Red light therapy is a potentially promising, yet new, medical treatment for a variety of skin health conditions. If you have ever heard of red light therapy and are interested in learning more about it and its effectiveness, this article is for you. Red light therapy (RLT), also known as photobiomodulation (PBM), is treatment that uses red and near-infrared lights to stimulate cellular activity in the body. It involves exposing the skin to specific wavelengths of red light in order to improve conditions like acne, wrinkles, and scarring. But is this practice actually effective, or merely pseudoscience? In this article, we examine what RLT is, how it works, and explore the evidence for its efficacy or lack thereof.
Introduction
Red light therapy is a popular skin treatment that uses red light to target certain areas of the body, such as the face or neck. The theory behind it is that this type of light can help improve blood flow and reduce inflammation in these areas, which can lead to healthier-looking skin. Red light therapy has been used to treat everything from acne scars and wrinkles to arthritis pain and even hair loss (yes, really). But before you run out and buy a bunch of lights for home use, let’s inspect how they work—and if they’re worth investing in at all!
Red light therapy is a relatively new topic in the skincare and health world, but it’s quickly gaining traction. The therapeutic approach uses specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to stimulate skin cells and support their natural healing processes. Proponents suggest that this treatment can reduce wrinkles, improve acne, and even provide relief from muscle pain – but does it really work?
They root the idea behind red light therapy in science: it’s thought to promote the production of collagen and elastin proteins, which are essential for maintaining healthy skin appearance. It also encourages the release of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), another important molecule involved in energy production. Research has shown that exposing skin cells to red or infrared light may improve their function.
What is red light therapy?
Red light therapy is a type of phototherapy that uses red light to treat skin conditions, such as acne and wrinkles. According to proponents, it’s effective in strengthening collagen production and increasing the elasticity of your skin. They tout it as also having the ability to treat hair loss by stimulating growth at the root level. In addition, it’s said to help with pain relief and inflammation reduction.
Red light therapy works because it stimulates mitochondria—the part of cells that generate energy—to increase ATP production. This is said to cause cells to produce more oxygen, which leads to healing.
Benefits of red light therapy.
Red light therapy is an increasingly popular method of skin rejuvenation. Besides its potential for treating skin conditions, red light therapy has also been effective in treating acne, rosacea, eczema, and other inflammatory conditions. It is said to help reduce wrinkles and fine lines while also improving skin elasticity. Red light therapy is also commonly used to treat hair loss by stimulating the growth of new hair follicles.
Can red light therapy treat hair loss?
Red light therapy has been used to treat hair loss and thinning in several ways. The most popular method is called low-level laser therapy (LLLT). LLLT involves shining a red light onto the scalp, which can help improve blood circulation and possibly stimulate hair growth.
Besides this, we can combine red light therapy with other treatments like minoxidil or finasteride that have shown promise in treating male pattern baldness. It’s unclear exactly why these treatments work together well—but it seems likely that they boost each other’s efficacy by working on different pathways involved in balding at the same time.
While there’s no hard evidence yet that red light therapy will help men grow back any lost hair, there may very well be some benefit from using this device—and it could even improve your overall health by improving the health of your scalp!
Are there any red light therapy side effects?
RLT is considered safe and there are no known side effects. Some people may experience temporary redness or swelling after treatment, but this is usually mild and resolves quickly. If you have sensitive skin and notice any irritation after using a red lamp, try reducing the time you use it each day or switch to a cooler color lamp if possible (blue).
Some people are concerned that red light may cause skin cancer or skin burns, but this isn’t likely as the wavelengths of light produced by red lamps aren’t long enough to cause damage.
Does red light therapy work?
We don’t know if red light therapy works, but there is evidence that it could.
Researchers have studied red light therapy for several years, but there are not enough studies to say definitively that it works or not. Most of the research so far has focused on its effectiveness in treating wrinkles and sun damage in the skin. They have shown it to help with acne and scarring, but there’s no solid proof it can actually improve skin elasticity.
