The Many Benefits of Red Light Therapy
Red Light Therapy is all the rage, and it’s not hard to see why. Its benefits include reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, blemishes, hyperpigmentation, and even weight loss, so it’s no surprise that it’s gaining popularity. Believe it or not, RLT goes far beyond cosmetics, which we will discuss a little later in the article.
But first……
What is Red Light Therapy?
When it comes to discovering the potential benefits of red light therapy, you can thank NASA!
In October 1995, sources of red light made their space shuttle flight debut on the second U.S. Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab mission (STS-73, Columbia) as part of experiments in plant growth. It was here that astronauts tending the plant growth chambers noticed little scratches on their hands began to heal.
These studies discovered that red light therapy could be used deliberately as a type of photomedicine, which is the application of light for health and healing purposes. Visible light penetrates biological tissues, such as cells, muscle tissues, and nerve tissues—with red and near-infrared (NIR) light going deeper than green, blue, or violet light.
Okay, now you know a little bit about what RLT is, but, how does it work?
Red light therapy works by activating your mitochondria, or the powerhouse of the cell, with this boost to the energy center of the cell, the cells can do their jobs
Red light therapy takes advantage of a phenomenon called photobiomodulation, which is how different components of our cells are activated or respond to different wavelengths of light.
How may Red Light Therapy Benefit me?
Great question! RLT, as I stated at the beginning of the article, actually has a wide range of wellness goals that it may help support. Below are some of the most popular findings in current studies of research.
- Fine Lines and wrinkles
- Acne
- Scaring
- Wound healing
- Hair growth
- Relief from chronic disease symptoms
- Reduction of pain
- Enhancement of fat loss
- Acceleration of sports recovery
- Increase injury prevention
- Promotion of brain health
Are all Red Light Devices created equal?
No, like most purchases we choose to invest in, you want to be sure you select an option that can support your health goals.
There are at-home devices, which can vary from small hand-held wands to full-body devices. While these likely will not cause harm, their effectiveness is questionable, and will likely not have enough lights to be effective, or the correct certifications to ensure it is what they say it is and the appropriate NIR to penetrate deep enough for the health goal you are working towards.
