“In the last 25+ years I have researched and tried hands-on all major technologies for skin tightening and I can say that infrared light is not one of them - not for fast results at least. But for slow, steady progress over several months - and to maximise the effects of other, more effective technologies, such as deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency - near high-power infrared light therapy is a great technology.”
Is infrared light therapy good for loose skin?
Infrared light and skin tightening
Intense deep heat for collagen stimulation with infrared light
Intense deep heat for collagen stimulation with deep tissue radiofrequency
Intense deep heat for collagen stimulation with deep tissue radiofrequency followed by red and infrared light therapy
Intense deep heat for tissue burning and skin hardening with HIFU or RF microneedling - good luck with those, you will need it…
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
LipoTherapeia® Plus: Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment with London’s cellulite experts
Infrared light and skin tightening
Infrared light penetrates more than red light and can better reach the dermis where fibroblasts (collagen and elastin producing cells) and collagen structures are found.
High-power LED phototherapy in the near infrared wavelengths of about 830nm boosts mitochondrial function via the stimulation of cytochrome C oxidase enzyme. In turn, improved mitochondrial function means better fibroblast function and increased collagen and elastin synthesis, resulting in firmer skin.
No other procedure is known to have this effect on mitochondrial function - only red light at around 630nm and infrared light at around 830nm.
However, this effect is subtle and appears gradually and slowly. So infrared - and even red - light is more suited to skin laxity prevention, maintenance or slow improvement - not for fast results.
For faster results, relatively intense deep heat has much better results. This can be deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency or very high intensity infrared light at higher frequencies (900+ nm).
(With LED masks, which by definition and by necessity are low-power, these results appear even slower. So even the best LED mask is only suited for prevention or very slow improvement - don’t expect spectacular skin tightening with any LED mask.)
Intense deep heat for collagen stimulation with infrared light
Very high intensity infrared light at higher wavelengths (900+ nm, which do not boost mitochondrial function), can provide such intense deep heat but it also inadvertently heats up the surface of the skin (epidermis) too much and has limitations in its use, as excessive epidermal heating will lead to epidermal burns.
A superficial cooling mechanism could potentially avert this problem but no such machines, based on continuous handpiece movement, exist on the market today.
Continuous movement helps avoid hotspots, which can cause burns, regardless of cooling.
Intense deep heat for collagen stimulation with deep tissue radiofrequency
On the other hand, deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency, provides treatment straight into the dermis and even deeper, into the hypodermis, while largely bypassing the epidermis.
(BTW, superficial radiofrequency overheats the epidermis and is pointless, while low-power RF is ineffective.)
Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency can be intense but controlled without causing any epidermal burns. With continuous movement and cooling, hotspots and burning are almost totally avoided.
At the clinic, with this technology and with our protocols, after 4,000 sessions over 4 years we have only caused one tiny burn the size of an acne spot, which completely resolved in three weeks. This represents better than 99.9% safety.
Intense deep heat for collagen stimulation with deep tissue radiofrequency followed by red and infrared light therapy
So, at the clinic we do use high-power infrared light LED therapy - but not at extreme intensities.
We primarily use deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency to stimulate collagen and elastin production fast and then we use high-power red and infrared LED light to stimulate mitochondrial function in order to maximise the results of radiofrequency.
All with the same 99.9%+ safety and almost non-existent adverse reactions.
Intense deep heat for tissue burning and skin hardening with HIFU or RF microneedling - good luck with those, you will need it…
Another way to reach the dermis and hypodermis is with HIFU and RF microneedling.
However, those techniques are LITERALLY based on BURNING the skin at 60-90ºC with the hope that it will later regenerate and harden, which is then baptised as ‘skin tightening’.
We do not believe in burning the skin under any circumstances so at the clinic we do not offer those procedures.
Check here and here to see the adverse reactions of these procedures and judge for yourself if the risk is worth the results - which in any case are inferior to SAFE deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency.
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy, LED light therapy etc) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 200mW/cm2), for best results and treatment of large body areas.
We use specialised therapy protocols for skin rejuvenation / anti-ageing, pigmentation / post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), moderate/severe acne, skin redness, sensitive/inflamed/irritated skin, wound healing, sports injuries / musculoskeletal pain and overall wellness / well-being.
Our LED phototherapy sessions are comfortable, deeply relaxing and super-safe and are great to enhance our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments for skin tightening / cellulite reduction.
On our booking page you can book stand-alone phototherapy sessions or combine them with our other treatments, as an add-on.
Check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy treatment at our London clinic.
Have a treatment in London with the cellulite experts
At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.
This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.
As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.
(Of course, we keep looking for new technologies every day and if/when a better technology materialises we will be the first to provide it. However, we will never follow the latest ineffective gimmick, just because it’s good marketing to offer the latest hyped up - yet ineffective and/or unsafe treatment.)
Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.
And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.
Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.
(No unsafe and ineffective RF microneedling or HIFU and no safe but ineffective acoustic wave therapy, superficial RF (bipolar/tripolar/multipolar etc), low power RF/cavitation, electrical muscle stimulation, lymphatic massage, cupping, dry brushing and no ridiculous bum bum creams.)
Our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.
We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.
Check prices and book an expert cellulite / skin tightening treatment at our London clinic.
Look Inside Your Skin™ with a Cellulite Ultrasonography™ scan, exclusive to LipoTherapeia in London, and assess your cellulite, skin laxity, post-liposuction fibrosis and more
We are proud to be the first and only cellulite clinic in the world to offer Cellulite Ultrasonography™ to our clients, for accurate assessment, better treatment and enhanced results. Since 2022 we have assessed and provided valuable insights to hundreds of clients to better understand their specific case, see how their skin looks from inside and make informed decisions.
You can now book your Cellulite Ultrasonography™ session and assess your:
Cellulite
Skin laxity
Lipedema
Subcutaneous fat levels
You can also assess the presence and severity of fibrosis and adhesions after:
Liposuction in all its forms, including vaser, smart lipo, bodytite, abdominoplasty/tummy tuck, thigh lift, arm lift, lipedema surgery etc
Cellulite surgery, such as cellulaze, cellutite, cellfina, subcision etc
Face-lift surgery
Non-surgical procedures, such as RF microneedling, extreme intensity HIFU, extreme intensity RF, extreme intensity ultrasound etc
Everything will be shown and explained to you clearly and you can see and understand how the different structures inside your skin affect your appearance.
If there is scar tissue / fibrosis, those will be clearly seen and you can differentiate between fibrosis, water retention or unremoved fat after all types of cosmetic surgery or harsh non-surgical procedures such as RF microneedling, extreme intensity HIFU etc.
(DISCLAIMER: Please note that this service is for your informational purposes only and does not constitute medical diagnosis or advice.)
The 45’ appointment includes full assessment and consultation and optional treatment plan for cellulite reduction and/or skin tightening.
If you do wish to have treatment with us, the ultrasound scan, assessment and consultation will be used to optimise your course of treatments and maximise your results.