Tech OBSESSION: Blue LED Light
Blue Light Therapy: The Benefits & Risks for Acne-Prone Skin
Q: What’s the deal with Blue Light? I’ve heard it can be used to kill acne, but we’re also supposed to protect our skin from the blue light emitted by screens. Is it helpful or harmful?
A: This is a fantastic question. I can understand how this would be confusing – we have blue light blocking glasses, as well as serums to protect us from blue light, but then we’re buying LED devices and intentionally putting them against our skin. So what is Blue Light and what is it used for?
The TLDR: Blue LED produces oxygen which helps reduce bacteria in inflamed acne lesions. Overuse can cause hyperpigmentation in pigment-prone skin, so exercise caution and opt for a handheld spot treatment instead of a full face mask if possible.
The What & The How
The use of Blue Light in clinical settings (and at-home skincare) is referred to as Blue Light Phototherapy. Therapeutic blue light spans the spectrum from 407-420 nanometers, with 415 nm being the sweet spot. Its primary indication is to treat inflammatory acne. It can also be used in dermatology to treat certain skin cancers by activating a topical gel in a treatment known as Photodynamic Therapy, or PDT.
When the skin is irradiated with (exposed to) certain doses of Blue Light, the light is absorbed by molecules called porphyrins. The particular porphyrins absorbing this light are bacterial porphyrins, produced by Cutibacterium acnes. Once the light energy is absorbed, the porphyrins generate singlet oxygen and ROS (reactive oxygen species). This proliferation of oxygen damages bacterial membranes, effectively killing the overproliferation of C. acnes.
Now, we need some amount of C. acnes on the skin, as it is an important part of the skin’s microbiome. However, one of the many factors contributing to acne is a bacterial overload, and Blue Light helps to control this.
Now, Blue Light is great for this purpose, but it shouldn’t be fully left on it’s own. Red Light is a fantastic adjunct when treating inflammatory acne with Blue Light Phototherapy. The use of Red Light (630-660 nm) is referred to as Photobiomodulation, or PBM. Red Light has several more clinically proven effects than Blue Light, one of which is reduction of inflammation. Inflammation is a key component of inflammatory acne (it’s right there in the name), so pairing or following your Blue Light session with Red Light is my favorite way to use light therapy for acne.
A couple of important details to consider when using your Blue Light:
- Overuse of Blue Light can promote melanin production, especially in Fitzpatricks 4-6 (melanin-rich skin) and people with melasma. This is partially related to heat and partially to biological processes. This means pigmentation may darken, especially with excessive use. To combat this, I recommend people with these considerations keep Blue Light Phototherapy to a minimum, and keep your skin cool.
- Use a fan or an ice roller after your session, and use a tyrosinase-inhibiting product in your daily routine.
Because of all the above, I strongly prefer targeted Blue Light application. Many LED face masks have a Blue Light setting which covers the whole face. Unless there are inflammatory acne lesions on the entire face, I much prefer a targeted spot treatment like the LightStim for Acne handheld device. It has Blue and Red LEDs for a comprehensive treatment, and an automatic 3-minute timer so you can’t easily over treat the skin.
Raquel x
