If you have recently been to a wellness space, read about fitness on social media or visited an upmarket aesthetic clinic, you will have no doubt come across a light therapy panel emitting a futuristic red glow.
The treatment was pioneered by NASA scientists who used it to grow plants in space and to heal the wounds of their astronauts.
The incredible red light benefits have been discovered by a large number of people since and they are using it to treat everything from fine lines and wrinkles to deep-seated joint pain.
However, there are many questions that people have regarding this treatment and how it can bring about biological changes to the body. How can shining a colour of light on the body bring about any changes? Is it safe to use and does it live up to the hype?
To answer these questions and more, we have put together a definitive guide to red light therapy and answered the top 10 most commonly asked questions regarding the treatment and its uses.
Red light therapy is a form of therapy that uses low levels of red and near-infrared light to treat a variety of skin-, injury- and pain-related conditions. In the medical world, this is known as photobiomodulation or red light for cellular health.
It works by stimulating your cells to produce more energy. The cells in your body are made up of many different parts and organelles, with the mitochondria being the most important for our purposes. These are the powerhouses of your cells where the real work of energy production takes place. The process of red light entering your skin and stimulating your cells begins when the light is absorbed by a light-sensitive enzyme in the mitochondria called cytochrome c oxidase.
This enzyme is the spark plug of your cells and when activated by the light, it breaks down nitric oxide in the cells. Because nitric oxide is a very reactive molecule that competes with oxygen for binding to the enzymes that generate energy in the cell, breaking it down allows for a greater amount of oxygen to enter the cell. This, in turn, causes the mitochondria to produce more ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the pure energy currency of your cells. With more ATP, your cells are able to function at a higher level, repair damage more quickly and even regenerate at optimal levels.
It’s not uncommon for people to compare Red Light therapy to Near-Infrared therapy when looking at devices or scrolling through a clinic’s menu. While both forms of photobiomodulation (PBM) have their own host of benefits, the main difference between them lies in how far into the body the different wavelengths can penetrate.
The two main wavelengths used in clinical devices for PBM are 660nm and 850nm.
Many of the most effective treatments use both Red and Near-Infrared Light simultaneously and are offered in high-quality clinical devices.
Yes, there is substantial dermatological research that supports the treatment’s benefits. For example, robust collagen production and skin rejuvenation is one of the most sought-after effects of light therapy.
As we age naturally, our body’s own production of collagen and elastin, two proteins that give our skin elasticity, dramatically decreases, leading to lines and wrinkles, sagging skin and dull skin. By targeting the skin cells with red light (660nm) that penetrates into the skin’s dermis, it stimulates the skin cells’ mitochondria and the fibroblasts (collagen-producing cells). This stimulates the skin cells to produce new collagen naturally.
Red Light also has proven benefits for wound healing. By dramatically increasing local blood circulation and cell turnover, it rapidly repairs damaged tissue, reduces the appearance of acne scars and other blemishes, soothes rosacea flare-ups and even quickly treats minor burns and cuts.
If you live with chronic pain, red and near-infrared light can be revolutionary for you. The deep-penetrating light is a powerful, non-invasive, anti-inflammatory treatment for chronic inflammation, a safer alternative to taking long-term doses of over-the-counter painkillers (NSAIDs), which can have serious side effects, including gastrointestinal problems.
Near-infrared light increases blood flow to areas of damage, bringing nutrients to the area and removing inflammatory markers. For these reasons, light therapy is a highly effective joint pain treatment for conditions like:
By reducing oxidative stress and decreasing the body’s inflammatory response in the joints, users report increased mobility and a significant reduction in pain in just a short amount of time with regular use.
Yes, it will. Many of the world’s best athletes, physical therapists and sports medicine doctors are now using photobiomodulation for muscle recovery.
Intense physical exercise causes micro-damage to muscle fibers and results in the production of lactic acid and inflammation in the affected area, leading to Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) hours to days after exercise.
Using near-infrared light on muscles either before or after exercise can dramatically change your recovery from within hours to being back to full-intensity physical performance within days.
How can infrared therapy improve sleep? In today’s world of smartphones, tablets, TVs and lots of LED lights, we are constantly exposed to artificial blue light during the day and night. Blue light confuses the brain into thinking it is still daytime, suppressing sleep hormone release. People ask: exactly how does infrared sleep therapy work?
Infrared sleep therapy helps to regulate your body’s natural circadian rhythm by exposing you to red light. Unlike blue light, which has a high colour temperature and stops melatonin release, red light has a very low colour temperature and doesn’t affect sleep hormone release. In fact, red light exposure in the evening can even help to counteract the effects of blue light from the day.
The natural anti-inflammatory effects of light therapy and pain relief also help the body to fall into a parasympathetic state of ‘rest and digest’. This helps you to fall asleep quicker and have deeper and more restful sleep cycles and wake up feeling refreshed.
Hair loss or thinning can be very distressing but hope is at hand. Light therapy has recently gained popularity and there is substantial clinical evidence for hair regrowth using targeted red light, especially for people suffering from androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness).
Hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia is caused by a combination of genetics and hormones and red light penetrates the scalp to target the base of the hair follicle. It then stimulates the mitochondrion within the hair follicle cells to extend the anagen (growth) stage of the hair cycle and also to prevent the hair follicle cells from entering catagen (transitional) and then telogen (resting) phase too early. It also increases blood flow to the scalp, which means the hair roots are able to get the oxygen and nutrients they need to grow to their full potential.
Actionable tip: In terms of an actionable tip for hair growth: be consistent. It takes around 12–16 weeks of using a hair growth laser cap or light panel placed close to the scalp to start to see the results of hair growth in terms of increased hair thickness and hair density.
Low-level light therapy using red light is safe for most skin types. Because red light does not contain ultraviolet (UV) light, it will not cause burning, DNA damage or skin cancer.
Although safe, there are a few minor side effects that you need to be aware of:
Consistency is key to unlocking all of the amazing benefits of photobiomodulation. The best time for your light therapy sessions depends on your goals for using your light.
How often and for how long? How often and for how long to use your light depends on your goals. For general health and maintenance of your skin, 3 to 5 times per week for 10 to 20 minutes per area is typical. For severe, acute injuries or severe chronic pain, daily sessions of 15 to 20 minutes may be more optimal. Keep in mind that you can’t overtreat with light. While it won’t hurt you, it does follow the law of diminishing returns. Your cells can only process so much light at a time and an extra 20 minutes of light won’t give you any additional benefits.
Finding the right place to receive light therapy can feel overwhelming, with providers ranging from medical spas and wellness centres to chiropractic offices and dermatology clinics. Here is a simple guide to choosing the right provider for your needs:
The science behind light is no longer just a wellness fad. The many red light benefits can aid in the fundamental energy production of your cells as well as bring very real pain relief, all without the use of medication.
Whether you’re looking to take years off your skin, be able to train like an athlete and recover in no time, get a deeper sleep or just be able to move with less pain due to arthritis in your joints, there is a natural, non-invasive solution in the form of light therapy.
The key is to start slowly, choose a reputable provider and then use it consistently. As with any good exercise, healthy diet or supplement program, the changes to your body will start to compound after a while. As the old saying goes, “Let there be light” and there will be healing.
