Light Therapy
What is light therapy?
Light therapy is the term used to describe exposure of light to the human body.
The various different kinds of light therapy are seen as a non-invasive method to potentially aid a variety of conditions, such as; wrinkles, ageing, acne, damaged/dry skin, wound healing, SAD, depression, vitamin D, pain, inflammation, burns (including sun burn) and more.
The growing popularity of all the varieties of light therapy is linked to the claim that it is universally suitable, regardless of skin type/colour, and can potentially be used in conjunction with other treatments to enhance effects or reduce negative side effects.
Light therapy has been used in western medicine since the late 19th century, shortly after electric lights were invented, and is still in use clinically today (with the aid of improved technology like LEDs and lasers). At-home treatment is becoming increasingly common, although much is performed in clinics or tanning salons.
How does Light Therapy work?
Light therapy works by a variety of mechanisms:
Red light therapy
- The primary type of light therapy. Current hypothesis is that it works by increasing energy production, reducing inflammation and speeding healing.
- Considered to be useful for a variety of skin issues and non-toxic.
Infrared light therapy
- Similar to red light therapy, infrared is warming and penetrates deeper into living tissue.
- May potentially be useful for pain, nerve/brain issues and other internal issues.
Blue light therapy
- Used mainly for acne treatment and skin infections.
- Bacteria-killing blue light is mixed with inflammation-reducing red light.
Bright light therapy
- Claimed to be helpful for SAD and general depression.
- The hypothesis is that bright light rapidly reduces levels of melatonin, potentially normalising body clocks.
UVB light therapy
- Used for raising vitamin D levels.
- Converts cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D, which circulates around the body.
Is light really that fundamental?
Light is essential to life on earth; not just to plants but also to animals.
Be it light from the sun, or from electric lights, light has a profound effect on our biology:
“Penetrating red light is possibly the fundamental anti-stress factor for all organisms. The chronic deficiency of such light is, I think, the best explanation for the deterioration which occurs with aging. Enzyme changes, free radical changes, structural and respiratory changes are all involved as consequences of darkness stress.”– Dr. Ray Peat, PhD
The skin absorbs light at various wavelengths, seemingly using it as an aid to stimulate natural cellular processes. In this way it may lead to a full body systemic effect; perhaps improving the immune system, synthesising protective hormones such as progesterone & testosterone, and also helping to reduce the stress hormones associated with insufficient energy production (cortisol, adrenaline, etc).
Can light therapy be used for beauty?
In the last 20 years, LED Light therapy has become increasingly popular for the purpose of skin rejuvenation.
Whether it be eczema/psoriasis, wrinkles, small blemishes, sun burn, acne, scars, cuts or bruises – LED light therapy has been studied for it.
Is regular light therapy more effective than beauty creams?
Light therapy is 100% non-toxic, yet is hypothesised to stimulate a core function of all life. Tens of thousands of scientific studies have been carried out on the physiological effects of light.
In contrast, most commercial beauty creams contain a slew of harmful chemicals, which absorb transdermally, potentially harming internal organs and metabolic processes. Scientific studies on commercial beauty creams are rare – most are not safe and have no solid evidence they work.
Light cannot be patented, so holds little profit value economically, despite its broad application.. As with the pharmaceutical industry, product development and marketing funds go into profitable ventures, not necessarily into the most effective or healthy treatments.
What is a standard treatment like?
Treatment using LED light therapy is simple.
Frequency of use and length of use depends on the quality of your light therapy device. Most on the market are too weak to have any real effect. With most of our products, the following protocol can be followed:
Exposure for 10 minutes, 3 times per week gives the dose that is effective in most studies.
Therapy can be applied daily, for example immediately before bed and upon waking. This will reduce stress levels significantly. It can be applied several times throughout the day, especially in winter.
How safe is the treatment?
Sunlight is harmful in excess, so what about LED light?
Appropriately designed light devices do not contain harmful ultraviolet A light like the sun does, and so do not lead to sunburn or damage.
From this perspective, good light therapy devices are superior and more versatile than natural sunlight.
As with any electrical product, there is the potential for harmful EMFs, so this should be a consideration when looking into light therapy products.
LED light therapy is clinically proven to be safe for everyone, with absolutely no risk of significant side effects.
Why LEDs for light therapy?
LED stands for light emitting diode. A technology that is almost 100 years old.
- Has recently increased in efficiency exponentially, making it the most energy efficient light source available today.
- An LED is essentially a mini light bulb, with customisable colour control. They can be designed to only emit a single specific wavelength of light, making them ideal for optimal light therapy.
- LEDs are typically smaller than other light technologies, while having a longer lifespan and requiring less maintenance. They turn on to full brightness almost instantly and are much harder to break than typical bulb based lighting.
- On top of all of that, LEDs can emit light in a controlled direction, eliminating the need for large reflectors.
Our light therapy devices are custom-designed and made with the latest generation of LEDs to provide the maximum lumens per watt of electricity.
All products are contained within a single unit, and we guarantee are the most effective on the market.
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