Several months back as I perused Instagram, I saw a post with a picture of a woman sitting next to a panel of glowing red lights. “Looks hokey,” was my initial reaction, and I scrolled on by. But I saw a similar post a week or so later, and then a few weeks after that, a Facebook friend with a new baby posted about using red light therapy as part of her postpartum recovery. Maybe you, like me, have come across red light therapy on social media and are curious what it’s all about. Most importantly, you may wonder, does it actually live up to the hype?
What is red light therapy?
Red light therapy, near-infrared light therapy, low-level laser therapy, and photobiomodulation are all terms referring to the same general principle. Certain wavelengths of light are known to penetrate the body, impacting it at the cellular level.
I’m willing to bet that if there’s one thing you remember from grade school or high school biology class, it’s that the “mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” Our mitochondria “power plants” produce adenosine triphosphate or ATP, or energy. Red light and near-infrared light boost the mitochondria’s work of energy production, leading to decreased inflammation, increased new blood vessel production, and reduced oxidative stress.
Red light vs. near-infrared light
Red light therapy generally refers to the 600-700 nanometer range on the color spectrum. Infrared light therapy may be near- (700-1400 nm), mid-(1400-3000 nm) or far (3000+nm). The vast majority of red light therapy devices you see, whether advertised for home use or in a professional setting (like at a chiropractor, naturopath, or even a dermatologist office) utilize red light or near-infrared light wavelengths.
The wavelength (measured in nanometers) matters because the higher the wavelength, the deeper the light penetrates into the body. Red light penetrates the skin (dermis) and subdermis and down into the subcutaneous (fat) layer. Near-infrared light reaches further down, into the muscle [1]. A general principle is to use red light, which doesn’t penetrate as far, for superficial or surface-level conditions (think acne or skin lesions), and near-infrared light for deeper or invisible conditions (think arthritic or chronic pain conditions).
LEDs or lasers
Either kind of light therapy may be delivered via light emitting diodes (LED) lights or low level laser therapy [2]. Home devices, which may include wands (which may have postpartum uses!), face masks, wraps, lamps or light panels of varying sizes and portability, are most likely to be LED lights. Professional settings may offer lasers and/or red light beds that look similar to tanning beds.
What can red light therapy treat?
One reason I initially assumed red light (or near-infrared) therapy was all hype and no help was because I saw it touted for a broad range of applications, from douleur chronique à anti-aging skin rejuvenation, from thyroïde problems to male fertility, and from traumatic brain injury à seasonal affective disorder [3][4][5][6][7][8]. It reminded me of the magic tricks that begin with ‘Pick a card, any card…’ How could one treatment modality possibly help tous those things? And yet, when you Google ‘pubmed red light therapy ____’ for each of those conditions (and more), research study results do come up. And those results are generally positive.
Turns out that when you help your cells’ mitochondria work smarter, not harder, you experience reduced inflammation and faster injury, wound, or other tissue healing. And those effects happen to impact many, many modern health conditions.
Should you try in-office or at-home red light therapy?
Keep in mind that while there are hundreds, even thousands, of studies on red light therapy for a plethora of conditions, there is scant evidence on the use of at-home devices, like the current social media darling: the handheld LUMEBOX red light device. While red light therapy is considered very safe whether used at home (do wear eye protection, though!) or in a professional setting, it’s possible that home use will lead to less effectiveness than what clinical trials have found.
How much and how often?
The next logical questions are, is red light or near-infrared light better for you, and how often should you use it? Whether red vs. near-infrared light therapy would make more sense for your particular problem is worth exploring via a PubMed search on, for example, ‘red light therapy for acne.’ (PubMed is a free search engine of medical research maintained by the National Institutes of Health.)
Whatever the condition you’re seeking resolution for or relief from, at-home red light therapy sessions generally last for 5 to 20 minutes, once or twice a day. In-office therapies may be recommended several times a week for one to several months, depending on the issue(s) you’re treating.
How much does red light therapy cost?
LUMEBOX, the most popular at-home red light therapy brand, retails for $629. A stand (so you don’t have to hold it the entire time you’re using it) retails for $59. From time to time, the company runs 50% off sales (think Black Friday). That’s quite a steep price tag for many, and yet it may be more economical than in-office red light therapy, which may run $25 to $150 per session (depending on the issues you’re treating). Again, however, you should keep in mind the potential tradeoff of effectiveness for at-home vs. professional red light therapy.
If you decide to go the at-home route
If you decide to buy a red light therapy device for at-home use, ensure that it’s UL listed and FDA-approved, and has been tested by a third party (not just the manufacturer). Consider buying a device that offers red et near-infrared options for the broadest application of treatment options. Try it at different times of day to see how your body responds, as some people feel energized afterwards while others feel relaxed and tired.
What did people do before red light therapy was an option?
Let’s not forget that long before red light and near-infrared-emitting LED bulbs and devices, people got their light exposure from…the sun. Yes. The same light wavelength frequencies associated with so many health benefits are available from regular sunlight exposure, which is free and available for many hours each day, in most places in the world. If you’re not ready to splurge for a red light mask or other device, consider going outside every day for your daily dose of light exposure (and be sure to use and apply sun protection when appropriate). Bonus points if you take a walk while getting your sun on, adding cardiovascular toning to the other health benefits you’re accumulating.