Light Therapy for Acne at Home


Find Treatment for Acne in London & UK »

One of the major benefits of light therapy is that it can be done at home without any side effects. A downside of the treatment is that it needs to be performed regularly. If your therapy is performed by a professional, the treatment can work out very expensively and can take up a lot of your time. This is where home treatment really becomes useful. After the initial expense of buying the equipment there are no further costs and, once the treatment becomes part of your routine, it should not be too inconvenient.

Compared to professional treatment, home treatment could seem like an annoyance. Professional treatment needs to be carried out approximately once a month but you are recommended to carry out home treatment for between 15-30 minutes daily. For some people, two 15-minute sessions a day are necessary.


Another possible reason to opt for professional treatment is that doctors and dermatologists are licensed to carry out the procedure in combination with photosensitive creams. These creams make your skin more sensitive to the light and can increase the bacteria-destroying effect. This kind of treatment can have more side effects and some patients have reported that it can be painful.

Types of Home Light Therapy Device

Light therapy devices have become very popular and for this reason there is quite a large assortment available to buy. They can vary in numerous ways including:

  • Type of light – The best products include both red and blue lights, however some include just one or the other. Blue lights destroy acne bacteria while red lights encourage your skin to heal the damage done by acne quickly. For this reason a combination of the two is ideal.
  • NM (nanometres) – This is how the strength of lights is measured. The higher the nm, the more powerful the light and more effective it will be. The average strength of the blue light in home treatment devices is around 420nm and the average strength of red lights is around 660nm.
  • Product type – Home Light Therapy devices come in a range of styles. Some are handheld which could be inconvenient or uncomfortable for devices that require long treatment times. Other styles are tabletop, which can be bulky and sometimes more expensive.
  • Treatment time – The length of time you are recommended to use the product for every day varies depending on the strength (nm) of the light and the type of product and the distance from your skin you are recommended to use it. The range is quite wide with some products only requiring a minute and others taking as long as 15 minutes.
  • Price – The all-important matter of price. The products do vary quite a lot in price. Considering the saving you will make on going for a professional light therapy procedure the price can seem pretty good, however, if you are not confident about the product working you may wish to look for other more trusted treatments as home light therapy devices do not come cheap. The average range is between $145-$400 which currently works out at about £95-£260.

Where to Buy Home Light Therapy Products

The internet is full of companies selling light therapy products. These products vary significantly in price and quality. Make sure you shop around and read as many reviews of products as you can.

« Light Therapy for Acne Light Therapy for Acne - Dangers, Risks & Side Effects »


Guide to Light Therapy for Acne




Further Information Acne