You might have heard of light therapy being used for various skin issues, but have you ever wondered how blue light, a specific type of light, works on our skin? Recent studies have been looking into a fascinating connection: blue light might affect our skin through special proteins called opsins, which are not just found in our eyes but also in our skin. Let's explore what these studies tell us about blue light therapy and its effects on our skin's health.

Opsins in the Skin: More Than Just Eye Proteins

We usually think of opsins as the proteins in our eyes that help us see light. But research has shown that opsins are also present in human skin. A systematic review by Suh, Choi, and Atanaskova Mesinkovska (2020) looked at existing studies and confirmed that different types of opsins are expressed in skin cells. This discovery is important because it suggests that our skin can "sense" light, just like our eyes do, through these opsins. This ability might play a role in how our skin responds to light-based treatments, including blue light therapy.

How Blue Light Might Help Heal Wounds and Repair the Skin Barrier

Our skin has a protective layer called the epidermal barrier, which keeps harmful things out and moisture in. When this barrier is damaged, like in a wound, our skin needs to repair itself. Castellano-Pellicena and colleagues (2019) wanted to find out if blue light helps restore this barrier function, and if opsins are involved.

Their study focused on cutaneous wound healing, which is the process of our skin healing after being hurt. They found that blue light could activate opsins in skin cells. This activation might be part of the reason why blue light helps the epidermal barrier repair itself. In other words, when blue light hits the skin, it triggers these opsins, and this reaction could kickstart the healing process, helping the skin barrier get back to its normal function.

The Bigger Picture: Opsins and Photobiomodulation

The idea that light can affect cells through biological processes is called photobiomodulation. Liebert and team (2022) shared their perspective on how opsins might be a key part of this process in the skin. They pointed out that it's not just our eyes that use opsins to respond to light—our skin does too. This means that when we use light therapy, like blue light, the opsins in our skin are likely playing an important role in making the therapy work.

These researchers think that understanding how opsins react to different types of light, including blue light, could help us make light therapies more effective. For example, knowing that opsins are involved in blue light's effect on skin healing could lead to better ways to use blue light to treat wounds or skin conditions where the barrier is damaged.

Why This Matters for Everyday Understanding

You might be wondering why this is relevant to you. Well, if blue light therapy works by activating opsins to help repair the skin, it could mean better treatments for things like cuts, scrapes, or even certain skin diseases where the barrier is weak. It also helps us understand that light therapy isn't just a random effect—it has a specific biological reason behind it, involving these skin opsins.

It's important to note that these studies are still exploring the details, but they give us a clearer picture of how blue light interacts with our skin. As research continues, we might see more targeted and effective blue light therapies based on how opsins work.

Conclusion

In summary, the research by Castellano-Pellicena et al. (2019), Suh et al. (2020), and Liebert et al. (2022) sheds light on the connection between blue light therapy, skin opsins, and skin health. Opsins in the skin can be activated by blue light, which seems to help restore the epidermal barrier and aid in wound healing. This adds to our understanding of how photobiomodulation works in the skin, showing that it's more complex and fascinating than we might have thought.

References

Castellano-Pellicena I, Uzunbajakava NE, Mignon C, Raafs B, Botchkarev VA, Thornton MJ. Does blue light restore human epidermal barrier function via activation of Opsin during cutaneous wound healing? Lasers Surg Med. 2019 Apr;51(4):370-382. doi: 10.1002/lsm.23015. Epub 2018 Aug 31. PMID: 30168605.

Suh S, Choi EH, Atanaskova Mesinkovska N. The expression of opsins in the human skin and its implications for photobiomodulation: A Systematic Review. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2020 Sep;36(5):329-338. doi: 10.1111/phpp.12578. Epub 2020 Jun 1. PMID: 32431001; PMCID: PMC7674233.

Liebert A, Pang V, Bicknell B, McLachlan C, Mitrofanis J, Kiat H. A Perspective on the Potential of Opsins as an Integral Mechanism of Photobiomodulation: It's Not Just the Eyes. Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2022 Feb;40(2):123-135. doi: 10.1089/photob.2021.0106. Epub 2021 Dec 20. PMID: 34935507.