Red Light Therapy for Your Skin
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The reputation of the red light is a typically distressing one, with red traffic lights, low battery indicators, and emergency alarms coming to mind. There is one context in which red light is associated with something far more positive, though – and for good reason…
Red light therapy (RLT) is a promising treatment which utilises the low-level wavelengths of red light to help treat a number of skin conditions.
How does it work?
When red light is shone on your skin for an extended period, it can penetrate the skin barrier and increase the resources (electrons, oxygen, etc.) received by the mitochondria of your skin cells, allowing it to function more efficiently.
The efficiently functioning mitochondria will then increase blood flow to the area, reduce inflammation, and stimulate collagen and fibroblast production, essentially refortifying its formation and repairing itself with gusto - allowing you to see improvements in your overall skin health.
What skin conditions can RLT treat?
By undergoing RLT for an extended period of time, you may start to see a reduction in some of the most typical skin concerns, including wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, sun damage, acne scars, and stretch marks.
Moreover, red light therapy has also been found to have a positive effect on skin afflicted by psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema; to assist with wound healing; to treat androgenic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness); and even to assist in pain management.
Which is better: in-clinic or at-home red light therapy?
Red light therapy uses light that is non-ablative and non-thermal, thus it is generally non-invasive, side effect-free, and safe for at-home use.
However, LEDS are not all made the same (varying in strength, wavelengths, etc.), and so -depending on whether you buy a device or book a treatment - you might be looking at a different timeline for results.
Although receiving the treatment from a dermatologist (or any other trained skincare professional) will be more effective per treatment, buying a mask, lamp, or wand is usually more cost-effective over time, and often allows you to be more consistent through its convenience - thus increasing the likelihood of seeing results sooner rather than later.
After consulting your skincare provider, it is best to consider your lifestyle and goals before choosing between the two treatment options.