Does Light Therapy Acne Mask Treatment Really Work?
Do you remember when you experienced your first acne breakout? It was probably during your teenage years. But what about your last acne breakout? Odds are, that one was recent: according to clinical research, up to 85% of women and 47% of men will experience some degree of acne in their adult life.
The good news is that light therapy might be the answer – specifically, a light therapy acne mask! But does light therapy acne mask work? Read on to find out!
What Is Light Therapy?
Let’s talk a little bit about light therapy and how you can use it to combat your breakouts at home.
Light therapy is a dermatological treatment option that uses multiple wavelengths of light to penetrate your cells and promote healing. Treatment devices use a mixture of red and blue wavelengths to achieve the desired results.
Each wavelength has its own benefits, and when applied to the skin in just the right way, they can address multiple health concerns, including canker sores, genital sores, and of course, acne.
Light therapy is now available using at-home treatment devices, which are much more cost-effective than therapies provided by dermatologists or estheticians in clinical settings. These devices range in size from full panels that treat entire limbs to small, targeted lasers that treat only one little pimple at a time.
If you suffer from acne breakouts, primarily on your face, an acne mask might be the perfect light therapy treatment option for you!
Blue and Red Light Therapy
Whatever light therapy acne mask you choose, it’ll likely use either blue or red light therapy or a mixture of the two. Each of these wavelengths has its own special property and individual use against acne breakouts.
Preventative blue light, which is usually used first, is antimicrobial and antibacterial. This means it pinpoints and destroys the acne-causing bacteria that lives on your skin and combines with dirt and dead skin cells to clog your pores. Once the bacteria is no longer an issue, the healing process can start. That’s where red light therapy comes in.
Red light expedites your skin’s healing process at the cellular level, which means your pimples, blemishes, redness, and even open wounds will be gone before you know it!
Wavelengths of red and infrared light can also reduce inflammation and swelling, which can improve the look of acne in just one treatment. And because your skin is healing faster, it’s less likely that you’ll develop long-term acne scars. It’s a win-win all around!
Does Light Therapy Acne Mask Work?
Now you know blue and red light therapy are effective treatment options for acne, but when it comes to their execution, does light therapy acne mask work?
The simple answer is yes — but the results will depend on the specific acne mask you choose.
When looking for an acne mask, step one is to check which wavelengths of light the device uses. Blue wavelengths are ideal if you’re looking to prevent future breakouts, while red light therapy is better for healing existing acne, open sores, and scars. Some devices offer a mix of both lights to achieve multiple goals in just one treatment session.
Step two — pay attention to the size and fit of the mask. Just like last year’s misshapen Halloween mask that blinded you, the wrong acne treatment mask can be a terrible fit for the shape and size of your face. Really research your options to find the best fit for you.
For instance, the CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask is a flexible option that fits a variety of heads and faces. The Cellreturn Platinum LED Mask, on the other hand, has more of a helmet shape that is only suitable for a specific range of head sizes.
Whichever mask you choose, pay close attention to the product dimensions and read reviews left by users similar to you.
If you don’t want to worry about the mask fitting your head and face, consider a handheld light therapy device like the dpl Nüve Acne at-home treatment device. This option covers a larger surface area than a spot-treatment device, and is suitable for everyone regardless of head size!
Other Light Therapy Treatment Options
If you don’t need to cover your entire face at once, or even a particularly large area of your face, consider a light therapy acne spot treatment device. These devices are typically more cost-effective than an acne mask, and they are designed to pinpoint your most troublesome areas.
If you only experience acne breakouts in specific areas, this option could become your new go-to. For example, hormonal acne is most likely to appear on your cheeks or along your jawline. In this case, you can use the spot treatment device to quickly zap the hormonal acne and move on with your day.
Spot treatment devices (like the Luminance RED – ClearBeam Acne Device, for example) use both blue and red light therapy to kill acne-causing bacteria, heal your current breakout, and prevent future acne from forming all in one brief session. This is also a great device if you’re looking for a portable or travel-sized light therapy option.
Give It a Try
So, does light therapy acne mask work? Absolutely! But bear in mind that acne masks are not the end-all-be-all of light therapy. There are many different types of at-home light therapy devices to choose from — it’s all about what works best for your skin.
If you’re still not sure which device to choose, opt for a device with a generous return policy. That way, you have nothing to lose, but a clear, gorgeous complexion to gain!