Do you ever feel like your body could use a little extra help recovering from the stress and strain of daily life or help with weight loss?
Whether it’s sore muscles, pain relief, or improving your overall skin care, sometimes it feels like your body needs something supplementary to feel its best. That’s where red light comes in with its therapy devices.
But how effective is red light therapy? People all over the world are turning to this treatment for its proven efficacy, including professional athletes and skincare enthusiasts for acne scars.
In this article, we’ll dive into the research and explore the benefits and effectiveness of red light therapy, so you can decide if it’s the right choice.
How Effective Is Red Light Therapy?
Although much more research needs to be done, red light therapy is quickly becoming the number one therapy many people try and go for when experiencing a particular health concern or condition.
The secret behind why this therapy became so popular and loved is because of the quick effects and results people said they noticed in a month or two. Another reason red light therapy is the hottest trend in medicine and beauty is its versatility.
Unlike other therapies limited to only a few health concerns, red light therapy may help with many health concerns, such as wrinkles, sun spots, acne, alopecia, arthritis, treating eczema, and even dementia and depression. Also, RLT may help with aesthetic corrections such as tattoo fading.
When it comes to the effectiveness of this therapy, many studies have shown that there are positive results indicating that red light might significantly influence particular health problems.
For instance, a study found that red light therapy may lower the pain caused by arthritis by 50%. Another well-conducted study of seven people suggests that this therapy may lower pain and inflammation in people with Achilles tendonitis.
Red light therapy has thus been demonstrated to be possibly effective in reducing a variety of symptoms brought on by various health conditions.
However, more research and studies are certainly needed if researchers are to find new methods for improving the effectiveness of red light therapy.
What Is the Red Light Therapy Mechanism of Work?
Even though the mechanism of the work of red light therapy might seem complicated, we will explain it in the simplest way possible so that everyone can understand it and use that information to increase the effectiveness of this therapy.
Namely, when the red light hits your skin, thanks to its power and wavelength, it may penetrate deep under your skin, the soft tissue, down to the muscles and bones. You may treat many health conditions, making red light therapy the number one.
So, after the red light comes in contact with your cells, it may cause particular chemical reactions in the powerhouse of the cells, mitochondria, making them increase ATP production. ATP is the natural energy your body creates on its own through the mitochondria, and it serves as the main energy resource for every cell in your organism.
That being said, the more ATP in the cells, the higher their quality will be; from there, the higher the quality of the tissue and the organ those cells are in.
Additionally, red light therapy might also be effective in increasing nitric oxide, which is responsible for better blood flow. A better blood flow means healthier, more vital, and higher quality tissues, bones, and organs overall.
When Can You Notice the First Effects?
As you already know, all of you have different bodies and physiology. Therefore, it is only expected that different people will notice different results after a different time.
Another influence on how much time passes before you see the results is why you’re using this therapy.
For instance, someone doing red light therapy to lower the pain from arthritis might notice relatively faster effects than someone who uses the same therapy to decrease the appearance of their wrinkles and fine lines.
That being said, an estimated time to see the effects of the red light therapy is from two to six months, depending on the frequency and duration of the red light therapy sessions.
The best thing you can do so that you notice results faster is to be consistent with the therapy sessions and not skip them.
Also, if you are treating something on the outside of your body, such as acne or wrinkles, you might try taking photos once every seven to ten days, as that is the best way to notice even the smallest changes and effects the red light therapy provides.
Factors That Influence the Effectiveness of RLT
Suppose you want to make the red light therapy as effective as possible. In that case, you need to consider the following factors that might indirectly influence the effect of the therapy.
The condition/s you want to treat
You need to be aware that the more prominent the health condition is, the longer it will take for the results to show. So, consistency should be your best friend if you want to see results faster.
Your overall health
Depending on one’s metabolism, RLT will work differently for everyone. Therefore, be sure to disclose any important information regarding your health while you talk to the professional performing the therapy and creating the therapy schedule.
The goals you want to achieve
Depending on the goals you want to achieve, you need to have in mind the real estimated time of how long it would take until you see the first results. This means that the effects will take more time for more intensive changes compared to smaller health issues.
Conclusion
How effective is red light therapy? In this article, you could have become familiar with the mechanism of work of red light therapy, many expert tips on how to notice the results better, and most importantly, the effectiveness of this therapy for your body.
Now, equipped with all that valuable knowledge, you can choose the best type of red light therapy and make it as effective as possible by adapting it to your specific needs.
Take care!
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.