Red light therapy is a safe, natural, and effective therapy that can restore your skin's youthful vigor, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, reduce the appearance of scars and spots, treat acne and strengthen collagen.
There are also a large number of clinical studies on red light therapy. Throughout the study after the study, red light therapy can improve appearance, reduce swelling and inflammation, and help people look younger.
At the scientific level, there is not much we can positively say. As I will elaborate on in the following sections, most research measures a phenomenon, or uses by-proxy methods to address possible causes, just to conclude that "the mechanism is unknown".
The red light application seems to be beneficial to certain injuries and pathological conditions but the panacea claims currently made are not yet backed by research.
Research and Testing of Red light therapy
Red light therapy has been researched and tested in hundreds of peer-reviewed clinical trials and has achieved positive results in skin health, collagen production, body function and muscle recovery, sleep, joint pain, inflammation, etc. And there are no drugs, chemicals, ultraviolet rays, invasive procedures, or other common side effects.
NFL stars, NBA teams, Olympians, world-class coaches, natural health leaders, and leading clinics and gyms use red light therapy every day to achieve these natural health benefits.
The objective of medical research about a given treatment that has empirically or even anecdotally shown benefit is to understand how and why it produces the observed results. Of all the research I examined, the studies that offer less controversial results are based on observations made on humans.
Those refer to red light effects on joint pain, such as tendinopathy, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and musculoskeletal disorders. Even in these cases, results show it is a treatment with potential modest beneficial effects. By modest I mean that the meta-analysis on red light’s effect on osteoarthritis showed it may be helpful for short term relief of joint pain and morning stiffness, not more.
It has also shown some promising adjuvant treatment efficacy for maxillofacial post-surgical recovery.
How do the natural wavelengths of red and near-infrared light cause these positive biological effects in your body? We break it down in this article.
Red light therapy works by boosting your energy production at a cellular level. Red light therapy also has a natural anti-inflammatory effect and has been shown to improve circulation and reduce oxidative stress.
It is believed that red light works by producing enhanced mitochondrial biochemical effects in cells. Mitochondria are the power source of cells and the place where cells produce energy. The energy-carrying molecule found in the cells of all living things is called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
By increasing the function of the mitochondria using Red Light Therapy, a cell can make more ATP. With more energy, cells can function more efficiently, rejuvenate themselves, and repair damage.
Red Light Therapy is different from laser or intense pulsed light therapies because it doesn’t cause damage to the skin surface. Laser and pulsed light therapies work by causing controlled damage to the outer layer of the skin, which then induces tissue repair. Red Light Therapy bypasses this harsh step by directly stimulating the regeneration of the skin. The light emitted by Red Light Therapy penetrates roughly 5 millimeters below the skin’s surface.
Red Light Therapy Helps People Produce More Cellular Energy
In the simplest terms, red light therapy works by charging cells. The wavelength of natural light stimulates your mitochondria, also known as "the power source of cells". This helps your cells produce more ATP (adenosine triphosphate) energy during cellular respiration. ATP energy is a vital molecule that can provide all energy to the human body. People usually call it the "energy currency of life." The more ATP energy a person can produce, the better they look, feel, health, and perform.
Most people don’t get enough natural light: Natural light is essential to human health, but unfortunately, most people don’t get nearly all the light they need from the environment. The survey shows that Americans spend more than 90% of their time indoors on average. [1] This helps explain why simple interventions like red light therapy can have a great impact on human health and have an impact on overall health.
Basics of a Red Light Therapy Treatment
High-quality red light therapy devices use medical-grade LEDs to transmit concentrated wavelengths of natural light to the skin and cells without generating dangerous ultraviolet rays or excessive heat. All you have to do is sit or stand near the device for 10 to 15 minutes a day to recharge your battery. The larger the body surface area that can be covered, the more opportunities for cells to absorb natural light. Continuous use can bring you more systemic benefits.
All organisms need ATP cell energy to function and survive. Almost all organisms rely on natural light to power this process in our cells every day. Natural light with red and near-infrared wavelengths stimulates the mitochondria in your cells. These cells are responsible for absorbing light, oxygen, and the food we eat and converting them into energy useful to the human body through the cellular respiration process.
