Photo Caption: With frequent red light therapy sessions at Jiva, you’ll feel completely renewed—inside and out!

A Healing Touch: The Benefits of Red Light Therapy

The hustle of everyday life can be exhausting—not only does it take a physical toll, but it also effects our mental health and self-confidence too. Signs of aging can sneak up on all of us over time, including loss of skin elasticity, under-eye wrinkles from stress, or dark brown spots from years of sun exposure. Did a friend spark your curiosity about a fantastic anti-aging treatment that rejuvenates the skin using red light? Maybe they’ve told you all you have to do is lay down in what looks like a tanning bed for 15 minutes a day, and you’ll look refreshed and feel uplifted. But you might be left wondering: is that really all there is to it? What exactly is red light therapy and how does it work?

What Is Light Therapy?

First thing’s first: to understand red light therapy, it’s important to establish a basic knowledge of light therapy itself. Light therapy, or phototherapy, is a procedure that uses different wavelengths of natural or man-made light to treat medical skin conditions, a therapeutic technique that dates back to ancient Egypt. There are many different applications of modern-day light therapy, such as improving mental health conditions, sleeping disorders, and of course, aesthetic skin conditions.

Each light therapy treatment is slightly different and have multiple names, which can be confusing! However, red light therapy falls under the umbrella of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy. PBM therapy treats numerous medical and cosmetic skin concerns using light-emitting diodes (LED) that emit several varying wavelengths and colors of light. According to Healthline, the hidden benefits of LED therapy were originally discovered by NASA while doing plant growth testing in outer space and was later found to speed up wound healing in the human body.

Red Light Therapy: How It Works

Red light therapy (RLT) is a type of LED therapy that applies red and near infrared wavelengths of light, ranging from 620-1000nm to the epidermis. Red light and near infrared light are the best wavelengths for penetrating into the top layers of skin without the risk of any harmful electromagnetic fields (EMFs) or UV rays. However, other colors of light like blue, green, and yellow, have lower wavelengths that are less intense, which is great option for those with more sensitive skin who require a gentler light therapy treatment session.

As a dermatologist recommended treatment, RLT is an FDA-cleared procedure that effectively stimulates the skin’s natural healing processes and collagen growth to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, stretch marks, UV damage, and more. When the body’s cells and mitochondria absorb the red light, it invigorates the cells’ regenerative abilities throughout the entire body. As a result, the skin tissue repairs itself faster and counteracts inflammation, while also replenishing collagen & elastin levels. Overall, RLT is a safe, non-invasive light therapy treatment that improves numerous signs of aging skin along with additional healing benefits.

Health Benefits of Red Light Therapy Treatments

The power of red light can treat wide variety of skin concerns, acting as an anti-aging and anti-inflammatory solution. RLT tightens loose skin, smooths away fine lines and wrinkles, and even improves the appearance of melasma spots, scars, and sun-damaged skin. Additionally, it accelerates the body’s healing process on a cellular level and even improves mental health. Here’s our list of the most valuable advantages of red light therapy treatments:

• • Stimulates collagen growth & elastin
  • Accelerates the body’s natural healing processes
  • Treats melasma, psoriasis, and other skin conditions
  • Reduces acne, scarring, & the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles
  • Improves brown spots, age spots, and sun-damaged skin
  • Enhances overall skin quality, tone, & texture
  • Improves quality of sleep
  • Reduces anxiety, depression, & other mental health disorders
  • Minimizes inflammation of sore muscles & joints (arthritis)
  • Helps heal wounds & sports injuries
  • Boosts hair growth

Types of Red Light Therapy Devices

Now that we’ve shed some light on the incredible healing properties of red light, let’s talk about the delivery methods of the treatment. RLT treatments are extremely diverse and can be administered via handheld devices, LED face masks, red light lamps, or even full-body RLT beds.

Handheld Devices: Many medical professionals choose to use professional wands that are easier to control manually. Some tools have wider, circular-shaped applicators to cover greater surface area, while others have small apertures that focus on specific trouble areas with highly concentrated red light.

LED Face Masks: For those who want to receive red light therapy from the comfort of their home, an LED face mask is a great at-home option. These medical-grade devices have versatile wavelength settings and are a great, low-maintenance way to continue treatment in-between doctor-administered RLT sessions.

LED Lamps: Red light lamps come in all shapes and sizes and are able to treat large portions of the skin all at once. LED lamps have many different iterations, making it an adaptable, multipurpose piece of equipment for in-office RLT procedures.

RLT Beds: To get the most even, thorough coverage, red light beds are the best RLT method. Although the clinical beds are big, patients can lay down and relax, which is easier for those experiencing joint and muscle pain. Plus, many brands of RLT beds use a mixture of wavelengths across the full spectrum, so the treatment can be individualized person to person.

Some people may prefer trying self-applied red light therapy treatment with an at-home device. However, we recommend scheduling sessions with a professional to reduce risks of improper application and to receive the best possible treatment. At Jiva Med Spa, we’re always making sure our patients experience the most comfortable and safe red light therapy treatments.

Red Light Therapy Treatment At Jiva Med Spa

At our Columbus Jiva Med Spa location, we use the Summer Body Multiwave 7 Plus bed for all red light therapy purposes. This model has dozens of settings and greater flexibility for patients who want to combine multiple wavelengths, set lower or higher levels of intensity, or target personal medical conditions. The procedure is quick and simple: just lay down inside the RLT bed and enjoy the light for 10-15 minutes! If you feel comfortable doing so, you can remove articles of clothing to uncover specific areas of the skin that need direct exposure to the red and near infrared light.

Patients using the Summer Body Multiwave 7 Plus bed will feel a relaxing warmth as internal body temperature increases, but it will never feel unbearably hot since the machine has a regulated automatic cooling system. We also provide protective eyewear for the patient’s safety and comfort during treatment.

At Jiva Med Spa, we recommend an average of 2-3 sessions in our RLT bed per week for an average of 10-15 minutes per treatment, depending on your health concerns and wellness goals. Before any kind of RLT session, we encourage you to schedule a free consultation with our Medical Director, Dr. Nanda, to determine if red light therapy is the best solution for you!

Stop by our Columbus (614-421-7546), Dayton (937-705-9430), or Cincinnati (513-834-1770) med spa locations to take advantage of Red Light Therapy.