Red light therapy for hormonal acne & other skin issues

red light therapy for skin problems

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Red light therapy can be very beneficial for hormonal acne or other skin issues. It has lots of benefits to the skin, and not really any side effects. In my experience it’s a gentle way to treat acne, improve your complexion or even help with muscle pain.

 

When my hormonal spots start to act out and get inflamed, I do my best to calm down my skin. One of the most effective way to do it is red light therapy.

Red light therapy for hormonal acne and skin problems

I’ve struggled with hormonal acne for years, but I stopped fighting it once I realized it wasn’t really in my hands. After that my acne and skin actually calmed down. Who knows, maybe taking away the stress of it and just accepting the situation helped. (My hormonal problems also caused hair loss, irregular and painful periods and infertility – just to name a few symptoms. Hormonal problems such as acne are not your fault.)

Photo from 12/2020.

Currently my skin is doing pretty good. I have phases where I get more hormonal spots and break out, but I also have phases when my skin seems to glow all on its own. Note: I still talk about hormonal acne as something I “have”, when I talk about my hormonal spots. Because even though my skin is doing better, there’s constantly some level of impurities and “acne” (caused by my hormones) on my back, neck and face.

So I no longer fight my acne, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still treat my skin. I take pride in my skincare routine. It’s actually super important to me, because it’s de-stressing. And not stressing about your skin – or about anything, really –  is probably the best decision you could make.

 

When I started to use red light for my skin 2020, I found it really helpful. Red light therapy has improved my complexion and helped my acne by reducing inflammation. It’s also fun. Mostly because I love feeling the warmth of the machine on my skin.

red light therapy for skin

Very shortly: what is red light therapy?

Red light therapy (RLT) uses red light to treat different skin issues.

Red light is thought to produce an effect in cells, which increases their functions and energy. So your cells on the skin can work more efficiently, rejuvenate themselves and repair damage!

 

Red light therapy benefits for skin

  • Improves circulation
  • Builds collagen (as you get older your skin produces less of it and you get wrinkles)
  • Reduces inflammation (therefore reduces inflamed acne)
  • Relieves pain

There haven’t been enough studies yet, but from what I gathered from the ones I read, red light really has benefits to the skin. And best of all – without much side effects.

Red light therapy for acne

In my opinion RLT is quite a smart way to treat acne. Especially when I think of all the other invasive things and harsh products you could add to your skin. I’ll be the first to admit I used to treat my acne so wrong, with way too harsh products.

For example this study reported significant improvements in skin complexion, skin feeling and the amount of collagen on the skin. The photos speak for themselves.

The only thing I want to note is that if you have facial telangiectasia or lots of redness, you might want to avoid those areas or protect them. I suppose it has something to do with the warming effect, which increases circulation and therefore can make redness more visible. Though I have just a bit of redness on my cheeks and haven’t noticed it getting any worse – actually the opposite, since the overall tone of my skin seems smoother.

Blue or red light for acne?

Red light, blue light and the combination of those are used to treat different skin conditions. When I read about different light studies, blue light is typically used more for acne. That is because it’s antibacterial, killing the types of bacteria that cause acne in your pores. However, since red light works on a cellular level and has anti-inflammatory properties, it can also be used for acne. On healthline’s article it was said, that if the acne is chronic, red light might be the choice for you. My acne is or was hormonal, so in a way, chronic.

beurer IL 50 infrared heat lamp review

Beurer IL50 Infrared Heat Lamp review

The machine I have is *Beurer IL50 Infrared Heat Lamp.

I have found it extremely helpful. The size of it is perfect for my face, neck and back – which is where I mostly use it. That is my hormonal acne area: my jawline, chest and back. I used it quite regularly in 2020, when my acne was a bit worse than now. I remember so many video calls while bathing in that red light. It calmed down the inflammation of my pimples. I also feel like overall my skin complexion improved.

Nowadays I use it whenever my acne breaks out. I use it a couple evenings in a row and I see a big improvement. Other than that, I try and remember to bathe in red light whenever I remember (so maybe once a week or every other week).

Red light hasn’t removed my acne scars, even though in time, it might make them less visible. I use *argan oil daily, and I know that helps my acne and scars to heal.

Having the machine at home has been handy also for other things, than my skin.

I suffer from bruxism and even though botox injections keep that in check, my jaw muscles can get a bit sore after a night of nightmares or a stressful week. This machine is good for muscle pain and I find it does relax my jaw muscles. For best results, I also stretch my jaw muscles by keeping a ball in my mouth or doing other stretches.

