LED and The Energy Currency of Life
Many of our clients were wondering how and why the Light therapy works. How does it benefit the skin? We asked Amy Gardner, Educational Coordinator at LightStim to explain all the science in black and white, and here it is:
“It has been said by some that as time marches on our bodies make less and less of the good stuff, and more and more of the bad stuff. Although simply phrased, there is some truth to this. Of the things that the body becomes less efficient at producing, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is one of the most important. ATP is a complex molecule that is utilized by the body’s cells as an energy source for just about everything we do, from building important proteins and enzymes and synthesizing DNA and RNA, to simple muscle contractions. It is often referred to as “the energy currency of life.” It has been suggested that the average person utilizes roughly the equivalent of his or her body weight in ATP on a daily basis, and that after the age of 60 our ability to produce this essential compound diminishes by almost half.
ATP is important to the appearance of the skin in that it supplies energy necessary to produce proteins like collagen for plumping and firming, and elastin for elasticity and spring. Consequently, treatments that are known to stimulate ATP production are widely used in esthetics. One of the safest, most effective tools used by skin care professionals for this purpose is LED light therapy.
LED is a non-invasive, soothing treatment that utilizes light based energy to stimulate and support your body’s own natural cellular processes, including the production of ATP.
In Salon – In addition to ATP production, LED helps promote circulation leaving your skin glowing and hydrated. It has also been shown to reduce inflammation, and is often used by plastic surgeons and other medical professionals to accelerate healing, and reduce erythema, bruising and swelling. Although you may not be aware of inflammation in your skin, it is virtually unavoidable in modern society. This condition (often referred to as “inflammaging”) is well established among skin care professionals as an important contributor to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and laxity. This chronic, silent inflammation occurs as a result of exposure to pollution, stress, UV, and other ongoing environmental assaults. Keeping inflammation at bay is believed to help reduce the appearance of aging skin.
Home Care – It is estimated that after the age of 30, we lose approximately 1% of collagen per year. Of course it takes time to observe the cumulative effects of this continued loss. The same is true of collagen rebuilding triggered by LED light therapy – the best results are achieved over time and with regular use. For this reason, it can be helpful to purchase your own portable device for regular home use. A small hand-held LED device can be used at home along with serums recommended by your skin care provider to support the services you receive in the treatment room. Since most clients only receive professional services every 4-6 weeks, the importance of customized and targeted home care as recommended by a qualified professional after professional skin analysis cannot be emphasized enough.
Understanding what the skin requires to function at its peak efficiency is critical to maintaining skin health. A healthy diet, water consumption, stress management and exercise are all vitally important, however, because our bodies become less efficient at metabolizing energy from the foods we eat over time, it is important to enlist supplemental energy sources for optimal cellular and metabolic function. A simple and effective way to do this is with the use of LED treatments.”
-Amy Gardner
Educational Coordinator
For maximum results it is recommended to receive an LED light Therapy treatment at least one a month in the center and use 3-7 times a week at home device with our serums/oils.