What is Red Light Therapy?
Red light therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or photobiomodulation therapy, uses a device that exposes the skin to red light. Red light therapy’s wavelength typically ranges from 620 to 750 nm. Red light is a longer wavelength, which can penetrate the skin tissue to produce therapeutic benefits. [3, 4]
How Does Red Light Therapy Work?
Think of light as a form of energy. Nearly every cell in the body, including on the skin, contains mitochondria, commonly referred to as the “master regulator of energy" for cells. Each cell’s mitochondria can consume red light and use it to create more energy. The increase in energy is then used for reparative cellular processes like tissue repair and cellular regeneration.
Red light therapy also stimulates procollagen synthesis, meaning it produces new collagen. [3] Collagen is a protein that serves as a building block for skin, muscles, bone, and other tissues in the body. It’s responsible for skin elasticity, making the skin appear more firm and youthful. The body produces less and less collagen throughout age, leading to sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. Through its influence in stimulating collagen production, red light therapy can effectively reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and make skin appear firm.
Benefits of Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy offers a spectrum of benefits, and scientists may have only scratched the surface of red light’s potential. Scientific research is currently underway to best understand how else it can be an effective treatment.
Red light therapy is scientifically proven to produce the following benefits:
Increases energy production and improves cellular function
Increases collagen production
Smoothens the face and skin
Lifts sagging skin
Reduces full-face fine lines and wrinkles
Rejuvenates the skin
Increases skin firmness
Improves skin elasticity
Improves the appearance of photodamaged skin (dark spots, age spots, sun spots) and skin tone evenness
Accelerates wound healing and tissue repair
What is Blue Light Therapy?
Blue light therapy uses a part of the light spectrum — blue light — to achieve specific therapeutic effects. During blue light therapy, the skin is exposed to blue light, with a wavelength of about 415nm. This is considered a shorter wavelength light therapy, meaning it doesn’t penetrate deeply into the skin. However, blue light therapy can be a healing treatment on the skin’s surface.
How Does Blue Light Therapy Work?
Acne can form from bacteria that live on the skin. Blue light’s specific wavelength is absorbed by porphyrins, the compounds produced by the bacteria responsible for creating acne. When porphyrins absorb blue light, they release singlet oxygen molecules that kill the bacteria, effectively reducing acne. Studies show that blue light therapy is beneficial in reducing acne.
Benefits of Blue Light TherapyEmpty heading
A scientifically backed benefit of blue light therapy is its effectiveness in treating mild-to-moderate inflammatory acne on the skin’s surface. It can also improve skin conditions like blemishes. Blue light therapy can also be used as a proactive approach to acne management through its ability to control acne and improve the skin’s appearance without harsh chemicals or prescriptions. [6]
What is Infrared Light Therapy?
Infrared light therapy is not visible to the naked eye, but you can feel it. This is the highest wavelength light therapy of the three types of light therapy, with a typical wavelength of 830 nm. Because infrared light has a long wavelength, it can penetrate below the skin’s surface even as deep as bone and muscle tissue. This allows infrared light therapy to offer a range of unique therapeutic benefits, from enhanced skin rejuvenation to muscle recovery.
How Does Infrared Light Therapy Work?
Similar to red light therapy, infrared light is absorbed by cells and creates energy to be used for a host of therapeutic benefits. Due to its wavelength, infrared light penetrates deep into the body’s tissues, affecting cellular processes beyond the reach of visible light.
Studies show that red and infrared light can accelerate wound healing and improve tissue strength in both normal and impaired tissues. These improvements in tissue strength are associated with increases in collagen synthesis and tissue collagen content. So, infrared light therapy can maximize muscle recovery when applied to muscles.
Infrared light is responsible for the warm sensation you feel from the sun or a heat lamp. Similarly, infrared light therapy has a therapeutic warming effect. The warming of the skin can expand the blood vessels, also known as vasodilation. Blood can flow more easily through widened blood vessels, specifically on areas of the skin penetrated by infrared light. Increases in blood flow can reduce stiffness and soreness and even relieve pain.
