Skin Health & Red Light Therapy

 

Red Light Therapy Skin Health

Let’s face it. We all want perfect skin. Right?

Well, taking care of your skin is vital for your overall health, and bigger than the way you look. Your incredible skin protects you from all the viruses and bacteria you are exposed to daily, such as allergens, toxins, carcinogens and chemicals! Healthy skin protects us from the sun’s powerful ultraviolet rays, which can permanently damage cells. Your skin even helps your body keep a constant temperature level so you can live comfortably and focus on the things you love! Ultimately, the skin is our largest organ, and it’s the first line of defense for our immune system.


How it works?

Red Light Therapy is a simple and straightforward procedure that encompasses exposing the body to low wavelengths of red light. Since red and near infrared light are contained within the sunlight spectrum, the human body can efficiently absorb these natural wavelengths of light allowing for deep penetration and cell absorption. 

A clinical study in the journal “Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery” states, mitochondria in the skin can absorb these light particles. This process can aid the cells to produce more adenosine triphosphate, which is the energy bank for all cells. 

Improving Skin Health

Red and near infrared light are working wonders in the anti-aging communities across the globe. This non-invasive and natural approach to skin health has been widely researched and is a proven anti-aging, akin improvement tool that brings numerous positive effects to facial skin and skin all over the body. 


Harvard professor Michael Hamblin, PhD has found that red and near-infrared light therapy can: 

  • Reduce the signs of damage, DNA damage, and aging from UV rays 
  • Reduce wrinkles- Reduce color patches, hyperpigmentation, and skin discoloration
  • Enhance collagen synthesis and collagen density (research has shown it can enhance production of collagen by 31%)
  • Accelerate repair in the epithelial layer of skin
  • Combat other skin conditions like acne, keloids, vitiligo, burns, herpes virus sores, and psoriasis
  • Speed wound healing by enhancing skin tissue repair and growth of skin cells

Reduce the signs of aging & wrinkle
Red Light Therapy efficiently stimulates both collagen and elastin production which is why it is fast becoming recognized as a safe and welcome alternative to injections and surgeries for anti-aging and skin rejuvenation. Bestselling author Ari Whitten illustrates, “Collagen is important — not just for giving us youthful skin and helping us avoid that saggy “schnauzer” look around the neck and jowls — collagen is needed to keep the entire body youthful, resilient, strong, and vital. In fact, collagen is the most abundant protein in the entire body. Even more important than what we can see on the surface of our body, collagen is also what gives our muscles, skin, blood vessels, bones, and digestive system the healthy tissues that they need to keep us healthy, strong, and free from disease. In some schools of medicine popular in Europe, physicians put a lot of emphasis on keeping the “extra-cellular matrix” (the fibrous skeleton that surrounds and supports our cells) healthy, and dysfunction in the extracellular matrix is seen as a major source of disease. Why is this important? Because collagen is an integral part of the extracellular matrix, and red and near-infrared light are integral in supporting the collagen networks of our body.74 Supporting the health of your extracellular matrix may very well turn out to be far more vital for overall health than we currently understand.”

Reduce Scarring & Speed up Wound Healing 

Near-infrared and Red Light Therapy are excellent for wound healing and stubborn scarring. Nasa research was actually the forerunner to this benefit which actually made red light therapy popular. “In fact, near-infrared and red light therapy has been found to help close wounds, even wounds resistant to healing, 20% faster and with less scarring. Near-infrared and red light therapy also has proven to reduce the appearance of facial scars.” 

The innovative therapy can increase circulation and the formulation of new capillaries which means the wounded area received more of the oxygen and nutrients it needs to initiate and maintain the marvelous healing process. This is accomplished in several ways:

  • Cleaning up dead and damaged cells in skin (phagocytosis)
  • Increasing ATP in skin cells, giving cells more energy to heal themselves - Increasing the production of fibroblasts
  • Increasing blood flow, supplying the wound more oxygen and nutrients needed for repair
  • Stimulating the production of collagen and the health of the extracellular matrix
  • Stimulating lymph activity
  • Stimulating the formation of new connective tissue and blood capillaries on the surface of the wound.

Treats Rosacea, Eczema & Psoriasis

The National Eczema and Psoriasis Foundation documented that Eczema and Psoriasis are some of the most common skin conditions with over 8 million Americans suffering daily. Thankfully, Red Light Therapy provides a simple and non-invasive solution that is highly effective. Research has shown that Red Light Therapy treatments have a therapeutic effect on eczema and psoriasis symptoms: 

  • Reduced itching & flaking
  • Less swelling and discomfort levels
  • Fewer skin lesions
  • Faster healing

Red Light Therapy has also been proven to be highly effective to treat Rosacea! This is accomplished in a number of ways:

  • Naturally increases hydration levels
  • Reduced redness and inflammation
  • Shrinks the appearance of pores
  • Regulates oil production
  • Improves circulation
  • Accelerates skin repair
  • Medically approved treatment

Sources

Whitten, A. (2018). The Ultimate Guide To Red Light Therapy: How to Use Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy for Anti-Aging, Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, Performance Enhancement, and Brain Optimization. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. https://theenergyblueprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Red-Light-Therapy-Benefits-Of-Red-and-NIR-Light-Therapy.pdf

Trelles, M. A. et. al. (2006). Red light-emitting diode (LED) therapy accelerates wound healing post-blepharoplasty and periocular laser ablative resurfacing. Journal of Cosmetic Laser Therapy, 8(1): 39-42 99Barolet, D. et. al. (2016). Accelerating Ablative Fractional Resurfacing Wound Healing Recovery by Photobiomodulation, Current Dermatology Reports, 5(3): 232-38.

de Abreu Chaves, M. E. et. al. (2014). Effects of low-power light therapy on wound healing: LASER x LED* . Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia. 89(4): 616–623.

de Lima, F. (2014). Use alone or in Combination of Red and Infrared Laser in Skin Wounds. Lasers in Medicine and Science, (2): 51–57. 102Mester, E. et. al. (1978). Stimulation 532 of wound healing by means of laser rays. Acta Chir Acad Sci Hung 19:163–170

Mester, E, et. al. (1985). The biomedical effects of laser application. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 5:31–39.

Kana, J. S., et. al. (1981). Effect of low-power density laser radiation on healing of open skin wound in rats. Archives in Surgery, 116:293–296. 1