Red Light Therapy
This blog is going to focus in entirely on Red Light Therapy. It really has risen in popularity as a trend on social media, which has its pros and cons. The therapy itself should not be disregarded just because of this, but it is understandable to have doubts and be overwhelmed as a whole on how to tackle this topic.
This blog is going to walk through what Red Light is, why and when it is actually beneficial, the roots of this treatment and how far back they go, and overall what is the most cost effective way to start implementing this therapy into your own routine.
Many people are more familiar with an infrared sauna and why those are so beneficial. An infrared sauna uses a broader spectrum of wavelengths than red light therapy does. Red Light therapy devices are very targeted and specific wavelengths of the the same infrared spectrum. Let’s break that down.
The way were measure light is by wavelengths, just like how we measure temperature by Fahrenheit or Celsius. There is a very large spectrum of wavelengths, with visible light ranging from 400-750 nanometers (nm), blue light is at about 460 nm, and red light is 660 nm.
Now getting into what “infrared” means. Infrared light has a wavelength of about 800 nm and is emitted by the sun, fire, heating objects, and select saunas. Infrared light is not visible to the human eye, but it can be felt as heat. On the spectrum of light, it is located between visible light and microwave spectrum. Hence the word “infra-“, these frequencies occur just below those of visible red light.
To sum up the key highlights of the light spectrum:
UV Light causes sunburns, aids in Vitamin D absorption, and is invisible to the human eye. This is never used in saunas or red light therapies.
Visible Light includes the entire range of colors that can be seen by the human eye (the rainbow!). For example, this includes blue light which increases alertness and suppresses melatonin. Notably, this is where red light lies. Red light is more beneficial for wound healing and regenerating skin
Infrared Light is divided into near, mid, and far and is completely invisible to the human eye. Red light therapy uses red, near- infrared light whereas saunas use either only far-infrared or a full spectrum.
Light is an incredibly powerful force to work with. The UV rays from the sun can dramatically impact our health both through changing the appearance of our skin to hormonal shifts through Vitamin D. Why then, do we so much doubt the benefits of the red light spectrum? RLT, commonly referred to as photomedicine, essentially provides the benefits of light therapy without the harmful impact of UV radiation.
Here is a non-comprehensive list of the proven benefits of Red Light Therapy:
Reducing inflammation, chronic pain, and supporting joints and tendons
Supporting muscle recovery
Supporting health/appearance of skin and hair health through collagen production
Improving circulation, aiding detox pathways, improving digestion, and managing blood sugar levels
Overall prevention of diseases related to vascular health, autoimmune conditions, and more.
How are these Benefits Explained?
RLT essentially works through activation of your cell’s powerhouse….mitochondria! Applying RLT to your skin is like plugging in your cells to charge up their energy.
Mitochondria have chromophores-molecules that absorb light at a specific wavelength and emit color. In ancient Greek, the word literally translates to “carrier of color”
Why is this important? Because RLT wavelengths emit a specific light that the chromophores in mitochondria (specifically cytochrome c oxidase) can absorb. Once the light is absorbed, these chromophores then release Nitric Oxide, Reactive Oxygen Species, and improve the balance between NAD/NADH. All of this complicated jargon to essentially sum up the fact that it is stimulating your mitochondria to produce more ATP.
ATP= ENERGY. Your mitochondria are now active and charged up. Via the ROS generation and NO production mentioned above, this is also going to result in lowered inflammation, improved circulation, and movement of your detox pathways.
Increased ATP production in your cell’s mitochondria is beneficial to so many aspects of your health. Without adequate ATP, your cells don’t have energy to accomplish anything.
One of the most well known benefits of RLT is reduced wrinkles, improved skin healing, and an overall improvement in the appearance and suppleness of your skin. This is because ATP triggers the production of collagen and elastin
This is also going to indirectly improve inflammation levels and reduce chronic pain by assisting your body’s immune response to cater to points of inflammation and tissue damage.
Beyond the realm of just physical pain and inflammation, ongoing studies are being done that look at the impact of specific wavelengths for brain conditions/depression and and your microbiome/gut health.
Roots of RLT
Photomedicine, or harnessing the powers of light for health, was essentially discovered by accident and is fairly new. About 50 years ago, Hungarian physicist Endre Mester discovered that the use of red lasers on rats stimulated hair growth and wound healing.
As one would expect, he was met with a lot of backlash for these claims. Flash forward to another happy accident, in doing research on growing plants in space with Red Light, the NASA scientists suddenly started to experience rapid wound healing.
We are still building clinical research in order to backup what our bodies intuitively know, which is that photobiomodulation works. RLT is now seen in clinics, spas, and some gyms, but still has a very bright and expansive future ahead of it.
How and Where to start with RLT
It is no secret that many of these breakthrough treatments in the health world unfortunately come at a high cost. The benefit to these devices is that you can use that at home at your own convenience, and only require application of about 20 minutes at a time. You can be studying, reading, or just relaxing all the while a plethora of cellular charging it occurring beneath your skin because of RLT’s specific ability to penetrate tissues.
The most overall recommended brand is Lume Box whereas the #1 affordable device is Hooga Health which both offer smaller, targeted devices for specific areas you may be experiencing pain or want to stimulate your cells.
Some important things to remember are that red light works best with direct skin contact without the interference of clothing, and to assure you are either wearing protecting eye wear or not staring directly into the light .Overall, red light therapy is esteemed for not only its benefits but also its overall safety levels. That being said, still consult with your doctor if you have any concerns at all about using a red light divide for your specific concerns.