5 replies to this topic

[sc4r3d]

Is there any chance that these lamps can leak out UV range light or are they fairly reliable in the frequencies they claim?

415nm(blue) and 630nm(red).

Even at 415nm is that very near UV or still way off and if its close to the UV range cannot this 415nm frequency dry up the skin and make it look leathery after months and years of use?

Can anyone comment on this?

[Leo U]

Is there any chance that these lamps can leak out UV range light or are they fairly reliable in the frequencies they claim?

415nm(blue) and 630nm(red).

Even at 415nm is that very near UV or still way off and if its close to the UV range cannot this 415nm frequency dry up the skin and make it look leathery after months and years of use?

Can anyone comment on this?

This copied from ~Wolfy~'s excellent FAQ on the blue/red light phototherapy.

Is it safe?

None of these lamps produce dangerous amounts of ultraviolet. Scientific experiments indicate that neither blue nor red light causes cancer.

There is a report that some of the lamps might cause a slight tan in asian or mexican people. The fluorescent lamps produce small amounts of UV-A (about the same amount per day as standing outside in the sun for 1 minute). If that's a concern, choose one of the non fluorescent lamps.

It is very important to keep the violet light out of your eyes. It's thought that normal blue light even in sunlight gradually damages the retina, so 100% protection against the blue light is essential. Closing your eyes is probably not sufficient. The lamps generally come with goggles, but at a pinch painting some swimming goggles or wrap them in aluminium foil would be good.

The main concern is protecting your eyeballs from the light. It can and will do progressive damage there without eye protection. The LED based lamps have a much narrower band of light output so those will produce practically no light at all in the UV-A range.

[sc4r3d]

Even at 415nm is that very near UV or still way off and if its close to the UV range cannot this 415nm frequency dry up the skin and make it look leathery after months and years of use?

Can anyone comment on this?

Well, many of the lamps (particularly the fluorescents, but also some of the LED based ones) produce a bit of genuine UV at the UV-A end of the spectrum. UV-A is the lower energy form of UV and is slightly less of a concern than UV-B.

Also, as you noted 415 nm is very close to the UV. There's a graph I found of the sunburn potential of light, and the sunburn potential drops off exponentially as you move towards longer wavelengths. Extrapolating the curve out, by the time you get to 415 nm, the sunburn effect is about 10x lower than direct sunlight; or even sunlight you get through windows.

Adding up all the different effects and there effectively is a tiny bit of UV/tanning present and basically, you sometimes get the absolute faintest tan imaginable. The rule of thumb is that it's about the same as standing in direct sunlight for 1 minute.

At that level nobody is ever going to ask you where you've been on holiday, the tan doesn't accumulate over time and I'm not even sure that I've still got it the next day.

I've been using my lamp for several years now, and my skin is not at all dry or leathery. Compared to going on holiday, it's just not even remotely in the same ballpark.

And compared to having acne, there's no real contest.

THanks very much for the informative reply. I can continue to use the Florescents without too much concern for any detrimental affects. Also as long as my eyes are protected.

Can I ask you this. Is it unsafe to bo too close to the lamps? I have done a 15 minute session with the lamp literally 1-2 inches away from my skin. Put it this way a little bit above my nose.

I do feel slight heat , is that heat bad for you?

Also those New LED Enlux Bulbs. Is it bad if you let it touch your skin? THe heat that is generated is minor and after a few minutes it does heat up bit but not much.

THere might be a slight redness fromt he heat.

So to sum it up is that heat bad for the skin? Or is that heat those lamps generate actually good for the skin?

[Leo U]

Also those New LED Enlux Bulbs. Is it bad if you let it touch your skin? THe heat that is generated is minor and after a few minutes it does heat up bit but not much.

I hope you don't mind me chiming in but if you're talking about the blue enlux bulb then you probably should think about returning it if possible. The peak wavelength on those is 468nm which is way out of the usable 400-420nm range used to destroy p.acnes bacteria.

Even at 415nm is that very near UV or still way off and if its close to the UV range cannot this 415nm frequency dry up the skin and make it look leathery after months and years of use?

Can anyone comment on this?

Well, many of the lamps (particularly the fluorescents, but also some of the LED based ones) produce a bit of genuine UV at the UV-A end of the spectrum. UV-A is the lower energy form of UV and is slightly less of a concern than UV-B.

Also, as you noted 415 nm is very close to the UV. There's a graph I found of the sunburn potential of light, and the sunburn potential drops off exponentially as you move towards longer wavelengths. Extrapolating the curve out, by the time you get to 415 nm, the sunburn effect is about 10x lower than direct sunlight; or even sunlight you get through windows.

Adding up all the different effects and there effectively is a tiny bit of UV/tanning present and basically, you sometimes get the absolute faintest tan imaginable. The rule of thumb is that it's about the same as standing in direct sunlight for 1 minute.

At that level nobody is ever going to ask you where you've been on holiday, the tan doesn't accumulate over time and I'm not even sure that I've still got it the next day.

I've been using my lamp for several years now, and my skin is not at all dry or leathery. Compared to going on holiday, it's just not even remotely in the same ballpark.

And compared to having acne, there's no real contest.

THanks very much for the informative reply. I can continue to use the Florescents without too much concern for any detrimental affects. Also as long as my eyes are protected.

Can I ask you this. Is it unsafe to bo too close to the lamps? I have done a 15 minute session with the lamp literally 1-2 inches away from my skin. Put it this way a little bit above my nose.

I do feel slight heat , is that heat bad for you?

Also those New LED Enlux Bulbs. Is it bad if you let it touch your skin? THe heat that is generated is minor and after a few minutes it does heat up bit but not much.

THere might be a slight redness fromt he heat.

So to sum it up is that heat bad for the skin? Or is that heat those lamps generate actually good for the skin?