A light therapy device for dermatological use comprising one or a plurality of active components providing a source of energy for the therapy (5, 430) and a failsafe control, the failsafe control comprising: a light source (20, 420) configured to be toggled between an activated state and an inactivated state; a photosensitive detector (30, 440) configured to detect incoming light; and a processing unit configured to: determine, when the light source is in the inactivated state, whether ambient light, which is detected by the photosensitive detector, is indicative of a safe operating proximity of the device to a surface; determine whether light from the light source in the activated state, which is reflected from the surface and detected by the photosensitive detector, is indicative of the safe operating proximity of the device to the surface; determine whether light from the light source in the activated state, which is reflected from the surface and detected by the photosensitive detector, is indicative of a predetermined safe operating skin tonal range; and activate said one or a plurality of active components only upon determination that the ambient light detected by the photosensitive detector when the light source is in the inactivated state is indicative of the device is being within the safe operating proximity, and that the light from the light source in the activated state reflected from the surface and detected by the photosensitive detector is indicative of the safe operating proximity and the predetermined safe operating skin tonal range. a light source (20, 420) configured to be toggled between an activated state and an inactivated state; a photosensitive detector (30, 440) configured to detect incoming light; and a processing unit configured to: determine, when the light source is in the inactivated state, whether ambient light, which is detected by the photosensitive detector, is indicative of a safe operating proximity of the device to a surface; determine whether light from the light source in the activated state, which is reflected from the surface and detected by the photosensitive detector, is indicative of the safe operating proximity of the device to the surface; determine whether light from the light source in the activated state, which is reflected from the surface and detected by the photosensitive detector, is indicative of a predetermined safe operating skin tonal range; and activate said one or a plurality of active components only upon determination that the ambient light detected by the photosensitive detector when the light source is in the inactivated state is indicative of the device is being within the safe operating proximity, and that the light from the light source in the activated state reflected from the surface and detected by the photosensitive detector is indicative of the safe operating proximity and the predetermined safe operating skin tonal range. determine, when the light source is in the inactivated state, whether ambient light, which is detected by the photosensitive detector, is indicative of a safe operating proximity of the device to a surface; determine whether light from the light source in the activated state, which is reflected from the surface and detected by the photosensitive detector, is indicative of the safe operating proximity of the device to the surface; determine whether light from the light source in the activated state, which is reflected from the surface and detected by the photosensitive detector, is indicative of a predetermined safe operating skin tonal range; and activate said one or a plurality of active components only upon determination that the ambient light detected by the photosensitive detector when the light source is in the inactivated state is indicative of the device is being within the safe operating proximity, and that the light from the light source in the activated state reflected from the surface and detected by the photosensitive detector is indicative of the safe operating proximity and the predetermined safe operating skin tonal range.