Facial Burn From Red Light?

[Sam1234]

I went to a tanming salon a few weeks ago and did red light; everything went fine. I went back a week later, did it for 15 minutes, and when I came out, it looked and felt like I had a severe sunburn on my face. It took around 1.5 hours to go away. I think my face felt tender/sore for a few days but since I was hyper focused on it, it's possible it could have been my imagination.

Any thoughts as to how this could have happened? Everything online insists you can't burn from red light. I'm terrified that it melted the fat in my face or something like you hear with IPL or laser treatments.

Any help would be SO appreciated!

 

[Sucrates]

The higher the wavelength from red to infrared the more potential for heat at a given output, but enough power could burn at any wavelength in that range. If it was a heat burn you would feel heat, did you feel heat? If not it's probably nitric oxide from too high a dose, which seems to be what almost everyone is doing.

You cannot get erythema (sunburn) from red light.

 

[Sam1234]

Thanks so much for the quick reply! I did feel some sunburn-like warmth (though I realize it couldn't have been a sunburn).

I attached a before/after photo (before the RLT and 30 mins after the RLT. I was more red immediately after).

Do you think there's any cause for concern, or that damage could've been done?

 

[Sucrates]

Thanks so much for the quick reply! I did feel some sunburn-like warmth (though I realize it couldn't have been a sunburn).

I attached a before/after photo (before the RLT and 30 mins after the RLT. I was more red immediately after).

Do you think there's any cause for concern, or that damage could've been done?

I think it's unlikely if it's only visible red at an appropriate power, but then I don't know the device parameters. If it's a appropriate device in the low hundreds of mw/cm2 at 4-12J per cm2 then it's likely an oversensitivity to nitric oxide.
I might be able to take a better guess if I knew the specs.
At any rate it's not necessary to get a reaction like that, and I'd avoid it.

 

[milk_lover]

I emailed Dr. Peat with similar issue but I was using halogen light at the time so probably it emits more heat than your device. He said overheating could have dried my skin. It wasn't as severe as your case though.
Halogen Heater And LED Lights Setup For Red Light Therapy

 

[Sam1234]

Thanks for the replies! I've contacted the place I had it done and asked them to email me more information about the device. I will update then.

 

[Sam1234]

I received the information on the RLT used. Apologies as I'm not sure what info is/isn't relevant, I'm just listing everything I have. The unit was a converted Hex II Piste.

Rejuvenessence-Light Sources F71T12-100W
Spec: 2283
Wattage:100W-12oW
633nm

Does this provide any helpful info? Thanks for the help; it's been really upsetting to have such a weird reaction to something I thought was innocuous.

 

[Sucrates]

I received the information on the RLT used. Apologies as I'm not sure what info is/isn't relevant, I'm just listing everything I have. The unit was a converted Hex II Piste.

Rejuvenessence-Light Sources F71T12-100W
Spec: 2283
Wattage:100W-12oW
633nm

Does this provide any helpful info? Thanks for the help; it's been really upsetting to have such a weird reaction to something I thought was innocuous.

That's probably input power, rather than light output.
Low level Laser (or LED) Therapy is generally from 20-250mW. Higher milliwatts are used but are pulsed to minimise heat. Power then drops off fast at distance.
1Watt(W) is 1,000 milliWatt(mW).
There's really no way to guess the output onto your skin from the input, but it's a powerful device.

My guess is that it's either heat or too much light increasing nitric oxide. I'd look for something that's going to give you 50-200mW/cm2 in visible red spectrum and try 4-6 J/cm2. There's a biphasic dose response, meaning too much negates the benefit, and the dose is usually a lot less than people would imagine.
The initial effects were found with only 5mW powered lasers.

 

[Sam1234]

So, basically the redness was from increased blood flow? Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Sucrates]

So, basically the redness was from increased blood flow? Thanks again for all the help.

That's my guess. If it's from NO it could cause damaged blood vessels if done repeatedly.

 

[encerent]

I received the information on the RLT used. Apologies as I'm not sure what info is/isn't relevant, I'm just listing everything I have. The unit was a converted Hex II Piste.

Rejuvenessence-Light Sources F71T12-100W
Spec: 2283
Wattage:100W-12oW
633nm

Does this provide any helpful info? Thanks for the help; it's been really upsetting to have such a weird reaction to something I thought was innocuous.

That's probably input power, rather than light output.
Low level Laser (or LED) Therapy is generally from 20-250mW. Higher milliwatts are used but are pulsed to minimise heat. Power then drops off fast at distance.
1Watt(W) is 1,000 milliWatt(mW).
There's really no way to guess the output onto your skin from the input, but it's a powerful device.

My guess is that it's either heat or too much light increasing nitric oxide. I'd look for something that's going to give you 50-200mW/cm2 in visible red spectrum and try 4-6 J/cm2. There's a biphasic dose response, meaning too much negates the benefit, and the dose is usually a lot less than people would imagine.
The initial effects were found with only 5mW powered lasers.

200mW/cm2 is much too powerful to be messing around with imo. The effective dose in the studies is indeed much lower than some might imagine like you said. 5mW to 50mW is enough for up to 30 mins.

 

[Sucrates]

200mW/cm2 is much too powerful to be messing around with imo. The effective dose in the studies is indeed much lower than some might imagine like you said. 5mW to 50mW is enough for up to 30 mins.

I would use 200mW for only 30 seconds per spot.

 

[ddjd]

I went to a tanming salon a few weeks ago and did red light; everything went fine. I went back a week later, did it for 15 minutes, and when I came out, it looked and felt like I had a severe sunburn on my face. It took around 1.5 hours to go away. I think my face felt tender/sore for a few days but since I was hyper focused on it, it's possible it could have been my imagination.

where do they have red light tanning salons??? i thought they only did vit d tanning salons??