LED Light Therapy Explained: Healing Benefits for Your Skin

Dr Sam Robson
By Dr Sam Robson

Dr Sam Robson is a highly respected and experienced practitioner who qualified as a GP in 1997 and has been practising aesthetic medicine since 2004.

You only need to experience the warming rays of the early spring sun, signalling the end of winter, to know that light brings hope and can make you feel good. As our bodies soak in sunlight, we produce endorphins – our bodies’ natural pain killers, which can help soothe both physical and emotional pain. 
 
Sunlight is also the main provider of vitamin D, which is actually a hormone, and this is well known to influence both mental and physical health. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with acne; boosting your skin with as little as 10 minutes per day will ensure that you can get your daily dose of this essential vitamin. However, much as we love the sun, we are also learning that too much sun is not good.

Although it was once believed that sunlight and sunbeds could be helpful in reducing acne, the harmful UV rays within sunlight cause lasting damage to skin, increasing pigmentation and redness.

Acne prone skin is already likely to be inflamed and is therefore more likely to become pigmented and scarred.

Although the sun may initially dry out oily skin, it often causes an increase in oil production, and with some sunscreens blocking pores this can be a recipe for a flare up of spots.

But there may however be some truth in the belief that sunlight can improve acne - let me explain why and how we could harness that knowledge to improve the condition of our skin…

Harmful UV rays within sunlight
Natural Light Treatment for Acne without UV? How?
 
Sunlight provides a broad spectrum of light with wavelengths that range from 400 to 750 nm. Blue light, with a wavelength from 405-420nm, is part of the natural sunlight spectrum. Blue light has been shown to kill the acne bacteria, and this may be one of the reasons that sunlight has been thought to help. The LUSTRE ClearSkin devices have been created to provide blue light with a wavelength of 415nm – effective for killing bacteria but without the harmful UV rays, no increased pigmentation and no increased redness.
 
Sunbeds typically deliver UVA with wavelengths 315-400nm, and these UVA rays can be up to 3-6 x more intense than sunlight, so no effect on acne bacteria, but all the risks of increasing redness and pigmentation.
 
So, how can we combine what we have learned from science and nature to get the best of both worlds?
 
You can try the five top tips below to boost your feel-good hormones and improve the health of your skin: 
  • Wear a non-comedogenic (which means it doesn’t block your pores) broad-spectrum sunscreen (which will protect you against the damaging UVA and UVB) on your face 
  • Expose other parts of your body to the sun for up to ½ an hour
  • Enjoy a leisurely walk in the sun, thus boosting your vitamin D and your mood
  • Avoid sunbeds.

If you want to read more, the experts at Consulting Room really know what they're talking about and have put together acne, pigmentation and blue light treatment FAQs just for you. 

If you have more questions, you can use the acne, pigmentation and blue light treatment questions feature to talk to our panel of trained medical experts. 

If you're keen to get started with any of these treatments right away then you're in luck - those clever folks also have a list of trusted, accredited acne, pigmentation and blue light treatment clinics in your area.

Many thanks to the author of this blog Dr Sam Robson who owns Temple Clinic.

Dr Sam Robson is a highly respected and experienced practitioner who qualified as a GP in 1997 and has been practising aesthetic medicine since 2004.

She has also become progressively aware of the increasing incidence of low morale and self-esteem 

The repertoire of treatments provided by the clinic aims to help address many problems.

Call Dr Sam Robson on 0122 486 9997 or visit www.templeclinic.co.uk.

Thanks to the author

More great blogs our experts wrote for you...

What Are The Benefits of PRP Injections for the Face?

25
Jul
2025

What Are The Benefits of PRP Injections for the Face?

Everything you need to know...

5 Acne Myths Debunked

15
Jul
2025

5 Acne Myths Debunked

Sure, influencers and online articles are ok, but there’s no replacement for trusted professional advice. Ready to bust those acne myths and get the facts?

Say Goodbye to Acne Scars with Advanced Laser Treatments

11
Jul
2025

Say Goodbye to Acne Scars with Advanced Laser Treatments

What causes acne scars, the different scar types and the range of laser treatments available to help you say goodbye to your scars for good.

Hey, wait!

Before you go.....

Let's stay in touch, pop your details here and we'll send our editor's hand-picked updates on your fave subjects.