy are impressive.

As one proponent has said, red-light LED therapy 'feeds energy into our cells with photons from natural light.' This sounds promising. Furthermore, no negative side effects are listed. So, if you're interested and can afford it, why not go ahead? I can only present my position.

To start, there’s the time constraint. My present skincare routine, which comprises practices I want to maintain, takes about fifteen minutes in the morning and a similar amount of time at day's end. I have neither the time nor the inclination to add another twenty minutes just for LED therapy.

Therefore, I would need to replace some practices I am already doing – practices I know are effective – and introduce new ones. Which one should I let go of? And would the new one be better? And here I am, not sure at all…

Some proponents claim that RED light helps remove fat cells from the body, yet it’s believed that it will not affect the fat in the face. This logic escapes me.

Additionally, it's stated that no inflammatory response takes place after RED light therapy. However, an acute inflammatory response can be a beneficial occurrence. It occurs after exercise, and it will also happen after dry brushing or any other skin treatment I already practice.

Every esthetician knows, as do dermatologists, that you have to damage the outer skin layer to encourage regeneration. In the methods I already practice, only mild damage is occurring. Nevertheless, it’s still damage.
 

But I don't feel much going on with the RED light treatment. Maybe just a slight warm feeling. Not enough for me! I need to feel this rush of new blood flooding my skin, like in the video on the right.

So, when I do dry brushing, Strigil scraping, or cupping, I feel it…and I see it.  I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from using RED therapy. Many testimonials on the internet say: RED therapy works. I’m sure plenty of people who don’t practice the advanced skincare, I suggest, will see some improvement. But it’s my contention, that for those who are practicing "my" methods, RED therapy won’t prove all that impressive. 

I’m in the beauty business. So, I get questions all the time about red light treatment, micro-current, ultrasound therapy, and the like. I have tried them all. I believe in daily facial treatments. But I cannot commit to any mode of facial therapy when I feel not much is happening. 

But, more to the point, when it doesn't give any more or less immediate results—not like my other skincare practices. With a microcurrent facial, for example, the only way to know anything at all is happening is to look at the device's window indicator.

That's why I much prefer my Violet Ray treatments over any sort of micro-current, ultrasound, or ion therapy. I can feel the Violet Ray working, and I can see results. Watch my video on the left. The VR has been around for over a hundred years, and it has proven to be effective and completely safe.

2. My Evening Beauty Routine 

This new video shows an example of my evening skincare session. To speed up the production of new cells, dead cells must be removed. Dry brushing is the best way to give your skin a youthful glow. I have doing it regularly for 15 years.

Then I apply our Nourishing Night Cream. Next comes cupping massage. I have been cupping my face for more than 10 years. It definitely prevents skin sagging. And I finish with Violet Ray treatment. It has been a part of my beauty routine since 2007. It’s essential for having a clear complexion without spots and blemishes.

It’s about five minutes. Brief though it be, you’ll find that a regimen like this will have a big effect on your skin’s ability to resist premature aging.

Do I like some beauty practices more than others? Sure.

Cupping and Strigil scraping are among my favorites. They work well to prevent sagging skin. But dry brushing, facial masque, and the Violet Ray are essential to a clear complexion without spots and blemishes. Care, persistence, and variety are three keys to continuing beauty.