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Red light therapy uses certain wavelengths of light through the skin, with the goal of improving skin quality, inflammation, and even mental health with very few side effects. Does it work? Read on to learn more. What is Red Light Therapy?
Red light therapy shines red light wavelengths (620-750 nm) through human skin to elicit certain effects in the underlying tissue. It usually uses a whole panel of red light or an LED panel.
Treatment sessions tend to be short, lasting only seconds to minutes in duration, and are usually conducted every other day for weeks to months.
Surprisingly, unlike many other treatments used to address similar conditions, there are virtually no reported side effects. Mechanisms
Most of red light’s effects are through the cells’ mitochondria absorbing light. In cell studies, the cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondria absorbs red light, which causes it to release nitric oxide, increase ATP, and decrease oxidative stress [ 1 ].
According to some researchers, this can then cause a chain reaction in the cells and affect responses such as cell formation, movement, death, and inflammation. However, its effects depend on the type of cell and its status [ 1 ].
This increased ATP (energy) production is a possible cause of light therapy’s positive effects on muscle recovery and physical performance [ 2 ]. Potential Health Benefits
While there are FDA-approved red light devices, these are broadly classified as class 2 devices; that is, while there is evidence to support their use in some health conditions (which we’ll discuss in this section), they are currently not sufficiently regulated to guarantee the effectiveness or safety of any particular device.
If you are interested in using red light therapy, we recommend talking to your doctor to choose the right device and determine whether this strategy is right for you. 1) Skin Quality
In a study of 31 subjects, a combination of red and infrared LED light therapy helped improve skin conditions. They had less sun -induced aging and wrinkles [ 3 ].
In a DB-RCT of 52 female patients, 12 weeks of daily treatment with red light therapy significantly improved eye wrinkles [ 4 ].
A similar study showed that LED therapy is effective against sunspots in middle-aged participants [ 5 ].
In a single-blinded RCT, red light was superior to infrared light in treating acne [ 6 ].
The addition of red light to blue light also improved acne symptoms significantly compared to blue light alone and benzoyl peroxide in an RCT of 107 acne patients [ 7 ].
Red light therapy also significantly improved skin complexion, roughness, and collagen density in an RCT of 136 participants [ 8 ].
However, in human cells, several characteristics associated with skin scarring increased with red light like reactive oxygen species and collagen formation inhibition [ 9 ]. 2) Oral Mucositis
A common side effect of chemotherapy is oral mucositis, which is when inflammation breaks down the lining of the mouth. In a systematic review of 11 RCTs, both red and infrared light therapy significantly reduced the incidence and severity of oral mucositis [ 10 ]. 3) Bipolar Disorder
A review of multiple types of light therapy found red light therapy improved depressive symptoms and prevented relapse after sleep deprivation in patients with bipolar disorder [ 11 ]. 4) Physical Performance
In a study of 39 heart disease patients, red light therapy improved performance and decreased chest pain during exercise tests [ 12 ].
In a DB-RCT, 40 healthy untrained men underwent an intensive exercise session. The participants that underwent red light therapy had significantly improved performance, decreased soreness, and reduced indicators of muscle damage compared to ones that did not have light therapy [ 13 ].
In female athletes, 2 weeks of red light therapy improved sleep quality and endurance [ 14 ].
Red light therapy also significantly improved recovery after high-intensity exercise in a DB-RCT of 40 volunteers [ 15 ].
Interestingly, these results have caused researchers to question whether it should be permitted in athletic competitions due to its effectiveness in enhancing athletic performance and improving recovery [ 16 ].
The following purported benefits are only supported by limited, low-quality clinical studies. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of red light therapy for any of the below-listed uses. Remember to speak with a doctor before using red light therapy, and it should never be used to replace something your doctor has recommended or prescribed. 5) Wound Healing
In a triple-blind RCT of 12 dental patients, red light therapy improved the healing rate after oral surgery . However, it did not reduce pain [ 17 ].
In an RCT of 16 diabetic patients, red light therapy significantly decreased diabetic foot ulcer size and reduced pain [ 18 ].Another RCT of 30 diabetic patients showed similar results; red light therapy combined with conventional therapy reduced ulcer size more than conventional therapy alone [ 19 ].In diabetic rat models of skin wound and burn injury, red light significantly improved healing and was superior to infrared therapy for burn wounds [ 20 , 21 ].Red light also enhanced the healing rate of incision wounds in diabetic rats and reduced the risk of infection [ 22 ].In rabbits with skin wounds, red light therapy decreased healing time significantly more than blue light or no light treatment. It promoted tissue and cell growth [ 23 ]. 6) Inflammation One of the main uses of red light therapy is to treat inflammation [ 24 ].Red light therapy limits the inflammatory response and reduces oxidative damage by reducing inflammatory cytokines ( TNF-a , IL-1A, and IL-6 ) [ 25 ].A review on muscle repair (in animal models) concluded that red light therapy has the capacity to reduce inflammation, positively impact growth factors, and increase blood vessel formation [ 25 ]. 7) Pain In a study (DB-RCT) of 80 chemotherapy patients, red light significantly reduced self-reported pain [ 26 ].Red light therapy might treat tennis elbow for a short period of time, but these findings were only shown by one study (RCT) [ 27 ].With […]