Hozer2k - LED Journal

[hozer2k]

I was originally going to start LED some time after IPL, but I got impulsive and decided to try it right away because of all the positive reports here. I use the acne lamp, single head, red...about 3" from my face for 15-30 min. I did this on one side of my face to get an objective view. On the third day I noticed this side was definately more red than the other. So I have decided to discontinue its use for the time being ( a month or two ) on the face. However in the meantime I will use it on one side of my neck and chest.

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Now for my beef about others using LED systems. While I feel they are well intentioned, I am going to stick to what I know as a researcher. I feel it is very important to do just one side to gage the progress.

Rosacea can change from day to day, hour to hour by:
season
heat
humidy
stress
diet
the way you view yourself over time ( you forget what you really looked like 6 months ago)
medications
IPL
placebo
healing of time
etc, etc, etc

This being said, I will not continue to believe anyone who hasnt tried one side of the face for at least some period of time. This is not to say anyone is lying, absolutetly not, it is just that because of the enormous amount of variables I cannot really believe it. Its such an easy thing to do and a great way for each person to help isolate where its working for you or not....whether you want to spend money on equipment and dedicate the time doing this.

Doing one side of the face is a great indicator of efficacy. I have done this with topicals and been able to gage them very well. If I had not done this with current experience, I may have just chalked it to a post IPL flush, and never known. I got impulsive, but now it is time to be methodical.

That is it, I will continue to update this thread as updates come in.

[Steve95301]

Very level-headed analysis, I especially like the mention of both shifting baselines and stress.

I'm wondering: are you going to document your trials with photographs? Not for proving anything to members of this forum, but for your own use... since, like you said, it's hard to remember what you looked like six months ago?

Also: the results of your experience so soon after IPL would seem to confirm my own thoughts--and those of science in general--that red light helps wounds to heal, which includes angiogenesis. What was your feeling at the time, as to the cause of the redness? Was there any heat involved from the unit? Anything besides increased cellular activity that would account for it?

Thank you, and I look forward to your updates.

[hozer2k]

Really I have no idea why the increased redness is there, I would consider the heat to be insignificant. Other members seem to think it could help after IPL, but of course everyone is different. It seems to have mostly subsided now...but its not worth the risk to me.

Pictures, well probably not. The reason is that it is too easy for me to get carried away and obsess. I really dont want to go down that road, I want this to be as minimally intrusive to my real life as possible. I feel the two sides should show me whether or not it is going in the right or wrong direction. If at a point, I see it I am getting positive results I will be more diligent. But its too early for that as I am just looking to see how I generally will react.

Dont expect anything right away though. I need some downtime from IPL and it will take time. I am also hoping others create a journal and try to be scientific about their approaches.

[Steve95301]

Cool, that's understandable. If you're only doing one side, any results will be noticeable.

(I just got an IPL txt also, and am doing a little experimenting of my own, by going on accutane immediately afterward.)

Anyway, I won't hog your thread, except to say it looks like you're going about this the right way.

[Twickle Purple]

I was originally going to start LED some time after IPL, but I got impulsive and decided to try it right away because of all the positive reports here. I use the acne lamp, single head, red...about 3" from my face for 15-30 min. I did this on one side of my face to get an objective view. On the third day I noticed this side was definately more red than the other. So I have decided to discontinue its use for the time being ( a month or two ) on the face. However in the meantime I will use it on one side of my neck and chest.

************************************************** *************
Now for my beef about others using LED systems. While I feel they are well intentioned, I am going to stick to what I know as a researcher. I feel it is very important to do just one side to gage the progress.

This being said, I will not continue to believe anyone who hasnt tried one side of the face for at least some period of time. This is not to say anyone is lying, absolutetly not, it is just that because of the enormous amount of variables I cannot really believe it. Its such an easy thing to do and a great way for each person to help isolate where its working for you or not....whether you want to spend money on equipment and dedicate the time doing this.

Doing one side of the face is a great indicator of efficacy. I have done this with topicals and been able to gage them very well. If I had not done this with current experience, I may have just chalked it to a post IPL flush, and never known. I got impulsive, but now it is time to be methodical.

That is it, I will continue to update this thread as updates come in.

Perhaps you would clarify, do you mean to say that you're opinion on what it is occuring is valid while others are not, because you are doing one cheek? Doing one side is a great indicator of efficacy in topicals are you suggesting that this is the same?

[orangehorizon]

Suggesting to do only one side is the smartest post I've seen so far on red light. It will really separate reality from imaginary effects.

[Twickle Purple]

Suggesting to do only one side is the smartest post I've seen so far on red light. It will really separate reality from imaginary effects.

Thank you orangehorizon. Your gracious sentiments speak to the heart of a support forum.

Hozer2k what's your subtype? I have permanent redness and will be testing red light on my whole face and documenting with photos. I have redness on the nose and down either side of the cheeks.

To try it on one side is to assume that they are not interdependant. This may be a good way of testing topicals on pustules or for testing possible negative effects but for a fair test you need try it on the whole face and document with photos.

[redhotoz]

Hi Hozer2k

From what I read, before starting to use my array, is that it is best to begin at a longer distance away from your face and for a short period of time. Then, slowly bring it closer and for longer periods of time. Perhaps the 3 days of using your lamp at 3 inches away from your face with 15-30 minutes exposure was too much to start out with.

Whilst I understand the theory behind only doing only one side of the face for comparison, I do not believe that makes anyone else’s reports less credible because they treat the whole face.

Also, I don’t see how using your lamp on one side of your neck and chest is going to prove anything for use on Rosacea skin. If you want a true comparison, then I believe it should be used on your face, where the Rosacea symptoms present. Your up-date will not be comparing apples with apples.

You are right that we do forget what we looked like 6 months ago. I don’t see how taking one photo, say each month, is obsessive. How will your up-date be a true record of what has happened if you are relying solely on your memory, which as you have pointed out, can fade over time.

I’m all for folks creating a journal of their experiences but in this case, a journal of use on the neck and chest area is simply not going to give a true representation, comparing apples with apples, if you were to use your lamp on your Rosacea skin.

Jen

[hozer2k]

Jen, so people cannot have rosacea symptoms on their neck and chest? Perhaps I am wrong then, but I do have redness in this area. I know of people who have successfully treated this with IPL as well.

In any case, it is only a starting point (and I stated this). I will move on to the face in due time, but again I am going to be methodical and not haphazard. I want time to recover from IPL first.

The assumption is that the left and right are independent. Is this true? I cannot say with certainty, but I have more faith in this than with all the other myriad of variables I pointed out. Even pictures can lie as for the above reasons I pointed out.

I am thankful to all of those who have been doing LLLT! I am NOT saying anything bad about that What I am saying is simply that we do have a way of better testing the efficacy (in my opinion). Honestly, I dont think I could even believe myself if I had nothing to compare it to...its too easy to get things confused with all the other variables.