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Ready for some far-out facts? LED light therapy was born at NASA when scientists discovered that astronauts’ wounds were healing much slower in space. They found that red light therapy (aka RLT) is more than just a flashy light show. When applied at a wavelength of 660+ nanometers, it’s been proven to help heal wounds super fast due to its ability to promote blood circulation and rapidly increase natural collagen production.
Further studies of RLT went on to show that the medical benefits of LED therapy were happening because mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) in the skin can absorb these specific light wavelengths. This can help the cells produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source for all cells, and, with this extra energy, experts believe the cells may be able to respond better to damage and rejuvenate themselves.
It wasn’t long until the beauty industry saw these amazing cellular results, and wanted to see how LED red light therapy could help common skin issues. It’s still hard to believe that the answer to perfect skin is packed neatly into a tiny LED bulb, but now we know red light LED therapy can have a tremendous impact on wrinkles, rosacea, acne, and psoriasis, some conditions seeing improvement in as little as 15 minutes of LED red light use.
While the last few decades have seen a major spike in clinically-administered red light procedures, it's only recently become widely available due to advancements in energy-efficient LED technology and at-home red light therapy face masks. There are so many options to try, and no matter what you end up purchasing, it’s important to use RLT for 10-20 minutes every day for a couple of weeks to get the full benefits.
This therapy has been found to be safe and effective for all skin tones and types, but be sure to consult your dermatologist if you have any questions and come up with a tailored treatment plan to meet the needs of your specific skin concerns.
