How to Build a Light Therapy Routine You Will Actually Keep

Most people do not stop using a light therapy device because it disappoints them. They stop because the session never found a place in the day. Here is a way to set one up that survives a busy week.

Pick the slot before you pick the settings

Sessions in the published literature are short, usually ten to twenty minutes, and repeated two to five times a week. That is small enough to attach to something you already do: the end of a shower, the start of an evening wind down, the gap after training. Choose the slot first. The settings matter far less than whether the session happens.

Start lower than you think

Begin at a lower brightness and a shorter timer for the first two weeks, then move up. Skin adapts, and starting at the top setting is the most common reason people find a device uncomfortable and quietly abandon it.

Keep the schedule boring

• Three or four sessions a week is a realistic target. Daily is not required by most protocols.
• Clean, dry skin. No need for serums underneath during the session.
• Same time, same place. A device kept in a drawer gets used once.
• Do not stack sessions to catch up. More light in one sitting does not compensate for a missed week.

Give it eight weeks before judging

Clinical protocols run for one to three months before measuring anything. Take a photo in the same light on week one, then again at week eight. Memory is a poor instrument for slow change; a photo is not.

Know when to stop

If skin looks irritated, take a few days off and restart at a lower setting. Do not use a device on broken skin, and do not stare into the light source.

Kivorla devices are general wellness devices, not medical devices. Follow the timings and precautions in the manual that came with your device, and speak to a qualified healthcare professional if you are unsure whether it suits you.