LED photomodulation: "Light" way to skin renewal

Acquiring a more youthful look often involves sanding, peeling, or heating the skin. A new painless technique relies only on low light.

At one time, women could get a lasting younger look only by a surgical facelift. Then came skin-rejuvenation techniques that produced more natural-looking results: dermabrasion, chemical peels, and ablative laser resurfacing. In these procedures, the outer layers of skin are removed (ablated) to spur wound healing and the growth of new collagen and skin cells (see "Skin structure and skin aging"). But the process hurts, and recovery can take days or weeks.