Red light therapy may also treat hair loss, although those results are less conclusive than its effects on skin.
Besides these benefits, red light therapy may have other benefits like reducing inflammation and helping with acne scarring or eczema (although more research is needed).
There is some evidence to suggest that RLT is effective for treating certain conditions. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.
Conclusion
Red light therapy may be beneficial in treating certain conditions. Its effectiveness, however, varies depending on the condition being treated and the type of red light therapy used. Further research needs to be done to prove its efficacy and safety. Ultimately, it is important to consult with your healthcare provider before trying any sort of alternative medicine, such as red light therapy. Doing so can help you make an informed decision that is best for your health.
The following is a transcript for “The Science Behind The Growing Trend of Red Light Therapy”
While scrolling on Tick Tock or YouTube, you’re likely to come across emerging trends like this red light therapy, but sometimes it’s difficult to know if what you’re learning or promised is backed by science.
Reporter Elizabeth Ruiz spoke with physicians and did her own research to understand the potential benefits of red light therapy. I am constantly striving for better overall Wellness so when I saw people on social media talking about the use of red light therapy I got very curious. Speaking of social media Tick Tock, more people are trying it getting on that bandwagon. A physician and board certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Azza Halim, says though it’s rising in popularity, red light therapy isn’t new.
Research funded by NASA used red light therapy to grow plants in space in the mid-1990s. pretty soon NASA scientists working under the lights discovered that abrasions on their hands were healing faster than normal.
Red light in particular, learning might have more advantageous properties for healing because of its ability to penetrate the skin because of its longer wavelength. Dr. Rich Joseph is a chief medical officer for ReStore hyper Wellness, which offers red light therapy at more than 125 locations nationwide.
Both he and Dr. Halim pointed me toward a few medical studies regarding red light therapy. One study suggests an increase in collagen density. Collagen provides structure and strength to your skin muscles bones and connective tissues. Another study suggests there are potential psychological benefits for people facing depression and anxiety, however Dr. Joseph cautions someone facing mental health issues should also seek treatment from mainstream medicine like the use of antidepressants.
Dr. Halim says red light therapy should always be considered as an addition to your Wellness practice. Now can red light therapy be used by itsel? No it needs to be used in conjunction with other therapies because there’s been controversy with people trying to upsell red light therapy.
Dr. Joseph says more clinical trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness as a treatment but what he can confirm is that red light therapy is safe because it won’t cause skin damage like UV rays from the Sun. But before you decide to spend your money on this growing Trend, Dr. Halim suggests you talk with your physician to see what makes most sense.
This video is available on YouTube here
The following is a transcript and video for “How Does Red Light Therapy Work?”
Energy is essential for life and drives all activity in nature. in the human body energy allows our neurons to fire our muscles to contract and our immune system to fight disease.
To produce energy the cells in our body use structures called mitochondria which are powerful generators that convert the food we eat into energy our cells can use. All of this activity within our cells results in trillions of reactions every second and helps us achieve homeostasis. A balance of using and producing energy that’s critical for the body to function at its best. A fundamental but overlooked component of this delicate cellular balance is the energy we receive from the sun. Sunlight is critical for the performance of our bodies and affects everything from the way our cells communicate with each other to how our bodies recover from stress.
The average American spends over 90 percent of their time indoors. A lack of healthy light can disrupt the body’s natural balance leading to fatigue, poor sleep, inflammation, weaker muscles and decreased mental acuity and well-being.
Decades of research across thousands of peer-reviewed articles overwhelmingly indicate that specific wavelengths of light have a positive effect on the human body.
Red and near-infrared light have been shown to increase the body’s ability to produce energy and reduce damage caused by oxidative stress. These forms of light have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects which can improve how we live and feel.
Joovv has isolated these essential wavelengths and made them accessible for daily use. This technology delivers the healing power of light to promote balanced cellular function optimize performance recovery and better overall health and wellness.
Author: Bliss
Dedicated to making a positive difference for people, animals, and this beautiful planet!
