Can I use retinol before/after an LED mask?

“TL;DR: Some types of retinol can be quite harsh, so applying before LED treatment may cause sensitisation.

In most cases, applying retinol after treatment is fine and equally effective.”

Retinol before / after LED treatment?

• Retinol is fine after LED treatment - in most cases

• Do not combine retinol with harsh LED or other treatments

• Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

• Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia

• The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening

Retinol is fine after LED treatment - in most cases

Depending on the type of retinol you are using, it may be quite harsh/sensitising on your skin, especially when combined with light. So applying retinol before treatment with an LED mask or other LED device (panel, dome or canopy-style) is not recommended.

In fact, light skin absorption is maximum when it is cleansed with nothing applied on it. You can always apply actives after treatment.

So in most cases you can apply retinol after LED treatment, as long as LED treatment is not too intense.

Do not combine retinol with harsh LED or other treatments

Please note that LED treatment should be generally feel mild to moderate and never ‘too intense’.

However, that does not stop some practitioners trying to be ‘too smart’ in order to provide dubious “faster results” - and charge you more (the more risky the treatment, the more one can ask for it). The same applies to some people when they have self-treatment at home: they believe if little is good, a whole lot is better.

In those cases all bets are off regarding retinol or other actives applied on the skin after treatment. Needless to say, we do not provide or condone such excessive treatments at the clinic.

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 240mW/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.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1).

Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the 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.

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, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.

And 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.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert cellulite / skin tightening treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1).

The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening

Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening?

Attend a half-day, 1-day or 2-day or 3-day one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.

Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.

Learn more or check prices and book training at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)