Red Light Therapy is everything experts say it is, and more. I've been using it now consistently for two months and I can see the benefits in my skin. I see a glow that wasn't there before, and I feel as if my fine lines and wrinkles have softened and look smoother to the naked eye. And that's all I was hoping for, to be honest. But, what I've actually gained is so exciting that I want more.
I believe so completely in Red Light Therapy that I have recently worked with two different companies that use LEDs. One is with IRestore that uses both LEDs and lasers to deliver photons to the scalp to reach both the superficial tissue and the deeper tissue (hair follicles) to stimulate hair growth. The other is with Skintific, www.skintificbeauty.com which resulted in this blog post. I wanted a hand-held device that I could take with me when traveling so I was very excited to be asked to be a model for this product. I use it nightly on my hands along with the serum they also advertise. I'm very happy with the result thus far and it's only been a few weeks since I began using it on my hands. As I like to say, every little bit helps.
You ask, what exactly is Red Light Therapy and how does it work? Here's a brief explanation from Dennis Gross, MD, one of the top doctors in his field of dermatology. "It's a specific form of LED light technology which stimulates collagen production in your own skin cells which diminish fine lines and wrinkles. Red light therapy—also known as low-level light therapy—delivers a safe wavelength of light into your skin to stimulate a sort of chain reaction of regenerative results. Your skin and tissues are made up of a few different types of cells, namely fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and immune cells, all of which are important for regeneration. According to research, the wavelengths of light found in LED (namely the ones around 660 nanometers) can stimulate these cells, which boosts the production of collagen and elastin. It also kicks up ATP, otherwise known as your cellular energy source, leading to an increase in circulation and better-functioning skin".
So we know that it can help diminish fine lines and wrinkles. It also reduces scarring, fights acne, and treats inflammation. These are all treated with a device that has 660 nanometers of LED light technology. To aid in muscle recovery, 850 nanometer wavelengths penetrate more deeply to help with tissue regeneration. "Muscles respond very well to [red light therapy]," says Michael R. Hamblin PhD, from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. "It hastens recovery after exercise, and reduces delayed onset muscle soreness." Also great information for those of us that sometimes overwork our muscles.
But here's something I didn't quite understand. It's important to always use your device on clean, dry skin. If you apply product(s) on your skin prior to using, or leave it on from the night before, the light won’t be able to penetrate, and you won’t see the best results. Ideally, you should cleanse and use a gentle exfoliant to ensure you've wiped away all of the dirt and dead skin cells from the surface, which will allow the LED to penetrate more deeply. I have not been doing this, yet I've seen some pretty fantastic results. You can rest assured I will begin to utilize this method into my Red Light Therapy starting tomorrow morning. I'll be seeing even better results now that I'll be doing it properly. Good grief, Nan, didn't you research that part before? Yes, I did, but I ignored it because sometimes I think it's okay to skip a process here and there. Nope! Wrong again.
We also know that when used with laser technology, red light therapy can stimulate hair follicles resulting in hair growth. You can visit www.irestorelaser.com for before and after photos. It's quite compelling, but this blog is about red light therapy so I won't go into lasers here. But I wanted to make note that I do believe red light therapy can stimulate hair follicle growth or regrowth with or without laser technology.
I read somewhere, not naming anyone here, that if you suffer from IBS, getting direct sunlight exposure onto the belly button area can provide relief and possibly provide positive long-term results. The recommendation is 10-15 minutes of exposure during peak hours (10AM - 2PM) daily. Well, I live in sunny AZ and right now during those hours it's too blazing hot to sit in the sun for 10-15 minutes. I can barely make 5 minutes without feeling like I'm on the sun. So instead, I've been using my Red Light Therapy on my belly, and I've got to admit, it helps me to feel much better. I don't know if it's "all in my head", or if it's because I'm actually taking 10-15 minutes to be still and calm, but it's working, and I like it, and I'm going to keep doing it.
As a disclaimer, some doctors consider Red Light Therapy controversial. Of course they do. No surprise here, really, right? But, I must warn you all about this or else who knows what could arise out of this innocent blog post?
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