Laser vs red light LED vs infrared light LED vs radiofrequency for skin tightening and cellulite

“TL;DR: For skin tightening and cellulite reduction, red/infrared light is too slow acting and too weak to work.

However, for skin rejuvenation, facial anti-ageing, skin healing, as well as PREVENTION of skin laxity/cellulite, high-power infrared/red light LED treatment can be useful.

Plus, due to its effect on mitochondria, high-power red/infrared light therapy can help maximise the results of more effective treatments, such as deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation.”

RF vs led therapy vs lasers

• Red/infrared laser vs radiofrequency for skin tightening

• Red/infrared LED light vs radiofrequency for skin tightening

• How does red/infrared light LED treatment work?

• Red/infrared LED light for mitochondrial function

• Superficial tissue heating vs deep tissue heating

• Skin tightening with RF vs red/infrared LED: the verdict

• Fat release and cellulite removal with infrared/red LED light? Meh, it never worked in real life.

• Red/infrared LED light vs radiofrequency for cellulite reduction

• Radiofrequency VS infrared/red light: the verdict

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

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

• Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

Red/infrared laser vs radiofrequency for skin tightening

This is a common question at the clinic: Which is better for body skin tightening and cellulite: laser or radiofrequency treatment?

And the immediate answer from us is: absolutely NOT laser.

Laser is way too superficial and therefore pointless for body skin tightening or cellulite.

There are two types of lasers:

• Strong, ablative, lasers aim to burn the surface of the skin to stimulate new epidermal growth. Cellulite, however, is found at the deepest layer of the skin (hypodermis), not the most superficial (epidermis), so ablative lasers do not work for cellulite or body skin tightening at all (and they are not that great or safe for facial skin tightening either).

• Low level laser therapy (LLLT), red or infrared, is of too low-power to provide any meaningful stimulation to the hypodermis / cellulite. So low level laser therapy is totally useless for both cellulite and skin tightening. The most hyped up low level laser therapy device on the market today is just 0.5W for the consumer version and 1.5W for the “professional” version. If laser was effective for cellulite removal or skin tightening, we would already use it at the clinic.

Red/infrared LED light vs radiofrequency for skin tightening

And the same applies for the majority of low level LED therapy devices: they are just too weak to confer any benefit any time soon, either in terms of cellulite reduction or skin tightening.

Some red/infrared light LED devices, however, have a high power output (up to 90W at the red and infrared wavelengths) and those can do two things. They can:

• Efficiently prevent skin tightening

• And they can boost the effects of other, more effective skin tightening treatments, such as deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency

Unfortunately, even at high powers, red/infrared light LED treatments cannot boost skin tightening efficiently, so as stand-alone treatments they are not great for skin tightening.

How does red/infrared light LED treatment work?

The obvious question is: how come high-power red/infrared LED treatment helps boost RF skin tightening?

The answer is because LED and deep tissue RF work in different ways.

• Deep tissue RF is based on intensively heating the dermis and hypodermis, where collagen structures are found. The intense heat stimulates circulation, collagen contraction and collagen/elastin synthesis.

• Being more superficial, if infrared/red light LED treatment was used at VERY high power levels to heat the skin, it would burn the epidermis before doing anything significant to the dermis and especially the hypodermis, where cellulite “lives”. And this is true for high-power lasers too: they are just too superficial when they are used to heat the skin (more on that below).

Red/infrared LED light for mitochondrial function

However, there is another, much more important way in which red/infrared LED light helps: infrared/LED light optimises mitochondrial function, which results in less senescence, more energy production and less inflammation on any tissue it is applied on - and does not need VERY high power output to perform its function either.

Just high power (as opposed to very high power) is enough: the existing couple of 90W LED machines on the market are fine for a decently large body area but I wouldn’t mind more powerful ones to treat even larger body areas. Of course, the low power LED devices (i.e. 5-20W) would not achieve much in either mitochondrial function optimisation or in heating the skin.

The mitochondrial function optimisation effect is great for skin healing, skin laxity prevention, some collagen/elastin production and an overall anti-ageing effect, especially on the face, where skin is thinner. But unfortunately it is not enough for skin tightening (not without having dozens of treatments, at least) and far inferior to radiofrequency, which is much faster and much more pronounced.

Superficial tissue heating vs deep tissue heating

Very high power red/infrared light treatments (in the form of IPL/intense pulsed light, laser or even LED in some applications), as well as radiofrequency treatments, are used to heat the body for therapeutic/aesthetic reasons.

In aesthetics, intense heating can improve circulation, boost fat release and stimulate the production of collagen and elastin for a gradual skin tightening and cellulite reduction effect.

Intense heating can also stimulate the contraction of existing collagen fibres, for an immediate as well as long term skin tightening/lifting effect.

