LED Light Therapy Facials: What It Does, How It Works & Why Not All LED Is Equal
What is LED light therapy?
LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. In a skin treatment context, it means exposing your skin to specific wavelengths of light — carefully calibrated bands of colour that penetrate different depths of the skin and trigger different biological responses.
It’s non-invasive, completely painless, and requires zero downtime. You lie back, the light does its work, and you walk out with skin that looks and feels better than when you walked in. For most people it feels like sitting in a warm patch of sunlight — relaxing rather than clinical.
What does LED actually do to your skin?
The science is well established. Different wavelengths of light stimulate different cellular processes:
Red light (around 630–660nm)
Red light is the anti-ageing workhorse. It penetrates into the dermis and stimulates fibroblast cells to produce more collagen and elastin — the structural proteins that keep skin firm, plump and smooth. It’s also anti-inflammatory, which makes it excellent for calming irritated or sensitised skin. If you’re working on fine lines, dullness or loss of firmness, red light is your friend.
Near-infrared light (around 830nm)
Near-infrared goes deeper than red light, reaching further into the skin tissue and even into the muscle layer. It increases blood flow and oxygenation, supports mitochondrial function (the energy source of your cells), and accelerates the skin’s natural repair processes. It’s particularly effective when used before or after treatments like microneedling, helping the skin recover faster and get more from the treatment.
Blue light (around 415nm)
Blue light works at the surface and is primarily used for acne-prone skin. It reacts with the porphyrins produced by Cutibacterium acnes (the bacteria responsible for breakouts), effectively neutralising them without harsh chemicals or irritation. It may also help regulate sebum production and reduce pore size over a course of treatments.
Why not all LED is equal — and why it matters
Here’s the thing most clinics don’t tell you: the LED device being used makes an enormous difference to the result. Consumer-grade LED devices — the masks and wands sold online — deliver a fraction of the photon intensity of a professional medical-grade system. You’re not getting the same treatment.
The Xen LED system we use at Beleura Beauty has 10,500 diodes. To put that in perspective, that’s approximately six times the diode count of most other professional systems on the market. More diodes means higher photon intensity across the full treatment area, which means a faster, more effective full-dose treatment — not a diluted version of one.
The Xen system also combines red, near-infrared and blue light in one unit, allowing treatments to be customised to your specific skin concerns in a single session.
What can LED light therapy treat?
At Beleura Beauty we use LED for a wide range of concerns, often in combination with other treatments:
- Photo-rejuvenation and general skin health
- Fine lines and loss of firmness
- Acne and congested skin
- Rosacea and chronic redness
- Pigmentation and uneven skin tone
- Post-treatment recovery (after microneedling, peels or other clinical treatments)
- Broken capillaries and vascular concerns
LED works beautifully as a standalone treatment or as an add-on to a facial. I often prefer to perform it before the facial itself, as it prepares the skin and enhances the absorption of everything applied afterwards.
How many sessions do I need?
A single LED session will leave your skin looking brighter and calmer. For lasting structural change — improved firmness, reduced acne, better texture — a course of treatments gets the best results. Most clients start to see meaningful improvement after four to six sessions, and many include LED as a regular part of their skincare routine.
Sessions can be booked standalone or combined with a facial at a discounted rate. If you’re not sure what’s right for your skin, book a consultation and we’ll work it out together.
Ready to try LED light therapy in Mornington?
Beleura Beauty is based at 115 Beleura Hill Road, Mornington VIC 3931. Book online or call to arrange your appointment. If you’d like to know more about whether LED is right for your skin concerns, I’m always happy to have a chat first.