Because red and infrared light reaches different depths of the skin, light therapy devices often combine red and infrared light. This allows devices to provide comprehensive benefits to the skin and body, like skin rejuvenation and accelerated muscle recovery.
Benefits of Infrared Light Therapy
Infrared light therapy offers numerous benefits. Here are examples of scientifically proven benefits of infrared light therapy:
Increases the rate of connective tissue healing and cellular regeneration to reduce inflammation
Creates collagen
Reduces full-face fine lines and wrinkles
Improves appearance of photodamaged skin (dark spots, age spots, sun spots) and skin tone evenness
Rejuvenates skin
Improves photoaging and wrinkles
Maximizes muscle recovery
Provides pain relief
Is Light Therapy Safe?
Light therapy is generally safe for most people. However, there are scenarios in which avoiding light therapy is recommended. Refrain from using light therapy after applying retinol. Consult with a dermatologist or medical professional before using light therapy in the presence of a skin condition, recent surgery, or dermatology procedure.
When it comes to light therapy, the key is to select a treatment that is beneficial and efficient without becoming harmful, meaning it delivers the highest possible dose in the shortest amount of time without exceeding safety limits.
Light therapy is designed to provide a therapeutic dose or fluence. The fluence can be thought of as the total amount of light energy delivered to the skin and is the result of the device’s power density for a specific treatment duration. Light therapy devices are designed to deliver the optimal fluence via a precisely controlled power density for a specific treatment duration in therapeutic and safe dosages. [8, 9]
There are three points to be aware of:
The skin should get the right amount of light energy for optimal benefit
The power density should be high enough to make the treatment efficient but not too high that it causes harm
The treatment duration should be efficient, for example, three minutes compared to 30 minutes
The therapeutic dosage can be calculated using the following formula: Dose (Fluence) = Power Density (mW/cm2) x Time (s) x 0.001
Here are examples of how to achieve therapeutic dosages and meet the above three criteria:
Red light therapy:
Fluence target in one session: 10-15 J/cm2
Power density of 55-87 mW/cm2 gets you the optimal fluence in 3 minutes
Power Density Safety Limit: <300 mW/cm2
Blue light therapy:
Fluence target in one session: 10-15 J/cm2
Power density of 55-87 mW/cm2 gets you the optimal fluence in 3 minutes
Power Density Safety Limit: <100 mW/cm2
Red+Infrared light therapy:
Fluence target in one session: 10-15 J/cm2
Power density of 55-87 mW/cm2 gets you the optimal fluence in 3 minutes
Power Density Safety Limit: <300 / 750 mW/cm2
When Is The Best Time of Day to Use Light Therapy?
Aim to use light therapy in the morning to minimize its potential impact on sleep quality. Later on in the evening, typically after the sun has gone down, the body releases melatonin in response to darkness. Melatonin is responsible for making us feel sleepy and can help the body to relax and drift off to sleep. Light exposure reduces the amount of melatonin produced and can cause wakefulness, disrupting sleep.
Studies investigating light therapy’s impact on melatonin and sleep outcomes report mixed results. Until the scientific consensus shows that light therapy does not disrupt sleep, it is recommended to use it earlier in the day.
How to Choose the Best Light Therapy Device
In order to select the best light therapy device for you, there are five main criteria to consider:
Wavelength: Different wavelengths, which determine the color of the treatment, penetrate the skin at varying depths and have varying effects. Choose a light therapy device that produces a light therapy that can provide the benefits you’re looking for. For example, to reduce inflammatory acne, ensure the selected light therapy device has blue light therapy.
Coverage: Choose a light therapy device that covers your intended treatment area fully and consistently. For example, select a device with full-face coverage if you’re using a light therapy device for facial wrinkles.
Dosage: Ensure that the device selected provides a therapeutic dosage without becoming unsafe.
Time of treatment: Treatment times can vary depending on the therapeutic dosage of the device. Be sure to adhere to all instructions on treatment time.
Ease of use: Let’s face it — the best treatments are the ones that you can integrate simply and consistently into your daily routine.
With all changes to your wellness routine, discuss light therapy use with your dermatologist or healthcare provider to understand if it’s right for you. Light therapy devices are not intended for medical use and should never replace the care of a healthcare provider.