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In the field of medicine known as photomedicine, red light therapy (RLT) is a form of treatment that makes use of light of varying wavelengths to alleviate a variety of health issues. The spectrum of red light spans 620 nm to 750 nm in wavelength.

The use of red light therapy is recommended in addition to standard medical care and the prescription of a medical doctor. Red light therapy, for instance, can be used in conjunction with topical medications like retinoids prescribed by a dermatologist or in-office procedures like injectables or lasers to treat fine lines and wrinkles. A physical therapist may also use red light therapy to treat asports injury.

The guidelines for red light therapy vary depending on the ailment you’re trying to treat, and it’s not always apparent how long a patient should be exposed to the light or how many treatments they should receive. 

What this means is that there must be uniformity in all respects. However, some studies and professionals believe red light treatment to be a viable supplemental therapy for a variety of health and skin conditions. Always check with your physician before beginning a new treatment.

1. May Address Skin and Hair Concerns, From Acne to Wrinkles

Red light therapy has been widely adopted for the treatment of skin disorders. Because they are so easy to obtain, at-home gadgets have recently become rather fashionable. Here are several diseases and ailments that red light therapy may or may not help.

• Lines and wrinkles 

• Acne 

• Redness 

• Hair growth

2. May Lessen Pain

Red light may alleviate pain, according to preliminary studies. Red light can alleviate pain and inflammation if administered properly.

How so? ” Light absorption by a particular protein on the surface of neurons inhibits their capacity to transmit or register pain. Evidence from the past suggests that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can help patients with neuropathy manage their discomfort. 

However, the role that red light therapy may play in the treatment of pain in humans is still up in the air, especially with regard to concerns like pain from inflammatory disorders, for which most of the research to date has been conducted on animals.

3. May Help With Sports Performance and Injury Recovery

Muscle growth and repair could be aided by exposure to red light, which has been shown to activate mitochondria (the cells’ energy factory) and trigger an enzyme responsible for increasing ATP. 

Therefore, photobiomodulation treatment (PBM) with red or near-infrared lights prior to exercise may improve muscular function, speed up the recovery process after muscle injury, and lessen the discomfort felt in the muscles after a workout.

4. May Help Brain Health 

Applying light to your head via a helmet is an emerging potential advantage of red light therapy, and this may have implications for the health of your brain. Eye-opening research suggests that photobiomodulation therapies [may] enhance neurocognition. Patients with severe brain injuries or strokes may benefit from PBM because of its potential to reduce inflammation and increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, allowing for the formation of new neurons and synapses.

5. May Improve Wound Healing

Red light has been shown to speed up the recovery process for a variety of wounds, including those on the skin and in the mouth. In such circumstances, a red light would be used to treat the wound until it was totally cured.

6. May Lessen Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

Oral mucositis is characterized by pain, ulcers, infection, and bleeding inside the mouth and is a potential side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as stated by MedlinePlus. PBM has long been suspected of being useful in the treatment and prevention of this particular adverse effect.

PBM is being studied as a potential future cancer treatment because of its ability to boost the body’s immune response or improve the efficacy of other anti-cancer medicines. More study is required.