If you follow beauty influencers on social media, you may have seen them wearing a face mask that emits intense red light on the surface of their face. That is one of the popular examples of red light therapy. It is believed to improve skin health and fight various signs of aging. Before learning more about the benefits of such a therapy, let’s understand the basics first.
What is Red Light Therapy?
Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation, is an advanced treatment procedure that uses lights of specific wavelengths to treat a variety of health and aesthetic concerns. It is a non-invasive and drug-free therapy that has gained massive popularity in recent years for its potential health benefits. In today’s market, one can find different types of red light therapy devices, including face masks, panels, belts, and more.
Spas and doctors’ clinics usually have the best red light therapy panels that help enhance the healing and recovery time of muscles, tissues, bones, tendons, and more. Smaller devices like masks, straps, belts, etc., are typically used for more superficial areas of the body, i.e., skin. Now, let’s explore how this therapy works.
How Does Red Light Therapy Work?
Red light therapy uses low levels of red light to target your skin and cells. Researchers believe that it stimulates the cell’s powerhouses, the mitochondria, to increase ATP production, the energy source for cells. This enhanced energy can boost various cellular functions, potentially leading to benefits like improved cell repair, reduced inflammation, and better skin rejuvenation.
When photons (particles of light) are placed near your skin, they enter tissues and activate chromophores. This triggers changes in the cell along with ATP generation. For the red light therapy to work, one must use specific protocols and dosages depending on the health issue it is treating. Thus, it is recommended that you consult a healthcare professional before getting RLT.
Are There Any Side Effects of Red Light Therapy?
Even though red light therapy shows promising results in treating sore muscles, reducing wrinkles, and more, the field requires further research. Till now, RLT has not shown any side effects. This is what encourages more people to explore the benefits of red light therapy.
Researchers believe that further studies may reveal potential side effects of this therapeutic treatment. Since this therapy deals with light, people taking photosensitive medications or with glaucoma or lupus should consult with their physician before trying RLT.
Red Light Therapy Benefits
Research on the benefits of RLT is ongoing. While further research is required in the field, there is plenty of evidence that suggests the following benefits of red light therapy:
- Reduced Pain and Inflammation: Proper use of red light therapy can help reduce muscle pain and inflammation. Investing in a good-quality RLT device can help you alleviate pain and reduce healing time. RLT can be helpful in treating issues like fibromyalgia, arthritis, joint pain, muscle pain, tendonitis, athletic training performance, etc.
- Anti-Aging Skin Benefits: RLT can help reduce the signs of aging, including wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, and redness. Research shows that RLT promotes collagen production, which helps skin tone and texture while battling the signs of aging. It can be useful in treating UV sun damage, wrinkles, sores, psoriasis, aging skin, eczema, etc.
- Fat Loss: RLT has also been shown to reduce fat and/or the circumference of specific body areas, including arms, thighs, buttocks, and more. In fact, this is the only non-invasive, pain-free body contouring procedure that has shown positive results over time.
- Helps Manage Dementia Symptoms: A research review revealed that red light therapy had benefits for people suffering from dementia. Getting regular RLT on their heads and through their noses for 12 weeks allowed the people to retain better memories, get better sleep, and feel less angry.
Apart from these, RLT has also shown positive results in treating hair loss, healing wounds, improving autism spectrum disorder symptoms, and more.
Conclusion
There are enough reasons why the popularity of red light therapy is constantly increasing. Even though it has been shown to offer several health benefits, the research on this topic is still ongoing. So, before you plan to use it on yourself, do consult a healthcare professional.
