LLT and LED-induced 1st degree burns and flushing

[drnase]

Until I get this up on my site, I wanted to post once on this topic.

If you have Type I rosacea with a red face, inflammation, facial flushing, or sensitivity to the outside elements you should absolutely not use the LED or LLT systems.

I will keep this brief. There may be 6 people on all these boards that have reported positive experiences and they were mainly on acne as is to be expected.

The LLT and LED mechanism of action is claimed to be "anti-inflammatory". This is the most overused and misunderstood word in the rosacea sufferers vocabulary. In many cases, things that promote dramatic increases in blood flow remove the inflammation -- e.g look up arthritis treatment and diabetic wound healing. This is great because these disorders are NOT based on a flushing disorder.

You do not treat a flushing disorder with a flushing machine. You may push along some of the old neutrophils, but there is a greater chance that your face will become much more sensitiive.

I was a little baffled at the degree that one or two people will defend this to their life's end. Now I understand better -- some get commissions for each unit sold. They submit a name or the person buying it is asked to mention their name. That is what is behind many (but not all) of these "sellers" attacks. I thought it was germane that everyone knew this.

If there are 5 or 6 good reports (and these people are using 4 to 5 other medications which makes it impossible to locate the beneficial variable), I have received well over 110 to 125 reports of blister skin, 1st degree burns, and increased flushing. We should kindly ask Dermalux how many rosacea sufferers returned their machines within the first 30 days -- that would speak for itself.

I think this idea of treating ones self 20 mintues a day has a very appealing lure to it. I truly wish it would work, no matter what others think. But it does not.

I spoke to one of our laser gurus in the UK over the phone two days ago and he brought up the fact that he was treating patients using LED or LLT that had hurt themselves. Others he is turning away because he does not know what to do with these cases. This physicians reputation is beyond reproach, but I do not think he will ever butt his head in here because he does not want to be involved in any controversy. Two other laser physicians from the UK have treated over a dozen burn cases and one UK dermatologist who I am in constant contact with has treated three cases. I know 7 people from Australia on this board who have returned their machines within 30 days for full refund due to uncontrolled flushing and 24 hour red faces. I have over 60 reports from US rosacea sufferers trying it and 4 well known laser physicians who we have all heard from who are treating these patients now for LED and LLT-induced permanent side effects. I hope that these physicians will come forward, but with the recent animosity, I doubt they will.

In all humility, I know more about both of these systems than almost everyone else. I know the physics behind these machines, the effects on living tissue and cells and MOST importantly the clinical actions on patients. If you do not have the clinical experience and see what is happening first hand and actually measure the blood flow increases with laser doppler, you cannot go back and forth via words on this board with any degree of accuracy.

I am stepping in right now because with one moderator pushing this hard and another who (well no comment), this board is going to turn into an LED and LLT treatment board.

Be warned, most rosacea sufferers will be harmed by this treatment. To make a home made system and then pass out information on how to make something never tested on rosacea skin is absolutely irresponsible. In fact, the UK laser physicians who we all know quoted that he just treated, "a rosacea sufferer who put together an LED machine from Radio Shack parts". This person has a first degree burn and the flushing, redness and burning may never be treated fully.

If you want real medical explanations, please call any Diabetic Wound Healing Center, Rhuematoid Arthritis Treatment Center, Carpel Tunnel Treatment Center and talk to the physicians on staff. They will tell you point blank that they use these systems to increase blood flow to the area. Blood flow increases are dramatic -- reaching up to 600% increase in blood flow. Is this what rosacea sufferers want? Please use common sense on this one.

Currently the FDA has passed the use of LED and LLT therapy for disorders that "can be treated by increased blood flow".

1. Laboratory studies have shown that skin cells grow 150-200 percent faster when exposed to certain LED light wavelengths. Independent research for over 40 years has shown LED red and infrared light delivers powerful therapeutic benefits to living tissue. Both visible red and infrared light has been shown to affect at least 24 different positive changes at a deep level. Visible red light, at wavelengths from 630-660 nanometers, penetrates tissue to a depth of 8-10 mm. LED light is very beneficial in treating problems close to the skins surface such as wounds, cuts, and scars. Skin layers, because of their high blood and water content, absorb red light very readily and deliver enough energy to stimulate a response from the body to heal itself. This photobiomodulation is achieved solely through significant increases in skin blood flow through all levels of the skin.


2. You may have recently read about L.E.D. Light Therapy in a recent issue of Elle Magazine, boasting the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory benefits. Their studies revealed that exposing the skin to red L.E.D. lights for a little under 20 minutes can plump skin, smooth wrinkles and fine lines. Another study revealed that exposure to L.E.D. lights for approx. 3 minutes per area can promote collagen stimulation by 200% within a 24 hour period! LED works by increasing blood flow by up to 4 times the resting amount (400%) and this is the main mechanism by which these systems work. Buyer Beware – these machines are NOT made for rosacea because it is not a stable inflammatory skin process. It is an inflammatory process that feeds on itself – more blood flow to the area helps damage more blood vessels, hypersenitize them and create a vicious positive feed back loop that may be very hard to break. The home unit which was mentioned in magazine article retails for $2,495 and the photo of the unit shown in the article appeared to have the smaller (weaker) 3 - 5 mm lights.


Now, there is one very intersting effect of both systems directly on cells. They can stabilize and make cells healthy via photobiomodulation. Someone make a machine that just does this and does not increase blood flow and you have something.

This subject was much too important for me to ignore it and continue working on my site. This is an absolute buyer beware and just know that many of the physicians that I have been in contact do not know how to treat a burn on top of rosacea flushing and redness.

Feel free to take this subject where you will. There is no harm to present medical information on these two systems. I have no other response to either of these systems. Updates will be placed on my site as debates are not constructive here with a few.