Overview
In the war on aging, skin care companies take different approaches. Some offer creams and serums to stimulate and replenish the skin. Some believe that sub-dermal injections are the way to go. Some offer mechanical or electronic solutions. LightStim is one of the latter. LightStim uses photo rejuvenation, also called LED light therapy, to battle aging skin. According the manufacturer, LightStim builds collagen and elastin, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, reduces pore size, and controls acne. That is a lot of claims for a single product. We will look at whether it may be able to live up to those claims in the next section.
LightStim is a hand-held device that delivers LED light to the epidermis to stimulate cell activity. The device retails for around $329 and can be purchased directly from the manufacturer’s website. There are four different models: Original, Anti-Aging, Acne, and Rosacea. The website refers to a 90-day money-back guarantee but does not appear to provide any more details.
Product Details
LightStim delivers different colors of LED light, depending on the version, to the epidermis. The company has provided some quotes on its website from medical and dermatological sources stating the benefits of this type of therapy, but not of LightStim itself. There are some before and after pictures and customer testimonials, which are things that we like to see in a skin care product. Customer feedback on independent websites appears more mixed.
There doesn’t appear to be much scientific data that supports the contention that LightStim works better than topical creams or serums. Because the cost of many topical applications is significantly lower than LightStim, those may appeal more to many consumers. Topical creams and serums that contain clinically-proven anti-wrinkle ingredients like collagen, Matrixyl 3000 or Argiriline are a better bet as there is a significant amount of research supporting them. Collagen replaces the skin’s dwindling supply and helps tighten and lift skin. Matrixyl 3000 penetrates deeply and helps the body to quicken the pace of new collagen production while Argiriline smoothes facial muscles and reduces wrinkles.
The Good
- Easily purchased from company’s website.
- May provide a beneficial effect on skin.
The Bad
- Expensive when compared to other treatments.
- Does not use ingredients like collagen or Matrixyl 3000.
- No links to clinical research supporting the effectiveness of the device.
The Bottom Line
There are thousands of anti-wrinkle and anti-aging products on the market today. Products like LightStim may appeal to those seeking a mechanical method of treating wrinkles. However, it is difficult to recommend such a product when the company provides so little information about it. Although the technology itself may be sound, how it is used in this particular product might not be. You may wish to look for a product with clinically-proven ingredients and whose company stands behind it with an iron-clad guarantee.
