Red Light is the new buzz word in skin care and promises to zap everything from cold sores to rosacea.

Originally developed by NASA, visible red light therapy is fast becoming a popular method used by dermatologists and beauty technicians to help manage skin conditions including eczema, rosacea, cold sores, acne and even skin cancer.

Light waves get their colour from their wavelength and red light has the longest, violet the shortest. The heat and light from visible red light boosts circulation, bringing more blood and nutrients to the area.

[quote]Red light also instigates the release of chemicals in the skin called cytokines. As more cytokines are released, collagen-producing cells leap into action, which speeds up the healing process of the skin.[/quote]

There are an increasing number of salon and dermatological treatments using visible red light therapy. There's also range of smaller hand-held red light devices for use at home for treating small patches of problem skin, such as a cold sore, a patch of eczema or patches of red skin, some of which you can buy on the internet or at pharmacies.

The skin must be exposed to the red light for a minimum of 15 minutes and a slight warming of the skin will be felt.