Here’s the basics on Red Light and Near-Infrared Light Therapy.
What is Red and Near-Infrared light?
Red and Near-Infrared light are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, specifically, the spectrum of light emitted by the sun. Due to this, these wavelengths of light are “bio active” in humans and can produce physiological changes as a result. The particular physiological changes produced are what make this so special.
Below is a demonstration of the spectrum and where these lights are in the spectrum of different rays of energy.
Only a tiny part of the light wavelengths (400nm -700nm) are visible to the human eye, the highest end being red light. Red light sits at a wavelength zone of a little over 600 to about 700nm. Near-Infrared (NIR) light is ABOVE the visible light spectrum, ranging from about 700nm to a little over 1,100nm. Due to the wavelength and frequency, this spectrum of light has been found to have amazing effects on our bodies. The majority of research showing the most benefits in red light ranges of 630-680nm and NIR ranges of 800-880nm.
With thousands of studies having been performed on both humans and animals with findings of positive effects on cell function and aid in improving a wide range of conditions, red light and NIR therapy devices have been FDA-approved for several purposes so far. Some of those are hair-loss reversal, anti-aging, acne, wound healing, pain relief, fat loss and more. It’s good to note here that in order to get FDA approval, the therapy has to be proven to be safe and effective in numerous trials.
How does Red and NIR Light affect the body?
Now that we have covered the basics, let's get into HOW red light and NIR actually are able to positively affect the human body. It’s all about these particular wavelengths’ ability to penetrate and the depth of the penetration. While other wavelengths typically stay in the outer layers of the skin, these wavelengths are able to penetrate to the depths of cells, tissues, blood, nerves, bones and even the brain.
As you can see above, red light between 600-700nm is able to penetrate at a depth that benefits skin texture and tone, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, promoting collagen production and generally rejuvenating the appearance of skin and hair.
NIR from 700-1,100nm penetrates to a level that benefits deeper tissues, assisting in wound healing, muscle recovery, nerve injury and joint pain.
Now we understand why certain tissues are able to benefit from these lights, but lets talk about what the light does physiologically to actually cause a change on these structures. The most well studied mechanism of action and effect is increased mitochondrial energy production in cells. Mitochondria are tiny organelles that are the energy power plants of all the cells in our body. Red and NIR light therapy helps the mitochondria create more of that energy.
To get even more detailed, the specific photons found in red and NIR light interact with photoreceptors within our cells called cytochrome c oxidase. This interaction stimulates the mitochondria in our cells to use oxygen more efficiently, which allows the mitochondria to produce more ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Adenosine triphosphate is a complex organic chemical that provides energy to drive many processes in living cells, e.g. muscle contraction, nerve impulse propagation, and chemical synthesis. Found in all forms of life, ATP is often referred to as the “molecular unit of currency” of intracellular energy transfer. When our cells have more energy, they simply perform better and the body follows suit.
Lets recap with the proven benefits of red and near-infrared light therapy:
-promotes wound healing and tissue repair
-supports collagen production/anti-aging
-reduces swelling and inflammation (pain)
-improves joint health
-activate lymphatic system for increased detoxification
-improves physical performance, muscle recover and energy levels
-increases melatonin/improves sleep
Recommendations for using red light and NIR therapy
While there are many facilities offering Red light treatment rooms as stand alone sessions or adjuncts to treatment, Red light therapy devices are available in compact and affordable options, so they can be used regularly and conveniently in your own home. optimal use is 3-5x/week, up to 10x/week, so to keep things consistent and feasible for cost and time, but getting the most benefit, in home is the way to go. In my clinic and home, I use the Mito Red Light device for its quality, wide range of product choices, and most importantly, its price point. Check out the Mito Red Light Products HERE with a 5% discount (applied at check out).
Product Recommendations for home use:
Mito Pro Series- compact enough to be mobile, but large enough to cover a decent amount of area on the body, comes mounted on a table top stand and the option for hanging on the wall. Has the added benefit of offering dual wavelengths within each red light and NIR wavelength spectrums for optimal cellular stimulation.
Below is a breakdown of each product line.
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