Complexion got you feeling blue?
TikTokers swear by blue light therapy for their skin to reduce acne and boost collagen production, and — unlike some other online skincare trends — experts say this one works.
Not to be confused with red light therapy — which has anti-aging properties and is touted by celebrities donning their Hannibal Lecter-esque LED face masks — blue light therapy can prevent and treat blemishes caused by bacteria.
The painless devices emit blue-light waves from 380 to 500 nanometers, which penetrate the skin and destroy the particular bacterium, P. acnes, responsible for breakouts.
“The wavelengths are able to reach only the epidermis, which is the uppermost layer of the skin, but when combined with red light it can penetrate deep into the dermis and treat inflammation and cystic acne as well as boost the body’s natural repair system,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman told Women’s Wear Daily, calling it a “noninvasive” and “safe” treatment option for pesky blemishes.
According to Medical News Today, some at-home products have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for moderate cases of acne vulgaris that cannot be treated with other routes.
“What we’re realizing now is that both blue light and red light have good beneficial effects,” New York dermatologist Dr. Anthony Rossi told USA Today.
“Whereas red light’s more anti-inflammatory, blue light can be more anti-bacterial or anti-microbial. If you have a very inflammatory acne, then blue light’s really helpful to calm down that inflammation and that bacteria.”
Content creator Abigail Feehley, 27, revealed that she’s been fighting hormonal breakouts with blue light instead of topicals like retinol, while TikToker Aubrey Sentell uses a small, stick-on LED light that targets a particular area of concern.
While convenient, not all at-home LED therapy devices are the same, and the best bang for your buck is to see an in-office expert.
“You’re always going to get a stronger version of it in a professional’s office where it can be monitored,” NYC board-certified dermatologist Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank told Women’s Wear Daily.
However, if at-home products are preferred, doctors recommend wearing some sort of eye protection or closing your eyes during the process. Blue light can also disturb the body’s circadian rhythm and may worsen other skin conditions.
“You really don’t want to keep your eyes open. You don’t want to stare into these lights,” Rossi explained. “You don’t want your cornea constantly exposed to all this blue and red light.”
According to Medical News Today, patients may experience side effects like dry skin, stinging, itching, irritation and even changes in skin color.
Blue light has been linked to other benefits, like reducing the risk of skin cancer when combined with aminolevulinic acid — a medication that is activated by the light — during photodynamic therapy. Some experts believe blue light could be a treatment option for depression, too, although there is not enough evidence to support it, according to Engelman.
But blue light is not a guaranteed cure-all and hasn’t been shown to work on whiteheads or blackheads.
“Blue light therapy has been used for many years with acne,” Frank explained. “Acne is a very difficult skin disease to treat, and although it is hopeful, it should not be used as the primary and only treatment for acne.
“Most forms of LED light therapy are a good supplement to other treatments of any condition.”