LED phototherapy in East Finchley: 20 minutes under the light
A gentle add-on that helps skin look calmer and fresher, free with any other treatment, and honest about how far it goes.
LED phototherapy is 20 minutes under a panel of low-level red, blue or near-infrared light on the Dermalux Compact Lite. There is no heat and no needle. People book it to help skin look calmer and less pink after a treatment, to freshen dull or tired-looking skin, and as a regular top-up for blemish-prone skin. It is £40 on its own and free with any other treatment at Nova, on request.
It suits almost everyone, including sensitive skin and darker skin tones, because the light does not heat the skin. It is not for anyone with a condition made worse by light, anyone taking a medicine that increases sensitivity to light, or anyone with epilepsy triggered by light. It is a supporting treatment: on its own it will not clear acne, shift pigmentation or tighten anything, and we say so before you book a course.
What happens at your appointment
What results to expect and how long they last
Who it suits and who it does not
Before a first session we go through your health, your medicines and any condition that reacts to light, because that is the one thing that rules LED out. Make-up and sunscreen come off, you lie back with goggles on, and the panel sits a short distance from your face for about 20 minutes. It feels like warm daylight. Afterwards your skin may look a little pink for an hour, you can put make-up straight on, and the only aftercare is the sunscreen you already wear. Allow 30 minutes.
When LED is added to a Hydrofacial, a peel, microneedling or IPL, it goes on at the end of that appointment and costs nothing extra. Just ask when you book.
After a treatment, most people see the pinkness settle faster and the skin look calmer by the next morning. For dull or blemish-prone skin, a single session gives a fresher look for a few days; anything lasting comes from a course, usually two sessions a week for four to six weeks, and from the skincare and sunscreen you use between them.
We will be straight with you about the evidence. The published studies on LED for skin are small, mostly short, and use different lights, doses and timings, so nobody can tell you exactly what a course will do for you. Some people notice a clear difference in how their skin looks; some notice very little. Results vary and cannot be guaranteed.
It suits adults who want their skin to look calmer and fresher, people recovering from a peel, microneedling or IPL, people with blemish-prone or oily skin who want a gentle regular top-up, and anyone who wants a treatment with nothing to hide afterwards. It is one of the few treatments we are happy to offer to very reactive skin.
We do not use LED on anyone with a light-sensitive condition such as lupus or porphyria, anyone taking a medicine that makes skin react to light (some antibiotics, some acne and heart medicines; we check), anyone with photosensitive epilepsy, or anyone with a skin cancer, or a history of one, on the area. We do not use it in pregnancy, because there is no good data either way, and we do not treat anyone under 18. If your acne is inflamed and persistent, a prescription option exists, a cream or a course of tablets, and that is discussed at a face-to-face consultation; LED on its own is not a treatment for it.
The honest limit
LED helps skin look calmer and fresher. It will not clear acne, lift, tighten, fill or clear pigmentation, and the research behind it is thin. We offer it because it is gentle, it costs nothing with another treatment, and many people like how their skin looks afterwards, not because it changes skin on its own. If anyone sells you a course of LED as the answer to a skin condition, ask them for the evidence.
Prices
LED phototherapy, single session (about 20 minutes under the light): £40
LED with any other treatment at Nova, on request: Free
Hydrofacial with massage and LED: £150
Course of LED: Priced at consultation
Risks
Few. Your skin may look slightly pink for an hour, and some people get a headache or tired eyes if the goggles are moved. Dryness is possible with a course. The real risk is in the people who should not have it: a light-sensitive condition or medicine can flare, and flashing light can trigger a seizure in photosensitive epilepsy, which is why we ask before every first session. There is no heat, so burns are not a risk.
The clinic is at 260 East End Road in East Finchley, three minutes on foot from East Finchley station on the Northern line. Most people add LED to a treatment they have come from Hampstead, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Muswell Hill or Highgate for, and we also see people from Finchley, Golders Green, Crouch End, Whetstone and Barnet. See every area we serve.
This page is general information, not medical advice. What suits you depends on your own skin, health and history, which we go through at a free consultation before anything is booked.
Common questions
Does LED light therapy work?
For calming skin after a treatment, most people see a difference by the next day. For dull or blemish-prone skin, some people see a fresher look from a course and some see little. The studies are small and short, so we do not promise more than that.
How many sessions do I need?
After a treatment, one. On its own, two sessions a week for four to six weeks is the usual course, then one every few weeks if you want to keep the look. We never sign you up to a course on the day.
Is there any downtime?
None. You might be a little pink for an hour. Make-up can go straight on, and the only aftercare is daily sunscreen.
Is it the same as a home LED mask?
Most home masks deliver far less light than a clinic panel, and the ones that deliver more are the price of a course. A home mask is fine for a gentle top-up between visits; it is not the same treatment.
Can I have LED if I am pregnant?
We do not offer it in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, because there is no good data on it either way and the benefit is modest. A Hydrofacial with the gentle serum and no LED is what we suggest instead.
Does LED help rosacea?
Red and near-infrared light help some people's skin look calmer, and a course is a reasonable thing to try alongside the rest of a rosacea plan. It does not close visible vessels, which is a job for IPL, and it does not treat the bumps, which need a prescription treatment discussed in person.
Can I add LED to any treatment?
Yes. It goes on at the end of a Hydrofacial, peel, microneedling, IPL or injectable appointment at no extra cost, as long as none of the exclusions above apply. Tell us when you book so we allow the time.
Is it suitable for darker skin?
Yes. There is no heat and nothing that pigment absorbs, so the risks that come with light-based treatments on darker skin do not apply here.