LED Light Therapy at Home vs. Salon: Which Should You Choose?

For over 120 years, people have been using light to treat various diseases. However, the modern use of light for treatment gave the cosmetic industry a ray of hope in 1903, with the work of Niels Finson in the use of UV light to treat many skin diseases, which he later received a Nobel Prize for.

In the 1960s, scientists started using a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) to enhance elastin and collagen production in the skin. This helps to maintain the elasticity of the skin and keep the skin looking young. As the years rolled by, LED light therapy was introduced for the treatment of several other skin conditions, such as acne.

Currently, LED light therapy is used in several clinics and salons for skin treatment and rejuvenation. And lots of devices have been developed to make LED light treatment very easy and fast. There are smaller LED light devices that you can use at home instead of meeting a trained skin technician in a salon.

But will these at-home LED Light devices give you the same result as the one you get from a spa?

This article explores the similarities and differences between LED light therapy at home and salon. So, peruse on to know which of them is best for you.

Table of Contents:

Part 1: What is LED Light Therapy?
Part 2: Types of LED Light
Part 3: LED Light Therapy at Home vs. Salon: Comparison Table

What is LED Light Therapy?

LED light therapy is the use of light-emitting diode light rays to treat skin issues. It involves focusing light rays into layers of the skin to remedy a skin condition. Beauty technicians sometimes combine LED light therapy with other facial skin treatments to give clients the best result.

The various types of LED lights used for treatment penetrate your skin to different depths and leave you with a soothing feeling. This makes you feel relaxed while your skin conditions, such as wrinkles, are being treated. One of the most impressive things about LED Light treatment is that you will likely start seeing results after your first treatment. However, you are going to need more than one session to achieve a longer-lasting result.

To successfully treat any skin problem using LED light therapy, you need to tackle the problem with LED light of the right wavelength. Unfortunately, different LED light therapy devices offer LED light of various wavelengths, making a good knowledge of the right LED light for the right skin disease critical.

Types of LED Light

LED lights come in various colors, each with a distinctive wavelength. They treat different skin ailments based on the depth of the skin they can penetrate. In medical sciences, LED light therapy has been classified into various colors for treating other diseases. But these broad color classifications can be narrowed down to two: blue and red LED light.

Blue light: this penetrates the skin to the sebaceous gland inside the inner layer of the skin. It helps to eliminate or reduce the oil that this gland secretes, leaving your skin drier than usual. This, in turn, helps to eliminate or reduce the appearance of acne.

Furthermore, blue light is known to prevent the clogging of the hair follicles, which can cause acne. The acne-causing bacteria are also killed with this light, making the blue LED light 100% anti-acne.

Red light: this does not penetrate very deep into the layers of your skin. Its penetrating power ends in the epidermis, the outer skin layer. Absorption of red light by the epidermis leads to the production of collagen.

Over time, this will cause the skin to become smoother and reduce wrinkles, eliminating signs of aging. Red light is also known for healing wounds, so patience is often recommended for red LED light therapy after a skin resurfacing surgery.

It can also be used to treat hair loss in both males and females and reduce inflammations and psoriasis.

Other types of LED lights used in therapy include purple light, which combines the power of blue and red. Yellow light enhances red blood cell production and reduces hyperpigmentation. Greenlight can be used to treat sagging skin in the face and hyperpigmentation. Cyan light, which helps to stimulate blood circulation to the skin, and white light is known to penetrate deep into the skin layers and cause skin rejuvenation.

At-Home LED Light Therapy

There are lots of LED light therapy at-home devices in the market today which can be used to achieve great results. But you have to know the right LED light device to use on your particular skin disease.

Most of these devices come in the form of wands or masks that you can wear for some minutes at home. It is an excellent place to start if you want to give LED light therapy a try; you just have to choose the right device and know the right LED light to select.

Also, ensure that you choose only the devices that are FDA-cleared. They will save you from the risk of damaging your skin. Remember to be consistent with your at-home sessions because it’s easier to forget than your appointment with a technician.

Salon LED Light Therapy

The equipment used in the salon for LED light therapy is more advanced than those used at home. The array of LED lights offered by this equipment exceeds those offered by most at-home LED light therapy devices. However, they require the operation of a trained technician to get the best out of them.

It involves a few minutes of being immersed in a red LED light or LED lights of other colors. The technician or dermatologist tests your skin to determine the type of LED light that you need. This could be based on the skin problem to be treated and your sensitivity to light.

LED Light Therapy at Home vs. Salon: Comparison Table

Features	At-Home LED Light Therapy Devices	Salon LED Light Therapy
Effectiveness	The LED light therapy devices available today are not as strong as those used in salons and clinics. This means that you may not get the type of result that you would have gotten from a salon. Secondly, you may not know how to use one of these devices, and wrong use can produce the wrong or inferior result.	Salons use stronger and more advanced LED light therapy devices to deliver superior results compared to at-home devices. The technicians are also trained to handle these large LED light therapy devices to deliver the best results.
Eye Safety	Home LED light therapy wands offer no protection for the eyes. This can damage your eyes in the long run as the intensity of the LED light may be too high for your eyes.	In salons, the technicians provide protection for your eyes to maximize safety. This could be in the form of safety goggles.
Counter-reactions	Some medications increase one’s sensitivity to light. At-home devices may not indicate these medications, putting you at risk of skin damage.	The technician always ensures that you are not on any drug that will end up affecting the result they hope to achieve before proceeding.
Privacy	You can use these devices from the comfort of your home and enjoy privacy. It is a sure device for fans of LED light therapy who are big on privacy.	Salon LED light treatment can pose lots of privacy issues for some people as the technician would have access to the part that needs treatment. No matter how private the client feels, the body part is.
Convenience	You can use these devices any time you want. You just have to know the number of sessions you need, and you can schedule to use it whenever you are less busy.	To visit a salon, you need to know when best to do so, which may not be convenient for you. You need to know when the salon is open and the technician’s work hours to avoid getting there to wait for the technician.
Speed	Considering the fact that you do not have to take a trip to any salon to get an LED light therapy session, it is much faster than those of salons.	Although the technician may work with the speed of an expert, the time that it will take you to get to the salon has to be considered.
Cost	The price for one depends on the brand and the perceived effectiveness. But the price ranges from $250 to $700 or more. This seems more cost-effective because you get to use it over again and can share it with your family members and save them the cost of visiting a salon.	Depending on the size of the part of your body to be treated, you can book a session for as low as $25 and as high as $250 or more.

Conclusion

Which should you choose between LED light therapy at home and salon? Going from the comparison table above, the one you should go for is the one that offers all you want. For instance, salon LED light therapy offers more intense, safe, and effective treatment compared to at-home devices. In contrast, at-home devices offer more privacy, convenience, and affordability.

To boost the effectiveness of your at-home skin treatment, we recommend more effective at-home devices like an IPL device. Compared to an at-home LED light therapy device, an IPL device like the Ulike IPL will help to remove hair in addition to skin treatment. It’s also effortless to use.