An LED based LightStim is a device used for rejuvenating facial skin by stimulating cell growth. Normally, RED LED is used in these devices since red light have been found to be working the best for improving skin health, by eliminating facial wrinkles. Blue LED light have proved more effective against harmful bacteria responsible for face acnes and other forms of skin damage.
In this post I have explained how to make one such LED lightsim circuit using ordinary and cheap ingredients like a few red LEDs, and a mobile phone charger.
Overview
According to the researches, red light wavelength which is near to the infrared wavelength works positively to repair skin damage and eliminate wrinkles within a few months of regular therapy.
In the market you will find plenty of these units available, which are publicized to produce magical effects, by rejuvenating your facial skin conditions, especially in people above 40.
At first it may sound like a business snake-oil publicity, however the truth is that, this technique is actually FDA approved (according to the sources).
Therefore, it is a proven fact that RED LED lights indeed work for enhancing skin health. Furthermore, since there are no side effects against LED light application, it's worth giving a try..
How it Works
Red LED light being near to the infrared wavelength works by penetrating deep inside the skin surface and stimulate skin cells to produce collagen. This in turn helps the skin to become supple, softer and wrinkle free.
Infrared LEDs can be also used, but being more expensive, red leds are preferred, which provide almost the same results as the IR LEDs.
Some ready made devices have a mixture of red and blue LEDs, for generating a two way effect of eliminating wrinkles and also killing harmful bacteria and acnes.
How RED Light is Beneficial for Skin Repair
The wavelength of RED light spectrum lies between 600 and 800 nm, and is found to be helpful for straightening facial wrinkles. Lights of this wavelength and higher have the ability to penetrate around 5mm under the skin to influence the cells.
As per the studies red light therapy works by inducing a biochemical process within the skin cells, boosting mitochondria activity. Mitochondria are the active organelles that energize our body cell by producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the essential energy molecule consumed by the cells.
Due to the influence of Red light, mitochodria in our skin cells get stimulated and they begin producing higher amounts of ATP, which helps our skin to appear more lively and tighter. The process also helps faster skin repair and removal of fine facial wrinkles.
Does Red Light Therapy Really Work?
Experiments have revealed substantial evidences regarding effectiveness of red light in improving facial skin radiance. However, this may not be possible without other supporting factors like a good planned diet, exercise and a stress free life.
Based on a clinical study conducted on 40 candidates, red led light therapy tried on periorbital wrinkle area helped to reduce the effect by at least 20%.
The analysis of the wrinkle reduction was done using the Fitzpatrick Wrinkle Scale (FWS) across a scale of 1 through 9. Initially, prior to the treatment the average wrinkle on the face of the participants was recorded at around 5.9 in the scale.
After 8 weeks of red light therapy, the wrinkles appeared to minimize to a scale of around 4.5 for the under-eyes region, and approximately 4.0 for the entire face, overall.
How to Make a Red LED LightStim Circuit
Since the specifications of the red LED is not critical for getting the intended effects, making a red lightstim actually becomes very easy.
Any standard red LED having a minimum brightness figure of 65mW/cm2, and wavelength between 600 and 800 nm can be ideally used for this application.
For the power supply a standard mobile changer handset or computer USB can be used.
LightSim LED Circuit Diagram
LightSim Enclosure
The LEDs shown in the above image can be fixed (installed) on the lid of any suitable plastic box (like a cosmetic jar) as shown below, by drilling appropriately dimensioned holes on the lid. The hole diameter must be such that the LEDs fit tightly when pushed through. A notch could be cut at the edge of the LED to allow the supply chord out from the enclosure.
You may use a mixture of red and blue LEDs alternately for the LEDs strings to get a dual skin repair feature. The blue LEDs will help killing harmful acne bacteria, while the red LEDs will iron out the wrinkles.
How to Use it
After assembling and installing the LEDs in the enclosure, it's to test it and learn the correct method of using the proposed LED lightSim circuit.
The first step would be obviously to plugin the mobile charger into the mains socket.
This will instantly illuminate the LEDs. Now, for getting the intended effects, you simply have to take the illuminated LEDs very near to your face and apply the light therapy on different selected areas of the face. Make sure to keep the application for at least 3 minutes on selected areas, to obtain optimal performance from the procedure.
It might take up to 8 weeks for any noticeable difference or improvements.
Adding a 3 minute Timer
The above design does not have any automatic 3 minute timer. No problems we can easily include one using a IC 555 based monostable, as shown below:
That concludes our tutorial for a homemade yet effective LED lightsim circuit for an non-evasive skin repair therapy.
Warning: Although the theory explained above is technically correct and is created after a thorough research on the field, the author takes no responsibilities for the consequences whatsoever, from this design. Users are advised to exercise discretion.
Additionally, the LEDs used in the circuit are too bright and may be harmful for the eyes. Therefore, users must avoid looking directly into the LEDs from top, and not use the therapy directly on eyes, or exercise appropriate protections while implementing the actions.
