Red light therapy is a natural and safe treatment that helps to rejuvenate your skin, reduce wrinkles, treat acne, boost collagen and lessen the appearance of scars and blemishes.
Not only is red light therapy safe, but there is also strong clinical research to back it up.
In this article you will learn how red light therapy improves skin health, plus see some of the best research on this topic.
How does red light therapy rejuvenate skin?
Red light therapy delivers concentrated wavelengths of light to your skin, without any chemicals, UV rays or added heat.
It stimulates your skin to make more collagen and fibroblasts (which secrete collagen proteins and help to heal wounds).
Your skin also receives more oxygen and nutrients through increased circulation, which allows your skin cells to effectively get rid of toxins.
All this leads to:
- A better complexion
- Tighter looking skin
- Resistance to blemishes
- Reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
A boost of collagen
Red light therapy boosts your collagen production, a protein which is imperative for skin, joint and bone health. The more collagen in your skin, the younger and healthier it will look.
Improvement of acne
Red light therapy is able to penetrate the cells in your skin, giving them more energy to clear toxins and repair damaged tissues (scarring).
In 2008, there was a study done to investigate the treatment of acne with red light therapy. Fifteen women with moderate acne were treated with red light therapy twice a week, for 4 weeks,.
At the end of the trial, there was a significant reduction in their acne as well as a decrease of sebum (oil) excretion.
Even at the 3 month follow up, there were still positive results that were apparent in the women who participated.
Other skin issues
Bite wounds benefit from increased blood flow to the area, which allows the skin to heal faster.
Bruises heal quicker due to increased nutrient delivery to the area.
Dry skin and psoriasis respond similarly to acne, where healthier skin cells can heal any damage to the area, and improve complexion.
Saggy skin, which occurs from depletion of collagen, is reduced through increased collagen production.
Rosacea-related acne can be healed as red light penetrates the skin and can therefore manage redness or flushing, decrease inflammation, and reduce swelling and tenderness in the area.
More research
In 2013, a major study was done to identify the effects of red light therapy on 136 people, aged between 27 and 79 years old. They received red light therapy twice a week for 15 weeks.
The results:
- A significant improvement in skin complexion, including a visible reduction in wrinkles, fine lines and aging.
- Almost all participants in the red light therapy group reported that their skin felt and looked better.
In 2008, a volunteer based study involved participants doing red light therapy treatments twice a week for a month.
The results:
- 70% of patients had visible clear and lasting improvements with fine lines and wrinkles.
- Volunteers also had a significant increase in their collagen production.
How to get your own results
When you use a powerful red light therapy device, 5 minutes per day can be enough, with results becoming visible in 4-6 weeks.
To get the best results, you want to be consistently doing your sessions (daily is best), which means having your own device is essential.
