There’s nothing like LED therapy for your best glow-up ever. Literally. LED light facials have been around for decades, but they’ve gone more mainstream over the years - with spas and facial bars performing the treatment in-house and celebrities like the Kardashian-Jenners and Kate Hudson showing off their LED masks at home on social media. They may look creepy at first glance, but this treatment is no joke. LED facials provide clear, glowing, and energized skin... no filter needed. Read on for everything you need to know about LED light facials.

What is LED Light Therapy?

LED therapy is a non-invasive beauty treatment that exposes your skin to light energy, which is then absorbed into the surface at various depths to stimulate reactions within the skin. This promotes cellular growth and repair and gives you a healthy, youthful glow. Depending on wavelengths and the types of light used, this treatment has a range of benefits and may treat anything from ageing skin and acne to more complex issues like rosacea.

If LED light therapy sounds super innovative, that’s because it is. It was originally used by NASA for research and experimentation in outer space… but now it’s evolved into a major skincare tool that’s here for all your self-care needs. 

Is LED Light Therapy Right For Me?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Absolutely, and here’s why. LED light therapy is a safe, painless and highly effective treatment that’s suitable for all skin types. All you have to do is lie underneath a light screen while the device does all the heavy lifting - while you’re receiving an in-house facial or kicking back with an LED mask at home. And no, we promise you won’t come out with a crazy tan. Light therapy doesn’t use any UV light whatsoever, meaning that you won’t get a tan or cause any type of harm to your skin. 

Not only is LED therapy an option for all skin types, it also uses different types of light to trigger unique responses from the body and treat a variety of skincare issues. Whether you’re looking to treat acne or find a non-invasive way to lift your skin and reduce wrinkles, there is an LED light treatment for you. The three main types of light are:

Blue Light:

This type of light is most often used to treat acne, as it contains antibacterial properties to decrease oil production and prevent future breakouts without further irritating the skin.  

Red Light:

As one of the most common types used in LED therapy, red light works to reduce redness and inflammation while hydrating the skin. It also encourages cellular repair and increased circulation to the face, and is known to treat rosacea.

Near-infrared Light: 

There’s a reason every skincare expert talks about the importance of collagen. This natural substance is what holds your skin together and keeps you looking young… and near-infrared light is the ultimate anti-aging tool. This light significantly boosts collagen production to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, promote skin elasticity, treat cystic acne and even accelerate wound healing. Basically, it’s the best of both the blue and red light therapy… and you won’t be able to get enough.

What to Expect with Treatment

Thinking about heading into the spa or facial bar for your first in-house LED light therapy session? You have plenty of options. Many spas offer the treatment as an extra or booster along with your facial (like Skin Camp!) for as low as $25, while others offer full blue, red, or near-infrared light therapy treatments for up to 45 minutes under the machine. Prices vary by establishment and type of massage, but you can typically expect to pay at least $80-$100 for the full LED treatment.

The good news is that in-house LED light therapy is relatively quick, you won’t feel a thing (not even a tingle!), and you won’t have many side effects afterwards, if any at all. However, it takes time and effort to stay this beautiful. Just like you need to moisturize regularly to keep your glowing complexion, you’ll need to receive regular LED light therapy treatments to notice and maintain results. A once a month trip into the spa for treatment likely isn’t going to cut it… you’ll need to head into the facial spa for treatment at least every other week, or wear your LED mask at home (which contains lower frequencies than spa machines) 3-4 times each week for a significant amount of time.

Of course, the maintenance is totally worth it, because once you begin to see results… you’ll never go back. LED light therapy is a cutting-edge treatment that combines beauty and science to provide gorgeous skin and remind you why technology is (literally) a beautiful thing.