The main difference between radio frequency and infrared/red light treatment is that radio frequency (RF), depending on the equipment used, the products applied and the settings/protocol applied, can selectively heat the deeper layers of the skin (dermis and hypodermis), without overheating the epidermis (most superficial layer of the skin).

(A well-trained, knowledgable and experienced therapist would know how to make the most of the two variables above (equipment and treatment product) to ensure treatment is at the exact depth: the hypodermis and the dermis, not too deep, not too superficial.)

In contrast, red light/infrared treatment focuses on the epidermis, heating much less beyond the uppermost layer of the skin, and as a result it cannot heat the deeper layers of the skin in therapeutic amounts, without first overheating (burning) the epidermis first.

Skin tightening with RF vs red/infrared LED: the verdict

In summary:

• High-power red/infrared light LED treatment is enough to help optimise mitochondrial function and therefore boost the effects of a deep-acting, high-power RF treatment which can intensively, yet safely, heat the dermis and hypodermis

• But red/infrared light LED is not deep acting enough by itself to heat the dermis and hypodermis as much as RF does, without overheating/burning the epidermis

• Perhaps high power infrared-only LED (not red LED) can heat satisfactorily the upper dermis (not much the lower dermis) without irritating too much the epidermis

• However, properly applied RF can do that so much more accurately, safely and efficiently, why would one want to bother with infrared LED as a primary skin tightening treatment?

• The best thing to do is use deep-acting, high-power RF as the main skin tightening treatment and then use high-power red/infrared LED to boost the effects of RF

• Needless to say, low power LED treatment is pointless for skin tightening

Fat release and cellulite removal with infrared/red LED light? Meh, it never worked in real life.

In theory, low-level infrared/red radiation also stimulates the release of fat from fat cells IN VITRO, IN THE LAB. Unfortunately this has never translated into the same results in the real world, as the surface of the skin does not allow enough red/infrared light to reach the fat cells.

Contrary to some studies, which have now been refuted and have never been able to be replicated by other researchers, red/infrared light (either LED or laser) does NOT “liquefy” or “emulsify” fat cells.

That’s preposterous, only naive people believe such nonsense. Neither LED/laser treatment releases fat from fat cells nor in any other way reduces fat on the body on the area it is applied.

Indeed, millions of women bought into the non-surgical “laser lipo” craze back in around 2005-2015 (not to be confused with laser lipo surgery) treatment. After the initial hype the whole thing died down in a few years, as people realised the truth behind the hype, but only after hundreds of millions of £££/$$$ changed hands unnecessarily.

On the other hand, even a highly hyped, super expensive, very high intensity infrared laser technology for fat reduction (let’s not name names) never really worked in real life, despite what “research” has shown and the whole hype also died down very quickly.

All in all, light (red, infrared, green, yellow or any other colour), either low intensity or high intensity, does not reduce cellulite or fat. Period.

Red/infrared LED light vs radiofrequency for cellulite reduction

High power red/infrared LED can indeed help improve tissue health, by optimising mitochondrial function. This has an effect in water retention, inflammation and skin firmness, all important aspects of cellulite (but it does not have an effect on fat cells (it would be nice though).

So in these three ways, high-power infrared/red LED can help PREVENT cellulite and also BOOST the results of other more effective cellulite treatments, such as deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation. But, unfortunately, infrared/red LED light cannot reduce cellulite by itself - it just doesn’t.

However, even this boosting function is always welcome and we do combine high-power red/infrared light LED treatment with our RF/ultrasound treatments at the clinic.

(In fact, it seems that low-power LED light treatment can help increase superficial fat (which does not occur with high power LED treatment) and this is counter-productive. For this reason we do not use low power LED treatments at the clinic.)

Radiofrequency VS infrared/red light: the verdict

As mentioned above, deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency, can provide up to 300 Watts of power exactly into the dermis and hypodermis, bypassing the superficial epidermis and not wasting energy in the (very deep) subcutaneous fat.

This high power and exact focus on the hypodermis/dermis makes strong, deep tissue RF the strongest and most effective treatment for both skin tightening and cellulite, especially when combined with high-power ultrasound cavitation.

For skin tightening and cellulite, between laser/LEDs and radiofrequency, the choice is absolutely clear: strong, deep radiofrequency and ultrasound. There is no comparison. Just make sure you opt for deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency, as the superficially acting RF or the low power RF varieties will simply not work.

However, by working on mitochondrial function, high-power (but not very high power) red/infrared LED can boost the effectiveness of all other treatments, including RF and ultrasound. And it can also be a valuable technology for the prevention of cellulite and skin laxity.

So, if available and if you want the fastest/best possible results from your RF treatment, you can combine your high-power, deep-acting RF/ultrasound treatment with high-power red/infrared LED treatment. And you may also use either RF or high-power red/infrared light (or both) for prevention.

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 treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)

Advanced, infrared / 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.

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

Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

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 professional consultancy / one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.

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