What is a photon facial?

As your skin changes with age, you will have endless problems unlike when you were younger. There are many people who want to do something for their skin, but don't know what to do.

In this article, I will tell you about the effects and features of photofacials, which are available at esthetic salons and are effective in treating multiple skin problems such as wrinkles and sagging. In addition, we will also discuss the cost, optimal frequency, and precautions to be taken to thoroughly explain the optical facial.

Photofacials available at esthetic salons are also called "photo facial", "IPL", or "optical esthetic", while the procedure at clinics is called "photofacial". The difference between a photofacial and a photofacial is discussed in Chapter 6.

If you are interested in photofacials and want to have beautiful skin, please refer to this page.

0.1 1. "Photon facial" is effective in that multiple lights approach all kinds of problems.

A photo facial is a procedure in which the skin is irradiated with special light that contains various wavelengths. The light that reaches the inside of the skin acts to activate cell tissues and improve skin problems.

There are four main types of light colors used in photofacials, each with different effects. The longer wavelengths reach the fibroblast cells in the dermis layer, resulting in the skin beautifying effects described in Chapter 2.

Longer wavelengths

・The longer wavelengths reach the fibroblast cells in the dermis layer and stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, resulting in firmness.

・Yellow: Reacts with oxidized hemoglobin and melanin pigment to improve dullness.

Short wavelength

・Induces reactive oxygen species (reduces reactive oxygen species, which are increased by ultraviolet rays and stress and destroy collagen), thereby suppressing excessive secretion of sebum and affecting acne and pores.

・Induces active oxygen (reduces active oxygen that destroys collagen, which is increased by ultraviolet rays and stress), thereby reducing excessive sebum secretion and treating acne and pores.

Basically, the machines used in esthetic salons irradiate all of these four colors at the same time, but some machines only have one color, so it is recommended to ask the staff at the counseling stage.

0.2 2. Beautiful skin effect

2-1. Improves wrinkles and sagging skin due to skin beautifying effect

The red light of a photofacial has a beautiful effect on the skin, reducing wrinkles and sagging. The blue light also has the pleasant effect of making the skin less prone to acne when irradiated on skin with excessive sebum secretion.

2-2. Mechanism of the skin beautifying effect

When irradiated, the red light activates the fibroblast cells in the dermis layer of the skin, bringing moisture and elasticity from the inside of the skin. Fibroblasts produce collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, which are the three major proteins that maintain the skin's elasticity and firmness.

・Collagen is a protein that maintains the strength of the skin. It accounts for 70% of the dermis and is a major component of the dermis structure.

・Elastin is a protein that maintains the elasticity of the skin. It occupies 2-3% of the dermis. Elastin is more necessary than collagen to have "plump skin".

・Hyaluronic acid is a viscous protein that is necessary to maintain moisture in the skin. Hyaluronic acid is a viscous protein that is necessary to retain moisture in the skin, and is a necessary ingredient for "moist skin" with excellent moisturizing power.

When light reaches the fibroblast cells, the cells feel stress and launch a self-defense reaction. Then, in order to protect the skin from light stimulation, the cells actively divide and produce many of the three proteins at once. As a result, the wrinkled depressions in the skin's epidermis are lifted, and wrinkles and sagging are improved.

This is a long explanation, but to summarize

① Irradiate light
② Fibroblasts are activated.
③ The three proteins collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid are produced.
④ The skin becomes more elastic and moisturized, and wrinkles and sagging skin are improved.

This is how the effect of beautiful skin is created.

0.3 3. Whitening effect

3-1. Whitening effect makes blemishes lighter

The yellow-green light of a photofacial has a whitening effect that lightens spots and dullness. This effect is related to skin turnover, and the mechanism is explained below.

3-2. Mechanism of whitening effect

In chapter 1, I mentioned that the light facial is expected to improve skin problems, but the improvement of skin problems is achieved by normalizing skin turnover. The term "turnover" refers to the metabolism of the skin, or the rebirth of the skin. When this turnover cycle is disrupted, it can lead to skin problems.

Melanin pigments, which are the source of blemishes, are normally removed with the cells by the turnover process, but when the turnover process is disrupted by aging or stress, melanin pigments accumulate without being pushed out. This is what causes the spots to appear on the surface of the skin.

By irradiating the skin with red light, the turnover of the skin is regulated, and at the same time, the dead skin cells are peeled off and the melanin pigment, which is the source of the spots, is discharged, resulting in the fading of the spots.

0.4 4. Vasoconstriction effect

4-1. Redness is improved by vasoconstriction effect

The yellow light of the photofacial has the effect of constricting blood vessels.

4-2. Mechanism of the vasoconstriction effect

Redness is caused by hemoglobin (the red color of blood) in the densely packed capillaries on the face showing through. By irradiating yellow light that reacts to the red pigment, the capillaries are constricted, leading to improvement of the redness of the skin.

As a side note, the type of light used in optical facials is called IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), but IPL has a weak hair removal effect. IPL has a weak effect on hair removal. Originally, the hair removal treatment called "optical hair removal" was developed based on the hair removal effect of IPL.

Optical facials are specialized for skin beautification, so it is difficult to realize the hair removal effect. Therefore, those who prioritize the hair removal effect should choose an aesthetic salon that has an "optical hair removal" menu.

0.5 5. When does the photon facial start working?

5-1. Regular treatments will gradually improve your skin texture.

You may feel the effect of sagging, dullness and tightening of pores after the first treatment, but the effect lasts only for about a week. Even if your skin is temporarily cleaned by the esthetician, it will gradually return to its original condition due to UV damage.

Regularly undergoing a photofacial will help regulate the skin's turnover and make it less prone to problems. To fundamentally improve skin quality, regular and continuous care is inevitably necessary.

5-2. The ideal frequency is once a month, but not too often.

Ideally, a photofacial should be performed once a month, in accordance with the skin's turnover.

Also, more treatments in a short period of time does not necessarily mean better results. It is important to keep the frequency to once a month, as spaced treatments can be hard on the skin.

0.6 Summary

In this article, I explained in detail the effects and cautions of photofacial, which is effective for various skin problems, and compared it with clinics and home facial equipment.

The photofacial treatment you receive at an esthetic salon has "skin brightening", "whitening", and "vasoconstriction" effects.

・For those who want to improve their skin problems such as wrinkles, sagging, dullness, and blemishes.

・For those who want to have a trial treatment at a reasonable price.

・People with weak skin or people who are sensitive to pain

If you are one of these people, we recommend you to have a photofacial treatment. Get the right knowledge about photofacials, and you'll have beautiful skin that's less prone to problems!