Red Light Therapy is HOT! Examples Here!

(Pun Intended)

Red Light Therapy (RLT) gizmos (equipment) are becoming more popular as research about health and beauty benefits increases and supports this evolving technology to ensure treatments are high quality and safe. People love it because it is non-invasive and considered generally safe, making it an appealing option among holistic wellness methods.

TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE

Let’s Explore Red Light Therapy Benefits! We Shall Do The Following.

learn the definition of Red Light Therapy (RLT)
discover how RLT works
see a list of many of the health benefits of using RLT
find links to research resources that form the basis for our conclusions. (The primary source is PubMed.NCBI.NIM.NIH.GOV. I confirmed many findings with the source, Therapeutic Beams as well. Details below.)

We’ll also briefly explore 4 types of LED Therapy, i.e., the uses of red, yellow, blue, and green light therapies.

Let’s Get Started!

There are the “use-at-home” options. However, professionals, such as chiropractors and others in the health industry, are beginning to offer high-quality treatments in their offices with larger and more powerful devices.

I’m not a medical professional and do not diagnose or treat symptoms. Nor do I give medical advice. Instead, I’m writing about this, having benefited from both “small” versions and the more powerful version, offered by my chiropractor at Natural Results Chiropractic Clinic in Front Royal, Virginia.

Above is an AI-generated image featuring seven types of red light therapy equipment, showcasing various designs and uses. (I used AI so as not to violate copyrights on real photos.) Let’s learn a little about the research and more about the benefits.

Definition of Red Light Therapy (RLT)

Red light therapy (RLT) uses low-level wavelengths of red or near-infrared light to penetrate the skin, promoting cellular repair and regeneration.

Simply Stated

Red light therapy, also known as low-level light therapy or photobiomodulation, is a natural treatment that uses low-level red or near-infrared light to stimulate the body’s cells and promote healing. This therapy can be administered in various forms, such as handheld devices, lamps, and even full body beds…

It works by shining a special light on your skin or the area of your body that needs help. This light is absorbed by the cells in your body and makes them work better. It does this by helping the cells’ powerhouses (called mitochondria) make more energy. When the cells have more energy, it can help reduce inflammation and make your body work better. Red light therapy is generally safe and has few side effects.. ~ Gamma

How Does Red Light Therapy Work?

It stimulates the mitochondria in your cells to produce more ATP (adenosine triphosphate) energy.
ATP is the primary energy source for the cells in your body.
It helps reduce inflammation and improves cellular function.

Potential Health Benefits of Red Light Therapy

A list with some details follows. Keep scrolling!

Observed Benefits of Red Light Therapy

Light therapy modulates serotonin levels and blood flow in women with headaches.
A preliminary study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26202374/ I’ll provide many specific links related to various health topics below.
- In case you don’t know, “PubMed” is the official National Institute of Health’s National Library of Health National Center for Biotechnology Information.
- Translation – it’s where physicians and researchers go to find legitimate studies on varied health topics – biomedical and genomic information.

Skin Health & Anti-Aging

- Red light therapy promotes collagen production and improves skin elasticity, texture, and tone.
- “Unlike other skin treatments like intense pulsed light (IPL), RLT does not damage your skin to induce tissue repair. It skips directly to stimulating skin repair and rejuvenation [1]. RLT can help brighten and tighten your skin, making you look years younger!
- Other anti-aging benefits of red light therapy include reduced undereye wrinkles, forehead wrinkles, laugh lines, and crow’s feet.” ~ Therapeutic Beams.
- Aside from simply making us “prettier,” RLT can help treat acne, psoriasis, and rosacea.

Wound Healing

- Red light therapy can speed up wound healing caused by burns and other injuries, as well as reduce the appearance of scars by promoting tissue repair and cell regeneration.
- RLT works by reducing inflammation, stimulating angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels), promoting collagen production, and boosting granulation tissue production.
- “RLT does…make a great preventative measure. The wound-healing and collagen-producing benefits can prevent future scars and stretch marks from forming.” ~ Therapeutic Beams

Muscle Recovery & Performance Enhancement

Red light therapy reduces muscle soreness and accelerates muscle recovery after exercise or injury by enhancing blood flow and reducing oxidative stress.

