What is Red Light Therapy?
Red light therapy is a form of low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT). It is offered in many medical office settings.
“The painless procedure penetrates the skin up to eight to 10 millimeters, surprisingly without producing heat. When this happens, it improves cellular energy and metabolic processes. The person at the receiving end cannot feel anything physically moving through them since the energy density is lower than other laser therapies,” according to this source.
“Although the skin is the organ that is naturally exposed to light more than any other organ, it still responds well to red and near-infrared wavelengths,” according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is Red Light Therapy used for?
What’s really interesting about red light therapy is that NASA used it to help keep astronauts healthy while in space. “In a two-year clinical trial, cancer patients undergoing bone marrow or stem cell transplants were given a far red/near infrared Light Emitting Diode treatment called High Emissivity Aluminiferous Luminescent Substrate, or HEALS, to treat oral mucositis — a common and extremely painful side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatment,” reports NASA.
“The trial concluded that there is a 96 percent chance that the improvement in pain of those in the high-risk patient group was the result of the HEALS treatment.”
In addition to this, the National Institutes of Health reports that red light therapy may also help with psoriasis, acne, wrinkles, burns and other skin issues.
Many celebrities including Kim Kardashian, who has psoriasis, use red light therapy.
“I’m sitting under a red lamp and this red light therapy helps you target the areas that you want to slim down. I think it melts fat, in fact,” said 47-year-old reality TV star Mercedes “MJ” Javid, who recently had a baby.
Whether you are interested in red light therapy for fat loss, skin issues, pain or anything else, it is always good to educate yourself about the issues especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have any existing health issues.