Red Light therapy is a NASA discovery made by astronauts in space who wanted to grow plants there. It entails having red light wavelengths passed through a patient’s skin. The process is pain-free and does not produce any heat. The red light gets absorbed into the skin up to a depth of 10 millimeters where it has positive effects on the nervous system, metabolic processes, and rejuvenates cellular energy.
How It Works
By passing wavelengths of low red light through the skin, the skin naturally jump-starts tissue recovery. This increasing blood flow, stimulates collagen, as well as numerous other positive factors. This therapy can be done as a home treatment or through a professional done under doctors’ supervision.
Modern spas and salons have tanning beds that have with red lights to conduct this therapy. Most salon and home treatments offer light therapy for the general body where the treatment of specific areas is reserved for doctors and dermatologists.
Another form that red light therapy works is by flashing the red light at a very high frequency. In this type of treatment, two types of chemicals are applied to the patient’s face then the red light is flashed to enhance the effect of the chemicals. This form of therapy requires four treatments so that change can be visible.
Benefits of Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy successfully reduces the painful side effects caused by chemotherapy or radiation experienced by cancer patient according to a NASA research. By using an infrared light emitting diode devices, photons are released. Photons are long wavelengths of energy that assist the skin in stimulating the cells which bring about healing.
NASA test was whether this treatment could heal oral mucositis which is commonly painful side effect in cancer patients. Their research concluded that 95% of the patients improved after a nurse held a WARP 75 device close to their face and neck for 1 minute and 28 seconds daily for two weeks and they healed with no adverse effects to bone marrow.
Tissue Repair and Wound Healing
Red light therapy in the range of 600 to 1,300 nanometers is useful in promoting tissue repair, skin rejuvenation, and wound healing. Most of the laser treatments used by dermatologist use intense light to trigger skin repair by bringing about secondary tissue repair. In other words, they cause damage to the epidermis or dermis to induce inflammation which is followed by healing.
Contrary to this treatment, red light therapy bypasses this destructive step and directly increases cellular proliferation, adhesion, and migration.
Anti-Aging Effects of Skin and Hair Loss
Red light therapy reverses aging signs on the skin. Subjects who have undergone red light therapy showed signs of improved skin tone, skin complexion, and skin texture as measured through ultrasonographic tests.
Another anti-aging effect of this therapy is stimulating follicle growth and reversing hair loss, which works in a similar way to healing a wound.
Improved Musculoskeletal Health and Joints
This therapy is now being used to treat arthritis due to its capability of rebuilding cartilage and stimulating collagen production. Even those who do not suffer from arthritis but have other forms of tissue damage can still benefit. Red light therapy reduces neck pain immediately after treatment that goes for 22 weeks.
Increased blood flow and cellular rejuvenation are two major aspects of enhancing tissue and joint health. Decreased oxidative damage that stiffens joints and modulates inflammation, is another way that red light therapy benefits the connective tissues.
Reduced Fatigue and Depression
Eastern medicine and red light therapy are similar according to Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners who improve people’s immunity, recovery, and general health by using the acupuncture mechanism treatment.
Red Light therapy is a form of energy; our bodies also are sources of energy too. This treatment has the power to increase chakra zones and specific meridian points in the human body. Red light therapy is said to arouse the first chakra because it correlates our survival instinct and makes us act faster so as to motivate us to pursue things like food, money, power, etc.
While acupuncture incorporates the use of tiny needles to bring about bodily harmony via stimulating specific points in the body’s energy system; red light therapy brings in modern technology that focuses visible red wavelengths in much the similar way to boost energy.
Red light therapy has been shown to correlate naturally and energize us with improved moods by increasing positivity, self-confidence, joyfulness, passion, conversation skills, sensory stimulation, and social awareness. While results vary from patient to patient, there’s reason to believe that red light therapy has mental and emotional perks in addition to physical benefits.
References:
5 Reasons to Use Red Light Therapy – Light Therapy Device
Light Therapy – Wikipedia
Light Therapy For Your Skin – WebMD
