Subj : Red light therapy: Dermatologist urges caution over popular treatment
To   : All
From : News
Date : Tue Apr 16 2024 12:38 pm

Experts are urging caution over a new skincare trend that's gaining
popularity on social media.


Coming in the form of masks, wands, and lamps, red light therapy claims to
give you glowy, flawless skin.


According to MoleMap New Zealand, red light therapy is said to treat things
like wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation, redness and acne. Their website says
low-lev-el wave-lengths of red and near-infrared light are used.


"The red LED lights are absorbed by the top lay-er of skin (the epi-der-mis)
and trav-el into the deep-er lev-els known as the dermis."


Speaking to Breakfast this morning, dermatologist Louise Reiche said the
therapy is "absolutely a gimmick" and consumers should be aware of possible
side effects.


"Depending on what you're using it for, it can cause effects on other
tissues. You need to be sure that the person administering the treatment has
the training and knows their equipment and will direct it exactly where the
problem is and not just blunderbuss everywhere."

"Medical equipment undergoes rigorous calibration and standards and the
practitioners very rigorous training, so I'd recommend consumers or users to
check out the credentials of the person administering the treatment, make
sure they've given you the correct information on whether they're selling it
just as being good [with no warnings] it probably is too good to be true
because there are adverse effects, there are side effects and you need to
know about those.


"There might also be side effects that come much much later. We know that
ultra-violet rays contribute to increased ageing known as photo ageing, and
skin cancers and other damage, so be careful to use what you actually need
for your condition and not just for the feel good factor, otherwise you could
end up coming away red-eyed, red-faced, and in the red with potential major
health problems."


Reiche said while people may get immediate results where their skin glows and
"almost looks sunburnt", consumers will "regret it deeply" 10-20 years down
the track.


"[I] definitely would not recommend a consumer buy one online to do it
themselves, get advice first from a medical specialist and get it
professionally done."


She says the most effective measure of prevention of the photoaging and
photocarcinogenesis is sun protection.

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