- According to Therapeutic Beams, RLT – when used after exercise – can reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and speed up muscle recovery.
- And, when used before exercise, RLT can improve performance and endurance [12].
- Therapeutic Beams also notes, “While RLT is currently allowed in athletic competitions, there is some talk of potentially banning (or regulating) its usage [12]. So, if you’re an athlete, be sure to check the official prohibited list in case there are any changes.”

Red Light Therapy is Best Known for

Pain Relief & Anti-Inflammatory Effects

- Therapeutic Beams was kind enough to give citations for clinical studies that have shown RLT to relieve pain in people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, dental pain, oral mucositis (from chemotherapy), and back pain [15, 16, 17, 18, 19]. In particular, RLT seems most effective in reducing joint pain.
- RLT works at the causal level. Medications are designed to block pain, but not cure the source of the pain.
- RLT works by improving the health and function of our cells. It may take a little time, but, if it eliminates the cause of the pain, it could lead to being pain-free naturally in the long-run.

Hair Growth is Another Common Use

for Red Light Therapy

Red light stimulates hair follicles, leading to increased hair growth. However, it does not work in areas where the hair follicles are not present and alive.

- Click here to see clinical data on hair regrowth in people with androgenetic alopecia using RLT.
- Recent clinical studies on humans have shown that red light therapy can improve hair growth by over 35% in both men and women with androgenetic alopecia [8,9].

Improved Sleep & Circadian Rhythm Regulation

Utilizing red light therapy has been linked to improved sleep patterns, as it influences the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep cycles.
It is especially effective for individuals who have insomnia or circadian rhythm disorders.

What About Fat and/or Weight Reduction

- Clinical studies have shown that RLT can reduce fat and cellulite.
- While the “how” isn’t exactly known yet, the leading theory is that RLT produces small holes in fat cells, which causes lipids (the molecules inside your fat cells) to leak out [10]. Excerpt: “Within the last decade, LLLT started being investigated as an adjuvant to liposuction, for noninvasive body contouring, reduction of cellulite, and improvement of blood lipid profile.”

Cognitive Health Mental Health

- Some research indicates that red light therapy may help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by improving brain function and enhancing mood.
- Research suggests that RLT can support cognitive health and improve mood by stimulating brain function. It has shown promise in managing conditions like depression and anxiety, particularly through its effects on neuroprotection and systemic brain health.

What About Eye Health?

Studies have begun.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21421867/

Is Red Light Therapy the Same as LED Therapy?

https://aedit.com/aedition/difference-between-professional-at-home-led-therapy

First developed by NASA to aid plant growth experiments in space, LED therapy has become known as a non-invasive healing and aesthetic treatment option for just about every skin type and skin tone. “Using varying wavelengths, LED helps with anti-aging, acne, inflammation, and overall skin regeneration,” explains Lizette Ludwig, RN, an aesthetic nurse and injector in southern California. Because it does not contain UV rays, it is considered safe for regular use and studies have not shown any adverse effects on the skin.

Types of LED Therapy

What Does LED Stand For?

Generally, “The acronym LED has been used more and has become more commonplace over the last few decades. LED stands for light-emitting diode. An LED is a source of light that is widely used in various ways, especially in electronic devices and equipment. A more technical LED definition would be a semiconductor component that emits light when an electric current runs through it. The color of the light can vary depending on various components, such as the type of material used to create the semiconductor.” ~ Study.com

But We Care Only About

Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green Lights as Used In Health Therapies

& The Difference Between Home Products and Professional Red Light Therapy Equipment

https://aedit.com/aedition/difference-between-professional-at-home-led-therapy

LED therapy works by taking advantage of the skin’s natural ability to metabolize light. The benefits are wide-reaching thanks to the different wavelengths employed. Below are the most common for aesthetic use:

Red Light: Also known as infrared light, Ludwig says red light is used to treat the epidermis, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation. The result? A healthier glow. “I like to think of red light as anti-aging and improving fine lines and wrinkles,” she adds.
Blue Light: Acne beware, blue light targets overactive sebaceous (oil) glands. In turn, you may see fewer breakouts. “It can also kill acne-causing bacteria beneath the skin,” Ludwig shares. She often combines red and blue light in her treatments.
Yellow Light: Useful in treating chronic skin conditions, yellow light improves “overall redness” from rosacea, eczema, and broken blood vessels and capillaries, Ludwig explains. It can also soothe irritated and/or sensitive skin.
Green Light: “There are lots of wellness benefits to using green light therapy,” Ludwig says. “You may notice improvement in sleep and relief from pain.” And it can be used as skin therapy as well, often in combination with other colors.

