Red light therapy is a popular photobiomodulation therapy that uses far infrared wavelengths to stimulate and address health and wellness concerns, including acne, wounds, scars, inflammation, injuries, and other potential medical conditions.
As a skin care treatment, RLT can work very quickly and provide many other benefits for the skin, such as improving collagen production and reducing inflammation. Moreover, red light therapy improves blood circulation and triggers the production of melatonin, which can help you sleep better at night. As we can see, such treatment comes with a lot of advantages, but it doesn’t come without its side effects.
So, are red light therapy results permanent, or follow-up treatments are necessary? Let’s unravel the mystery.
Source: theurbanyou.com
Red Light Therapy Origin
The origin of red light therapy dates from a time when researchers from NASA started experimenting with red light therapy on plant growth in space and treating the wounds of astronauts. The US NAVY Seals were also using LED therapy to regenerate muscle tissues that are damaged and heal wounds quickly.
Since such experiments, red light therapy has been constantly researched and developed. Nowadays, such treatment is widely used by many estheticians as a treatment for smoother and healthier skin.
As its popularity is growing, there are many companies that have introduced red light therapy devices that you can choose from to achieve the desired effects from the comfort of your own home.
How Does Red Light Therapy Work
Red light therapy works by using specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to target receptors in the cells. Once such receptors are stimulated, cellular activity is increased, and processes such as cell renewal, collagen production, reduction of wrinkles and lines, and others are activated.
The function of near-infrared light is to increase skin regeneration, reduce inflammation, and increase skin hydration, which is very significant for the skin’s health. Such treatment is intended to improve skin texture, rejuvenate and smooth the skin and even regulate pigmentation. During treatment, a combination of wavelengths is implemented based on the desired effects that you would like to achieve.
How long is the red light treatment?
The timeframe for red light therapy depends on the results that you would like to get, but on average such treatment should last from 10 to 20 minutes. However, it is necessary to take a 48-hour break from one therapy to another.
Also, because of the bring light, it is advised to keep your eyes closed during treatment or wear sunglasses to prevent eye soreness, which can lead to a headache, but it can make your treatment more comfortable.
Are Red Light Therapy Results Permanent
Now that you are even more familiar with how red light therapy works, let’s dive into more details on whether the results from the treatment can be permanent. What is great about this type of therapy is that it is non-invasive and painless, so there is no need for recovery.
Based on the results that you would like to get, such treatment can require up to 10 sessions about a week apart. However, after you have finished the recommended number of sessions, the results from such therapy are not permanent.
This is because your skin cells turn over, so your skin might lose collagen, and you might start noticing wrinkles, acne, and signs of aging on the skin. For that reason, it is recommended to get such treatments regularly or as recommended by the provider to maintain healthier and smoother skin and the effects that you have previously achieved. If you are using a red light device at home, it is essential to follow the instructions to avoid damaging your skin.
Even though consistent light therapy treatments are necessary, the effects from it can be very long-lasting as such therapy creates a healthy infrastructure under the skin.
It is significant to note that the longer such treatment continues, the better the results will be. Effective and noticeable effects take time, meaning that maintenance and consistency are keys to healthier and smoother skin.
Main Benefits of Red Light Therapy
Are red light therapy results permanent? Now that we have provided an answer to this significant question, let’s find out more about what benefits you can get from red light therapy. Red light therapy can provide a lot of benefits, such as rejuvenating your skin, healing wounds, losing weight, improving damaged skin, fading skin spots and age spots, tightening the skin, reducing wrinkles, reducing rosacea symptoms and scarring, and many others.
Is Red Light Treatment Suitable For Everyone?
Red light therapy is safe as it is suitable for people with different skin types. However, there are specific groups of people that might need to refrain from going through such a treatment. Such groups include pregnant women, people with low blood pressure, people who have epilepsy, and those who use medications that cause increased light sensitivity.
Additionally, this type of treatment is not suitable for treating recent open wounds and for people that have heart and bone problems, acute thrombosis, kidney stones, diabetes, intense migraines, skin cancer, or other acute illnesses. If you are unsure whether red light treatment is suitable for you, what we recommend is contacting a dermatologist or a healthcare professional to be safe.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a way to rejuvenate your skin and make it healthier and smoother, then red light therapy might be the best option for you. For plenty of people, improving the appearance of the skin contributes to increased confidence which leads to feeling happier within themselves.
This type of therapy has been for treating skin, and as a result, many people are looking for such treatments to achieve their skin goals. However, knowing how long the results will last you and what kind of effects you can get is significant to be mindful of before you decide to go for this type of treatment.
Hello! I’m Nicky Rodgers.
Almost a decade ago, I got excited about the idea of employing alternative methods like red light therapy to create a healthier life.
To learn more about it, I did my Certified Light Therapist course from Photonic Therapy Institute and started looking into the intricacies of how light therapy influences several bodily processes. Before I knew it, my interest had become an obsession which resulted in this extensive blog.
Here, I offer countless well-researched articles to help you understand the benefits and uses of light therapy. I hope this information gives you a head start in your wellness journey.