From relieving pain and inflammation to ensuring speedy healing of wounds, red light therapy has been of tremendous health benefits since it was discovered.
You have probably heard about red light therapy or stumbled on it while surfing the internet. Because of its numerous health benefits, red light therapy has been causing so much buzz in the skin and beauty market.
If you are just learning about red light therapy and would love to have more insights, look no further because you just found the right place to answer your questions.
We will discuss red light therapy, how it works, its benefits, and point you in the direction of getting the best red light therapy devices—feeling excited already? Let’s get started.
What is red light therapy?
Just as the name implies, red light therapy, or RLT for short, is a therapeutic technique that involves using red light to get rid of scars, wounds, and wrinkles, among other skin challenges.
Dating back to the 1960s, when NASA scientists made a breakthrough in using red light therapy to stimulate tissue healing and repair in astronauts, red light therapy has grown in popularity since then. Its application has evolved to several medical applications.
Recent studies have shown that red light can promote wound healing, bone density issues (often caused by space travels), and muscle atrophy.
What that means is that red light therapy is not a new therapeutic practice. It has been around for a while, and people know it by different names. RLT happens to be the popular name.
Other names for red light therapy
Some common names for red light therapy (RLT) include bio-stimulation, photonic stimulation, low-level light therapy (LLLT), and soft laser therapy. Others include cold laser therapy and low-power laser therapy.
It would help if you had at the back of your mind that red light therapy can be performed in different ways (hence the different names). Salon and other beauty/cosmetic outlets like spas have adopted red light therapy for treating skin conditions like psoriasis and side effects of chemotherapy.
Having mentioned that, let’s move on to how red light therapy works.
How does red light therapy work?
As we hinted earlier, red light therapy can be performed in different ways. Regardless of what type of red light therapy you opt for, the basic process involves exposing your skin to red light with the aid of a red light therapy device.
The red light gets absorbed by your cell receptors through the mitochondria (also known as your cells’ power generator). The mitochondria soak the red light and generate energy (ATP).
ATP is an acronym for Adenosine Triphosphate, the kind of energy your body needs to stimulate the healing skin and muscle tissues
If you are wondering if the light from red light therapy will burn your skin, No, it won’t. The light is of low wavelength and will only penetrate deep enough to boost tissue rejuvenation and repairs.
And because different skin treatments require deeper penetration, the light’s wavelength can be increased to reach deeper into the skin. The higher the wavelength, the deeper the penetration (we will discuss more on that as we tag along).
What are the benefits of red light therapy?
You would be awe-struck at the tall list of benefits of red light therapy. That is if you use the right red light therapy devices. Using red light therapy often can boost your collagen production to give you plum and younger-looking skin. You will also get a riveting skin tone to complement. Red light therapy also helps with skin inflammation and redness.
Before we delve deeper into our discussion, let’s quickly share an essential aspect of red light therapy with you.
More on how red light works
So, red light has varying wavelengths, and the range of wavelength can be measured with a device known as the nanometers.
The typical red light has a wavelength of between 600 nanometers to 750 nanometers. Increasing the wavelength of red light equals deeper skin penetration — which is suitable for collagen and elastin production.
And no, red-colored bulbs won’t do!
Do away with the thought of getting a red-colored bulb. You will only get the benefits of red light therapy with appropriate red light therapy devices. These devices can deliver the desired level and wavelength of red light.
Now, to our earlier question;
What is red light therapy used to treat?
1. Red light therapy can be used to reduce inflammation
In addition to increasing blood supply to the face and keeping fine lines and wrinkles at bay, red light therapy can reduce inflammation caused by acne. Because red light can penetrate the skin with different wavelengths, it can enhance the fast recovery of skin tissues that are damaged by acne. RLT also helps with fading acne scars.
2. Red light therapy can be used to treat bruises
Bruises happen when blood from leaking skin tissues gets trapped in the body because there is no way to leave the body. This forms a bluish hue known as bruise.
Red light therapy can be used to treat bruises by stimulating blood supply and circulation to the affected area, enhancing the formation of new capillaries, and repairing other blood vessels.
3. Red light therapy can be used to diminish scars and prevent stretch marks
Stretch marks are caused mainly by saggy skin caused by rapid weight loss or aging.
The absence of adequate collagen in the body can also result in stretchy, loose, and saggy skin. Red light therapy can be used to stimulate collagen production, which prevents the development of stretched marks.
For scars, red light therapy can be used to improve skin tone. Thereby fading scars.
Other applications of red light therapy include treating dry skin and psoriasis, repairing sun damage, and treating minor burns.
But that’s not all.
Red light therapy can be used to heal wounds/injuries faster and reduce inflammation. Also, red light therapy can also be used to manage health problems like back pain, arthritis, and other joint pain.
Interestingly, red light therapy can also be used to stimulate hair growth, treat rosacea, and aid weight loss. Yeah! You read that right. Red light therapy can be used to accelerate weight loss.
How does it work?
With the best red light therapy devices, red light therapy can break down fat tissues and cause cells to release their contents. Thus making it easy for fat to be expelled from the body quickly.
Instead of going under the blade or doing liposuctions, red light therapy is easily accessible and practical for dumping fats. The red light wavelength of between 630 nanometers and 680 nanometers will get the job done.
How to find the best red light therapy devices?
To gain the therapeutic benefits of light therapy, it essential that you get the wavelength correct. Your choice of red light therapy device should deliver the correct output of red light and near-infrared wavelengths. It should be accessible and flexible for both single and combination light therapy.
Red light therapy devices for your home should be portable and ideal for a wide range of applications such as skin toning, treating pain in different areas of the body, improve blood circulation and muscle recovery, among other uses.
Always opt for the best red light therapy devices
Today there is a sea of red light devices out there claiming to be best. To save yourself the stress and risk of falling for gimmicks, check out nuYOU Led shop for approved light therapy devices.