One of the most common questions we get at Mychondria is,
“What’s the difference between red light therapy and an infrared sauna?
While they both use light to deliver their benefits, the underlying mechanism of how they work makes them vastly different, and also creates a different set of benefits.
Firstly, let’s look at the type of light each of these therapies uses.
Light Differences
The major confusion between these two therapies is that they both use a part of the 'infrared spectrum'.
It's important to note though, that the infrared spectrum is broken down into near-infrared (NIR), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), and far infrared (FIR).
Red light therapy uses red and NIR light.
Infrared saunas use FIR light.
NIR and FIR are quite far away from each other in terms of light properties, and react very differently in the human body, as we’ll discuss below.
How Does Each Therapy Work?
Infrared saunas work much like traditional saunas in that they give you health benefits by heating you up and making you sweat.
Where traditional saunas will heat up the air around you, an infrared sauna uses FIR light to heat you directly. This occurs when the water molecules in your cells absorb the FIR light.
Some of the most common benefits from using a sauna include: detox, increased circulation, and weight loss.
Red light therapy on the other hand, uses red and NIR light. Instead of being absorbed by water, these wavelengths are actually absorbed by your mitochondria, which stimulates the production of energy within your cells.
Some of the most common benefits with red light therapy include faster muscle recovery, better sleep quality, and decreased inflammation.
Conclusion
Both red light therapy and infrared saunas can provide you with a range of health benefits.
While they both use light to deliver you these benefits, the type of light used by each modality is very different, and leads to a very different response within your body.
If you want to get yourself one of the best red light therapy devices on the market, then be sure to checkout the MyLight devices below:
View The MyLight Collection >>>