Popular Red Light Therapy Products

Here are seven popular red light therapy products currently available, according to ChatGPT. I cannot vouch for them. Instead, I was curious to know what openai.com/ChatGPT would suggest.

These are the results in the way ChatGPT presented them.

Joovv Solo 3.0**
– **Type**: Full-body panel
– **Key Feature**: Modular system, allows expansion with additional panels.
– **Wavelength**: 660 nm (red) and 850 nm (near-infrared)

MitoPRO 1500**
Type**: Full-body panel
Key Feature**: Includes both red and near-infrared light therapy, broad treatment area.
Wavelength**: 630 nm, 660 nm, and 850 nm

LightStim for Wrinkles**
Type**: Handheld device
Key Feature**: FDA-cleared, specifically for anti-aging treatment on the face.
Wavelength**: Multi-wave technology combining red and infrared

PlatinumLED Therapy Lights BIO 600**
Type**: Full-body panel
Key Feature**: High-power output for faster treatment times.
Wavelength**: 660 nm (red) and 850 nm (near-infrared)

RedRush 360**
Type**: Full-body panel
Key Feature**: Affordable high-output red light panel.
Wavelength**: 660 nm and 850 nm

Hooga HG300**
Type**: Targeted panel
Key Feature**: Compact and budget-friendly for localized therapy.
Wavelength**: 660 nm and 850 nm

SolaWave 4-in-1 Skincare Wand**
Type**: Handheld wand
Key Feature**: Combines red light therapy with microcurrents and facial massage.
Wavelength**: 630 nm

Hope for Future Uses of Red Light Therapy (AKA LLLT and PDT) To Kill Infectious Diseases and Unwanted Tissues

Abstract

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0734975012001425?via%3Dihub

Phototherapy can be used in two completely different but complementary therapeutic applications. While low-level laser (or light) therapy (LLLT) uses red or near-infrared light alone to reduce inflammation, and pain and to stimulate tissue repair and regeneration, photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses the combination of light plus non-toxic dyes (called photosensitizers) to produce reactive oxygen species that can kill infectious microorganisms and cancer cells or destroy unwanted tissue (neo-vascularization in the choroid, atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries). The recent development of nanotechnology applied to medicine (nanomedicine) has opened a new front of advancement in the field of phototherapy and has provided hope for the development of nanoscale drug delivery platforms for effective killing of pathological cells and to promote repair and regeneration.

LedPhotoTherapies List of Studies & References for Red Light Therapy

Click Here to go to their link.

Therapeutic Beams & NIH Research Resources to Explore

These are links cited by another source I used for this article: Therapeutic Beams.com. I highly recommend you go to their site for additional information.
I thought I’d put a bunch of these links in one place to make it easy to click on them and then find the next. Of course, there are many more research studies on Red Light Therapy. These are just related to topics in this blog.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926176/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439741/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5756569/
- https://jmedicalcasereports.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13256-019-2339-6
- https://rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosacea_Forum/showthread.php?37419-Success-with-Red-Light-Therapy-After-Mirvaso-Disaster
- https://www.rxlist.com/consumer_rogaine_minoxidil_topical/drugs-condition.htm
- https://www.healthline.com/health/finasteride-oral-tablet
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24078483/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25124964/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3769994/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20393809/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5167494/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21088862/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21752179/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29071029/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10796462/
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/prt/2019/8578703/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21725826/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2539004/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4148276/
- https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2008/hm_3.html
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11776448/
Click Here to see a list of aditional research regarding the use of red light therapy for other physical ailments, such as cancer, periodontal pockets, as the research continues to expand.