Written by Amanda Lundberg, BSN, RN
Tired of wasting money on anti-aging products that don’t work? While it might not be a miraculous “Fountain of Youth,” light therapy products are an increasingly popular, safe, and simple approach to keep you looking younger and feeling strong and healthy. A plethora of studies have taken place already regarding this amazing and seemingly futuristic technology. But what does it do?
Red light therapy (RLT) uses low-level intensity red light and/or near-infrared light to reduce inflammation, promote healthy circulation, decrease fine lines and wrinkles, increase the skin’s elasticity and firmness, and improve the skin’s tone and texture.
As an emerging treatment that’s showing promise in treating wrinkles, scars, redness, acne, and other signs of aging, light therapy is beneficial for a range of medical and aesthetic conditions that can now be done in the privacy and comfort of your own home. Read on to learn how it can help you enjoy a more youthful and energized life at any age!
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As an anti-aging tool that works from the inside out, red light therapy operates at the cellular level, addressing mitochondrial dysfunction and reversing it, rather than just temporarily masking the problem. Damaged and wrinkled skin becomes softer, fuller, and more resilient with the use of RLT, while this therapy also reduces inflammation.
Light therapy promotes the production of elastin and collagen proteins, which make up 80 percent of the skin and give it structure, firmness, and flexibility. Studies demonstrate that both red and near-infrared (NIR) light therapy provides skin cell rejuvenation. Red light is better suited for targeting the outer layers of the skin, and NIR penetrates more deeply into body tissues. While it can take time to start seeing results, if used consistently several days a week for short sessions of up to 20 minutes in length, this Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT) provides effective, lasting, and visible results for younger, healthier-looking skin.
Working in the same way as it does for reducing wrinkles, red light therapy increases collagen production which helps to even out the skin surface and tone, significantly reducing the appearance of scars, stretch marks, and pockmarks - often leaving them virtually invisible. Both RLT and NIR low-level laser/ light therapy work great for fibrotic tissue reduction, triggering the formation of new blood vessels along with the release of nitric oxide - a critical aspect of proper wound healing. NIR is particularly helpful for hypertrophic and keloid scarring.
This low-level light therapy works well to diminish stretch marks from pregnancy or obesity, but there is more! Multiple studies have demonstrated that red light therapy delivers faster healing of wounds and the prevention of scarring for post-operative patients, diabetics, and a variety of injuries. Consistency is the key - people who use this therapy several times a week for brief sessions lasting anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes will tend to get the best results, along with those who use it right away after a wound, surgery, or injury has occurred.
It may seem counterintuitive to use light therapy to repair sun-damaged skin, but red light therapy for anti-aging has been shown to effectively decrease the visibility of age spots and restore the skin from damage from the sun. Because this therapydoes not use potentially harmful and prematurely aging UV light, utilizing RLT is probably one of the safest ways to mitigate the appearance of age spots and sun-damaged skin. Light therapies also deliver a gentler alternative to microdermabrasion, cryotherapy, and chemical peels.
In fact, 90 percent of one study’s participants showed a reduction in pigment and other positive benefits in just 8 red light therapy sessions over 4 weeks.
Because inflammatory acne vulgaris can be experienced by people of any age, it’s helpful to know that red light therapy can be a very beneficial, safe, and effective treatment option. RLT helps to decrease unwanted oil production in the skin, along with reducing redness and swelling. Blue light therapy is also used to address acne breakouts, delivering an antimicrobial effect that’s effective at eliminating several types of bacteria that clog pores and oil glands.
Red light therapy promotes healing, mitigates inflammation, and works below the skin's surface to soothe and repair tissues while preventing and reducing acne scarring. Ideal for chronic skin conditions, RLT clinical trials demonstrated that 85 percent of the participants found a significant quantitative reduction of at least 50 percent of the acne lesions in just 4 bi-weekly treatments. By the 3-month mark, lesion clearance is approximately 70 to 80 percent! Continued use of RLT is recommended to help prevent unwanted outbreaks in the future, but sessions can be minimized.
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Joint pain doesn’t just affect older people, as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are seeing an increase among young adults in recent years. To prevent these painful diseases and more effectively treat them, red light therapy and near-infrared therapy have both been proven to be efficacious options. Both therapies are quite beneficial in preventing and eliminating the inflammation that leads to pain and swelling. Studies show that low-level light therapies significantly reduced pain and increased the range of motion in people living with osteoarthritis in just 5 to 7 treatments, with these positive effects lasting up to 8 weeks.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that red light therapy is a proven, safe, and natural way to speed up the healing process for wounds, incisions, burns, and scars, along with reducing pain and inflammation. Both RLT and NIR have been shown to increase fibroblast proliferation, blood vessel formation, collagen synthesis, and granulation tissue formation, optimizing healing and recovery. Research trials have confirmed how red light therapy and near-infrared therapy provide a natural boost for healing burns with less inflammation, pain, and oxidative stress, along with delivering improved cosmetic recovery results as well.
Helping to promote healthy hair growth for a more youthful appearance, red light therapy for anti-aging assists people experiencing hair loss issues to retain or regain their hair. As long as the hair follicle has survived, RLT and NIR can both be used to shift them into the growth stage, resulting in faster, fuller, and thicker hair shafts. Studies show that these forms of LLLT can improve multiple forms of hair loss, including androgenetic alopecia, radiation or chemotherapy-induced alopecia, and alopecia areata.
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Previously only available as expensive treatments in medical spas and clinics, red light therapy for anti-aging is now conveniently accessible for safe use at home, at a fraction of the cost. Light therapy is part of a holistic approach to improving skin complexion, hair growth, inflammatory conditions, and wound/scar healing. The innovative low-level light therapy of RLT and NIR can help you obtain a more youthful appearance and minimize pain and inflammation.
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Amanda is a registered nurse with over a decade of experience in hospital, clinic, and healthcare management settings. Her primary focus has been collaborating with patients to manage disease processes. Aiming at continuing active lifestyles for her patients, Amanda has become an expert in adjunct therapies.
Amanda incorporates a holistic approach to heal the body from within. She has completed extensive research in remedial treatments using oxygen, as well as becoming a professional light therapy specialist. Her reparative ethos to health has sparked engaging conversations and teaching opportunities nationwide.
Amanda has taken her passion for articulating technical medical language and transitioned to freelance writing. She enjoys bringing a clinical voice to health and wellness brands.
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