Red Light Therapy

 I've decided that my stance on getting older is that I don't want to feel older than I look and I don't want to look older than I look. This means that if I can combine feeling good and having my exterior match that, even better! My recent spinal surgery had be thinking, are there ways that I can expedite healing at home without aggravating my muscles? That's when I discovered red light therapy.

What is Red Light Therapy?

Basically, light is a form of energy and our cells use energy to replicate and perform necessary functions, right? You can have light as low as 400 nm like gamma rays which is bad for you and as high as 800 nm which is radio or tv. Some light isn't visible to the human eye (infrared, UV) and some is, like the visible light spectrum of colors. 

As you can see from this graphic, different wavelengths of light  permeate the skin at different depths and is measured in nanometers (nm).

Blue Light (400-450 nm)

Can be used for treating acne and reversing some sun damage. It doesn't permeate all the way down but it can address surface issues.

Green Light (450 - 479 nm...480-570 is more teal)

Has been used to treat migrants, hyperpigmentation and even pain.

Yellow Light (570 - 620 nm)

This can also work for sun damage (see the pattern? The effects of sun damage can be superficial or permeate deeper into the skin.), redness and rosacea.

Red Light (620-750 nm)

This goes much deeper and can actually increase mitochondrial function...ah yes, mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell! So, the more energy produced by the cell, the better your body functions! This means that at this wavelength we are talking about reduced inflammation, increase hair growth, reversing sun damage, scarring and even fine lines and wrinkles.

Can I do this at home?

YES! But don't just go outside and get a red colored light to sit under...it has to be at the specific wavelength. In fact, if the device you are purchasing doesn't list the nm, I would not buy it. I selected one that stands alone but you can get panels and handheld devices depending on what area you are trying to treat.

My Routine

After washing my face and applying essence, I use a caffeine serum under my eyes and apply my green tea serum. Green tea helps increase the efficacy of red light out 10 times. I used to take my tea bags from my morning green tea and just rub them on my face before my red light treatment but to be honest...it was too watery and too drying. I currently am using a toner from Innisfree but would be open to trying other versions too.

I currently use my device for 50 minutes but that is because I also practice my Italian during this time. Because red light therapy is so gentle, it works best when done consistently, especially if you are using it to stimulate hair growth. Like everything, you want to start of slow so I would recommend 10 minutes sessions and if you do not have a reaction, you can build up to longer sessions as desired.

Conclusion

There is a lot of science vs. pseudo science behind at-home devices but red light therapy has loads of research to back it up. If you have the time and can fit it into your lifestyle, I would definitely recommend it!