Light Therapy for Skin Cancer and Dermatology

People always look for ways that will help them take care of their skin. It’s not easy to take care of our skin. Skin is one of the most crucial parts of our body, as it keeps us safe from external hazards. However, at times our skin falls victim to numerous problems, which can be mild or severe. Sometimes our skin can face a lot more serious problems, like skin cancer.

As there are numerous skin problems you might face, one might want to have a special solution that alone can treat all types of issues regarding skin. Even a few years ago, this didn’t seem like something possible. Usually, we go for different types of treatments to treat different types of skin issues.

Acne, Rosacea, Psoriasis, eczema, etc. and aging signs such as wrinkles, dark circles, rough and itchy skin, etc. skin problems are faced by people all over the world. In order to treat them, people resort to specific medicines prescribed by doctors, various creams and lotions, over-the-counter medicines, remedies made of natural ingredients, different therapies, etc.

These different treatment processes can help with one of those skin problems, or some can help with more than one too. However, the one treatment that can help to some extent with all of the mentioned skin problems is light therapy. Light therapy is something that can help with the various problems a person can face, including a wide range of skin problems. Light therapy doesn’t only treat mild skin problems like wrinkles, dark circles; it also helps to treat more severe problems like acne, psoriasis, rosacea, etc. Most importantly, light therapy even helps to treat a dire skin problem that can lead to serious health complications, which is skin cancer.

What is Light Therapy?

Light therapy is one of the most effective and popular forms of therapy. In fact, blue and red light therapy have brought a revolution in the world of therapies with its numerous benefits. Light therapy technology has been around for quite some time, but it has become popular in recent times. This is because the benefits of light therapy have come to light after a lot of studies on the matter were conducted. The technology has also come through numerous developments over the years as well.

There are different types of light therapy devices that you can use easily at your home to go through light therapy all by yourself. Light therapy devices come in the form of lightboxes, handheld light therapy devices, face masks, portable light therapy devices, etc. These devices try to mimic sunlight by emitting a strong light that can penetrate your skin, muscles, and even bones. The emitted light can work on a cellular level to generate various chemical reactions and hormones to deal with your issues.

Light therapy can help a person deal with various issues. Among them, skin problems, sleeping problems, muscle pain, muscle building, weight loss, different types of pain and wounds are commonly treated with light therapy. Also, various mental health problems like seasonal affective disorder, anxiety, stress, depression, etc. are notable. Light therapy can provide a person with comfort and relaxation that can help to feel a lot better while dealing with other problems. Light therapy also provides energy that can help a person to go through the day. 

Different colors of lights are used in light therapy, such as red, blue, amber, white, yellow, etc. Each color of light comes with a specific set of benefits. Based on your problems, you’ll need to choose the color of the light therapy you are going to take. Even though red light therapy helps with a wide range of skin problems, the light that helps most with skin problems is blue light therapy.

How Blue Light Therapy Works for Dermatology

Like other colors, blue light also works by penetrating the skin. A strong blue light of around 10,000 lux is emitted by light therapy devices. When the affected area is exposed to this strong light, it penetrates the skin and then works to deal with certain conditions on the skin, or just under the skin. It generates necessary hormones and chemical reactions that can help with skin problems.

Light therapy can be very helpful in dermatology, especially blue light. A lot of skin problems such as acne can be dealt with using blue light. Blue light can help to keep the skin smooth and shiny. Whenever a person needs special care for their skin, they can resort to blue light for skin treatment. Also, if someone decides to take blue light therapy to keep their skin clean and safe from bacteria and other problems, they can go through blue light therapy on a regular basis. Blue light therapy specifically helps to kill the bacteria called “Propionibacterium Acnes” that causes acne on the skin. So, blue light therapy will help to keep your skin free of acne.

Blue light therapy can also help treat sun damage and non-melanoma skin cancers.

Blue Light Therapy for Skin Cancer

There is a therapy called photodynamic therapy, and blue light therapy is often used as a part of it. Photodynamic therapy is used to treat skin cancer of some kind, and also some precancerous spots that are known as “actinic keratoses”. These scaly and reddish patches are caused due to severe sun damage. These can turn into a kind of skin cancer over time, called “squamous cell carcinoma”.

To treat these cancerous spots with phototherapy, first, a photosensitizing medication needs to be applied to the skin. This helps to make the affected area sensitive to the damage by light. After an hour or two of applying the drug, strong blue light is radiated on the skin for 15 minutes. The light kills those cells that absorbed the medication applied beforehand.

After the treatment, the previously damaged skin of the cancerous or precancerous spots flakes off and leaves younger and healthier-looking skin behind. This treatment needs to be taken two or three times from four to six weeks apart.

Final Words

When it comes to skin problems, there are very few treatments that can be as helpful as light therapy. There aren’t many treatments for skin cancer, but light therapy, blue light therapy to be specific, can help. Light therapy has revolutionized the treatment system for skin problems. One can easily take care of their skin, and keep it safe from problems by using light therapy. Light therapy is safe to use, as there aren’t any notable side effects. Also, light therapy is really easy to take, as one can take it at home easily by using a light therapy device.