What is the Galvanic Skin Effect and Why Do you Care?
What is the Galvanic Skin Effect and Why Do you Care?
The study of Galvanic skin effect, also known as skin conductance, is an intriguing scientific phenomenon that has been utilized in various medical and therapeutic applications. Skin conductance is basically a measure of the electrical conductivity of the skin’s surface. This has been found to be an effective tool for evaluating the level of physiological arousal or stress and is most commonly used in lie detector tests. This scientific phenomenon works by measuring the skin’s electrical signals, which are then analyzed to determine the level of conductivity.
One of the most exciting applications of the Galvanic skin effect is in light therapy. This therapy utilizes the Galvanic skin effect to identify areas on the patient’s skin that have a lower electrical conductivity. By placing the light on the skin and then gently gliding it, therapists can identify these areas and focus their treatment on the corresponding body parts. This process ensures that the target area receives the most precise and effective treatment, thereby enhancing the therapy’s efficacy.
To properly glide the light on the skin, it is imperative you have a flat lens and surface. This allows the best contact between the two which allows the light to “stick” on a spot that has lower conductivity and is needing stimulation by the light. Lights with a round lens and/or a gnarling edge do not work the same as the contact on the skin is not consistent. Here is an easy to understand visual of what you are looking for –
One of the more effective uses of the Galvanic Skin Effect is when working on old scars. With this method, you have the ability to clear stuck adhesions that accumulate under a scar and return the elasticity to it. Here is a short video which shows how to easily do this yourself.
You can see that using the light to clear scars is just the beginning and understanding the Galvanic skin effect is an essential concept in the success of light therapy. It enables therapists to identify specific areas of skin that require optimal attention for the therapy to be effective. Therefore, understanding the Galvanic skin effect and having the correct tool to use is critical in ensuring that therapeutic light treatments are as precise and effective as possible.
