Red light therapy appears to be safe and is not associated with any side effects, at least if used short-term and as directed. This therapy is not toxic, not invasive and not as harsh as some topical skin treatments.
The major contraindications for the use of light therapy are diseases that involve the retina of the eye, such as diabetes, and the use of photosensitizing medications like lithium, melatonin, phenothiazine antipsychotics, and certain antibiotics.
The theory is that red light wavelengths stimulate the production of melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps you sleep. Your brain releases more melatonin as darkness falls and tends to release less when you're exposed to light.
Ultimately, the risk of eye damage is unlikely, says Shamban. “There would need to be a significant overload or cumulative exposures to bright and high intensity,” she says. “Generally, these treatments are simple, safe and controlled to achieve their skin goals, without any residual negative effects on the eyes.”
Red light therapy is generally considered safe, even though researchers aren't exactly sure how and why it works. And there are no set rules on how much light to use. Too much light may damage skin tissue, but too little might not work as well.
If you are using red light therapy to improve your skin tone, minimize the visible signs of aging, and heal sun damage, you can expect to undergo red light therapy in 10- to 20-minute sessions, 3 to 5 times each week for one to four months.
The good news is that red light therapy does start helping your body from the very first session, but continued treatments help achieve more lasting results. You may see or feel minor results immediately, but the best results are typically achieved over 3-6 months if you consistently visit Sculptology for treatments.
Cortisol levels are significantly elevated by both the blue and the red lights at night; these same lights appear to have a much diminished effect, if any at all, on cortisol levels during the day.
In a study of 39 heart disease patients, red light therapy improved performance and decreased chest pain during exercise tests [12].
The maximum amount of time you should expose your body to this concentrated red light is 15-20 minutes a day. MORE IS NOT BETTER!
Light therapy has been around since the 1980s and several studies have shown that it's effective in treating SAD. “As a treatment for a psychiatric problem, light therapy has a remarkably high success rate of 60–80%,” says Brainard.
Trophy Skin's RejuvaliteMD Red Light Therapy at-home red light therapy device is FDA-approved to treat full facial wrinkles. You can use it a minimum of 5 minutes, a few times per week (5 days a week is ideal, if daily treatment is impossible), for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks to see results.
RLT is generally safe and may be a very effective treatment option for people seeking smaller changes in their skin or to keep the skin healthy and reduce inflammation. Other applications of RLT have promising early evidence, but there is not enough reliable evidence in humans to call it effective in every case.
Not only can red light therapy help reduce the size of fat cells, thus helping to shape the body contour, but it also provides additional benefits for patients working to lose weight. A 2012 study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology looked at the effects of light on leptin and ghrelin.
Yes, it may very well be an effective treatment for hair regrowth. “There is actually over a decade worth of research using red light—oftentimes LEDs, sometimes lasers—to promote hair growth,” says Dr. Jagdeo.
Red light therapy is also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT). It's a type of body sculpting that may help you get rid of stubborn fat. Most research shows that red light therapy removes some fat from your waist and arms, but results are modest at best.
Results: During exposure to both RL and BL an increase of blood pressure, improvements of several HRV parameters, but no significant change of heart rate was observed.
Research shows that red light therapy can reduce the presence of thyroid antibodies and prevent auto-immune disorders from interfering with your thyroid's normal processes.
A: It is not required that you wear eye protection, nevertheless the lights are very bright and may be uncomfortable for some individuals with sensitivities to light. Q: Is Red Light Therapy similar to tanning? A: No not at all. You will not get a tan from Red Light Therapy, nor does it expose you to damaging UV rays.
The most optimal time for a light therapy session is morning or evening around the time of sunrise or sunset. This mimics the time of day when we receive the most red and near-infrared light from the natural sun.
After in-office or at-home LED light therapy, you can return to your regular activities with one exception: Stay out of the sun for several days and apply extra sunscreen.
As long as you are following the manufacturers instructions, you can use red light therapy everyday. If you have chronic pain, it's recommended to start a daily routine with using red light therapy.
It may not be instant but after each day, you and other people will notice the difference in your skin. In clinical studies, it takes at least 4-6 weeks to see visible results. Be patient. Your body is doing its work to reverse the hands of time.