Light Therapy on Skin + The AlphaSphere Immersive Experience
Hey guys!
So I wanted to do a skincare blog about Light Therapy and some other more so emmersive therapies that are now available on the market, because there’s not a wealth of information about these and I’ve had a few of these products for maybe like four years now? Including the light mask so gloriously modelled by my friend Abbey. So light therapy has been used in hospitals to treat burns, it’s been used in acne clinics to help reduce bacteria, it’s used in situatons where there is musculature damage to help repair tissue, it is just one of those types of therapy that doesn’t have an immediate, tangible reaction so I think it’s been a little unfairly grouped in some other more hollistic or spiritual treatments, that aren’t as scientific.
Light therapy is legit, whether it’s a burst of light in IPL, whether it’s a sunburn. Light has real impacts on the skin and the body and we can use different frequencies to do different things. The most commonly known forms of light treatment talk about UV and IF, which are the waves at the end of our colour spectrum that’s just outside of our perception. Animals and insects can see different degrees of these and they’re very potent in skincare. UV definitely is commonly known as being able to kill bacteria, the even use UV in swimming pools to remove any bacteria from the water. IV is more controlled and can be used to help promote tissue healing. It’s a combination of these two light frequencies that are put into these new light masks. Commonly in spas you see the Opera style masks and they’re pretty much that, the only thing about them is this treatment is not a spa treatment. You have to have a controlled set up of routine treatments, maybe four a week for a month to see the results and the results can be extraodinary.
The way that athletes treat tissue wounds is with NIR, Near Infra-Red. It’s called Photobiomodulation and can regenerate tissue, heal the skin and stimulate regrowth which is awesome for any sports related injury. But you have to be vigilant, it really doesn’t work as an immediate fix and you have to be committed to the treatment. There are lots of objects like the MDNA roller that’s recommended in my favourites that is made of a form of Carbon that actually emits a lesser form of IR. It’s the same mechanism as used in IR saunas, they use that material in the sauna and it really does create such a lower frequency that over continued use you can see a profound difference in toning muscles, repairing skin. It’s subtle, but it works.
Light therapy is definitely a new experience in beauty and something that many people can look into for a variety of treatments, I would say the ideal candidate would be for people who are experiencing muscle issues as a treatment to heal. I also think UV light can help with bacterial reduction but there are many options on the market that are simpler and less expensive whether using a topical spray like Clinisept or Hibiscrub, it’s gonna do the same thing without doing any damage to the skin. In these types of masks, you have to also be aware that you need to wear specific lense protection because you can injure your eye with the wrong type of light exposure. So overall, for its specific use it can be a benefit to an injury.
Me and Abbey recently took a trip to Careys Manor which you can check out in my blog here. One of the treatments that we wanted to try was this new installation called Alpha Sphere which is marketed as a unique sensory experience for mental relaxation. It’s a very strange form of carbon-fiber bed, it reminded me of a seashell and is shaped to your body. You put your hands flat and it vibrates and then they enwrap you with this organza like material that sort of reminds me like a macro image of a fly-eye. You blur your vision and then the lights go dim, you choose a program that covers about 30 minutes of inaudible music and vibrations. The shell slowly rocks as you adjust your body weight and it’s all a bit of a surreal and psychedelic experience.
That one was a bit out there even for me and I did enjoy the relaxation of the treatment but I think it was more of a trigger for relaxation than a truly immersive experience but Abbey adored it and went back for a second round.
So light can be very much a stimulant and there are many uses for it. Let me know if you’ve ever tried one of these therapies in the links below.
