Scientists in Germany are reporting a major improvement in their potential new treatment for facial wrinkles that could emerge as an alternative to Botox and cosmetic surgery. The non-invasive technique combines high-intensity light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a lotion made of green tea extract. It works ten times faster than a similar anti-wrinkle treatment that uses LEDs alone, the researchers say.
Light-therapy, or phototherapy, has been used for more than 40 years to help heal wounds. Now scientists showed that use of high-intensity LEDs, similar to those used in automotive tail lights and computers, could help reduce skin wrinkles when applied daily for several months. But exposure to intense LED light is also involved in generating high levels of reactive oxygen species as byproducts that can potentially damage cells. To combat that effect, the researchers combined the LED with a potent antioxidant in green tea extract called epigallocatechin gallate.
They applied a daily combination of LED light and green tea extract to the facial wrinkles of a volunteer one month. This treatment resulted in smoother skin, including less pronounced wrinkle levels, shorter wrinkle valleys, and juvenile complexion. The treatment showed promising results in only one-tenth of the time it took for LED therapy alone to reduce wrinkles.
[Source]
Chapter: Skin Care :: 14 February 2010
