Red light therapy is a natural, alternative therapy with a long list of benefits and no known adverse side effects. To put it very simply, red light therapy is the practice of shining red light on yourself in a prescribed way in order to make you look younger, heal faster, reduce pain, or bring overall balance to your energy and endocrine systems. And yes, it works.
Red Light & Western Medicine
Western traditional medicine likes to deal with what we can measure in a lab and prove to the FDA. Many Studies have shown that red light therapy helps skin recover after, conventional medicine started paying attention. Over 10 years later, red light therapy has now been thoroughly researched and FDA approved for anti- aging and pain relief, with wound care applications soon to follow.
How Red Light Therapy Works
Visible red light is capable of penetrating the skin to a depth of about 8 to 10 mm. Once absorbed, the light energy is converted to cellular energy, stimulating the body’s natural processes on a cellular level and kicking off a whole series of metabolic events, including,
- Increased circulation, capillary formation.
- Increased lymph system activity.
- Increased production of collagen.
- Release of ATP, or raw cellular energy.
- Phagocytosis, or cellular “clean up.”
- Tissue granulation stimulated.
- Inflammation reduced.
Red Light therapy was initially studied by NASA for use in growing plants in outer space, it has since been tested to help patients with cancer in reducing pain and swelling. The following are some of the skin conditions for which red light therapy is most commonly used.
Anti-Aging
Red wavelengths can promote the improved production of collagen, which naturally plumps the skin. Plumped skin results in the reduction of wrinkles and fine lines while it decreases the look of bagging and sagging, including laugh lines, crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles and under-eye bags.
Cold Sores and Herpes
These sores can be uncomfortable and take forever to heal, but the right wavelengths of red light can speed up the process of clearing the sores to remove the discomfort and decrease the length of time in which they are infectious.
Diabetic & Dermal Ulcers
Diabetic ulcers and other forms of dermal ulcers can be healed more quickly when exposed to red light wavelengths. This helps to ease the pain they cause, while speeding the reduction of open wounds that may have previously resisted healing.
Eczema
The discomfort and appearance of eczema can both be soothed and faded through the anti-inflammatory properties of red-light therapy. This decreases the itchiness and stinging, followed by
healing the rash.
First Aid
Adding red light therapy to some of your first aid treatments for issues such as everyday cuts or
scrapes or even 1ninor burns (including sunburn) can help to 1nake the wounds less painful and can make sure they heal as quickly as possible. This can also help to reduce the risk of infection through a shortened healing time and can decrease the chances of scarring.
Psoriasis
Red and scaly patches from this condition can be soothed, reduced, and healed with red ligl1t on its own or in combination with near infrared light.
Rosacea
Red or red and amber light therapy and their anti-inflammatory, healing, and soothing properties can be very helpful in treating the redness, stinging, burning, itching and even pimple-like bumps associated with this chronic skin disorder.
Scar Reduction
Scars, such as those resulting from acne, surgery and injuries can be reduced and faded through regular red-light exposure, due to the boost it can provide to the skin’s ability to heal.
Zits (Acne)
Red light therapy is frequently used for acne either on its own or in conjunction with blue light therapy. Red wavelengths can help acne sufferers due to the inflammation-reducing properties and the healing support it provides. While the blue light kills the acne vulgaris bacteria, the red light helps to reduce swelling and redness and speed the healing time.