I’ve also tried it for period pains and it worked (though that requires Risto helping me point it at the right area while I’m dying in bed in pain). Warmth typically helps with period pains, but I have to say I think warm blanket is probably more convenient.

Risto also uses it for sore muscles or any pain caused by exercising. I also sometimes do that, but I’m a bit lazy when it’s not about my skin.

red light therapy for hormonal acne

Have you heard of red light therapy or tried it?

Sources:
Healthline
This study

 

Hormonal acne is not your fault

 

I have tried writing this post down a few times now. I have talked about acne numerous times here before, but this time it feels different and I’m reaching out for words.

I wonder how to explain myself to you in a way, that you would truly understand me. It’s a new story. One, where I’m not trying to get rid of my acne or even fight it. I just let it be.

Because finally, I have found the reason for my acne. It’s a hormonal thing. I’m not ready to go into details, but that’s also irrelevant now. There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’m just living my life with acne, accepting it.

If you have hormonal acne, there’s only so much you can do. A good skincare routine obviously helps, but it doesn’t cure it. If your skin is otherwise in good shape (besides the hormonal acne area), your routine is probably fine. You’re doing a good job taking care of your skin.

Say it with me:

Hormonal acne is not my fault

What I do want to talk about – and will – is that sometimes you have acne and it’s fine.

I want to talk about the acne, where you don’t battle it with a trillion different creams and medications. I want to talk about skin positivity, where your skin texture doesn’t even need to be singly acknowledged. It just is.

Pimples, blackheads, skin texture and scarring is just that. Skin. It might be your skin and that’s all it is. Maybe it’s not a problem and a shame, but rather a normal part of you, just like your eyebrows or your elbows?

And here’s an even crazier suggestion: what if your skin could be in great shape, while still having acne?

I argue that my skin is in a great shape. It’s not dry or oily. My skin texture and skin tone is quite even. If my acne had something to do with how I take care of my skin, it would show up all over my face. The fact that it’s focused on the hormonal problem area (jaw, neck) tells me, that I’m doing a good job.

I like my skin. I think it’s beautiful. I love my little freckles and I love how my skin looks like real skin. Even when I wear makeup, I want it to look like that – real. I have the option of concealing my acne spots, but I can very well not do that. It needs to matter to you. Not to other people.

If you want to know my skincare routine that suits my acne as well, check out my skincare 101 post.

 

It’s okay not to be a super human

I don’t worry about my acne, when I wake up, or when I take off my makeup. I don’t come up with new solutions to get rid of it. It just so happens, that I have acne, and I let it be.

But of course some days it bothers me. It’s only natural there are days where it frustrates me so much. It’s okay not to be a super human. Sometimes I feel small and frail. It’s those days my bra straps weigh on my acne spots and I have to change my outfit or my bra. It’s those days, where I wake up with blood on my pillow from an inflamed spot. I know, first world problems, but it’s one of those things that concretely reminds me of my acne, when I would like to not think about it at all.

Luckily this time around it’s not as painful and inflamed as it has been before. I’m thankful for that. At the same time I’m angry: why do I have to live with acne, once again? Haven’t I battled it not once, but twice already? And I know I know, how can you be angry, but at peace with this thing at the same time?

Let me tell you. It’s easy. You just are. It’s only natural to have all these feelings and it’s good to get them out. The real difference is that this time I’m not fighting it.

hormonal acne birth control pills

I have accepted my acne

In a way, I have accepted my acne. Though my acne is quite mild right now, compared to what I’ve had before. It also depends – the condition of my skin can vary drastically from week to week. Today, this week, my face is looking pretty clean. My back is more problematic though.

I have never felt this peaceful about my skin while having acne, because I’m not at war with it. If someone pointed out to me, that I have acne, I would simply answer: so what? And mean it one hundred percent.

So what?

Stop trying to fight. Maybe the best thing you could do is learn to love yourself even more. Learn to be even more compassionate with yourself. Learn to leave a dirty coffee mug on the table every once in a while. You’re not always in a hurry.

Because guess what? There is life with acne. A good, normal life. Your looks are not all of your personality. Ha, what a plot twist!

And when you hit a rough patch, and feel down about your skin, just turn away from the mirror. Look outside the window and remember that that’s where the important things happen.

I have acne and it’s not a flaw. It simply just is. Just like the purple lupines on the field, seagulls on the sky and the sea sparkling in the sun. It’s summer. And guess what? I plan on enjoying it and being as happy as I can.

For anyone out there dealing with a hormonal thing – I’m with you.

 

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