Glowing from Within: Exploring the Benefits of Red Light Therapy Panels
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Introduction
We’ve written before about red light therapy but that article focused on red light face masks. In this article, we are going to focus on red light therapy panels because more and more these are being spoken about on health podcasts and on social media.
We will look at the alleged benefits such as wound healing, pain relief, hair regrowth, collagen building and reduction in hyperpigmentation or melasma.
What are red light panels?
These are panels of varying sizes, generally with a mixture of red and near-infrared light bulbs. They come in different sizes – some are small and suitable for your face or a small area of your body, and some are so big they are designed to cover your entire body.
Obviously, the bigger they are, the more expensive they are so you would have to tailor your choice to your budget. You can get relatively inexpensive options on Amazon and there are many reputable companies that you can buy direct from. We’re based in Ireland and we like Lumired Therapy Lamps but there are many reputable companies throughout the world. We would suggest that you research whoever you are buying from because these are expensive items.
Does science support red light therapy?
A 2013 study showed that it may help increase blood flow, reduce inflammation and increase our levels of collagen.
A 2018 review of research has suggested that red light therapy could help with wound healing, hair regrowth, improving certain skin conditions like psoriasis, building collagen and reducing pain and inflammation.
However, in terms of concrete evidence, the jury is still out. Even though there have been hundreds of studies conducted, it is still thought that the evidence is inconclusive.
How do I choose a red light panel?
As we say above, a big part of your decision will be influenced by your budget. Another factor is how much of your body you want to cover. You may just want it for your face and neck for beauty reasons or you may be using the red light panel to improve your overall health, in which case you would want a bigger panel to cover more of your body.
The other factors get more technical and you will have to do a little research or get some advice. For example, the wavelength of the light emitted needs to be considered. We believe that the wavelengths 630nn, 660nn, 830nn and 850nn are the most beneficial but you will have to decide what will meet your needs.
Buyers Guide
Another aspect to consider is modular capacity. This just means that some manufacturers will allow you to buy various different panels, but they will all connect together and can be operated by the same controller. You could start off by buying a small panel and later add on more panels when you have the money.
One last thing to say is that these can be very big, heavy and bulky so please have a think about where in your house it will sit. They can be put on a stand, hung from the wall or the back of a door or left free standing.
How do I use my red light panel?
There are various things to consider like how near to the panel do you need to be, how long should you use it for and how often should it be used. We believe that a rough guideline might be that you should be 3 to 6 inches away from the panel, you should use it for ten minutes on each area and you can use it 3 to 4 times a week.
However, we would advise you to check with whoever you purchase your red light panel from to get their advice on usage.
Another important aspect to consider is the placement of the panel. One of our team recently bought a very large (1.2 metres long) red light panel and she opted to buy a stand that will hold the panel horizontally over her while she lies on the bed. But most people seem to opt to have the panels positioned vertically and they sit or stand in front of it.
Our opinion is that lying down under the panel is a much nicer experience than standing in front of it – it actually feels a little bit like lying on the beach on a sunny day because the lights generate heat and so there is this lovely warm light penetrating your skin.
Conclusion
Our thoughts would be that although the science doesn’t 100% endorse the benefits of red light therapy, the reality is that many of the studies done do suggest positive benefits. Also, YouTube is full of videos of people talking about the benefits – we would say that it would be hard to find a video of someone saying that they found no benefits from red light therapy.
In a recent interview on “The Diary of a CEO”, Stephen Bartlett talks about him and his girlfriend having bought each other red light panels as Christmas presents and how they use them each morning when they are meditating. You’ll find that red light panels are coming more and more into mainstream conversations, and we really don’t believe that this growth in their popularity would be happening if people were not experiencing real benefits.
Of course, as we always point out, we are not doctors and this is not medical advice. Please do your own research and if you have a medical condition or are pregnant, please do talk to your GP before using red light therapy.
Have you used red light therapy and, if so, what were your results? If you haven’t tried it, would you consider buying a panel?
If you like this article, why not check out our article Infrared sauna: aids weight loss, sleep, pain relief and the appearance of your skin. Really?