4 Reasons Why You’ll Love Red Light Therapy
Skin tool technology has grown in leaps and bounds - the kinds of skincare tools that we can now use at home is completely different from just a few years ago! There are what feels like squillions to choose from, but one of the best professional treatments in an at-home package has to be Red Light Therapy.
What Is Red Light Therapy?
Originally only something you would find at the beauty therapist’s office, Red Light Therapy (RLT) is now something you can do right at home - with the right devices. But first, let’s dive into what RLT is in the first place.
Did you know that RLT is originally space technology? It was first developed to help possibly grow plants in space - although it doesn’t appear that this idea took off, researching RLT opened doors for how specific wavelengths of light affected other organisms - namely, us.
RLT has a few different names, depending on who you ask - it’s sometimes called Low Level Light Therapy, Biostimulation, and Low-Power Laser Therapy, however these are all different names for the same thing.
It’s important not to mix up RLT with Infrared (IR) Light Therapy - while some professional machines actually combine RLT with IR wavelengths to treat skin, infrared wavelengths are able to penetrate deeper into the skin. It’s for this reason that IR should be best left to the pros!
All RLT devices do is emit red light - they don’t heat up, so there’s zero chance of accidentally burning your skin or feeling too warm.
Foreo UFO Mini | $149
This fun-size LED device has blue, green, and red wavelengths of light to rejuvenate your skin.
What Are the Benefits of Red Light Therapy?
RLT is quickly becoming a popular option to do at home for a few reasons - here’s why you’ll love adding RLT to your skincare routine!
1) Increases Collagen Fibres
As we all know, collagen fibres are what makes our skin feel full, plump and youthful - as well as what keeps those wrinkles at bay. Studies have found that consistent RLT is able to increase collagen fibres for skin that looks younger and more radiant.
Boosting collagen fibres and stimulating fibroblasts helps skin feel firmer and more youthful. One study found the perfect RLT routine: 3 sessions per week of 20 minutes each over a period of three weeks had remarkable reduction in fine lines and wrinkles - and that’s without using other anti-ageing products at the same time!
2) Reduces Inflammation
Another major benefit of RLT is its ability to reduce inflammatory cells. RLT is able to visibly reduce redness in skin and also relieve inflammation associated with acne for more comfortable, happier skin.
There’s one more reason you’ll want to reduce inflammation as much as possible: inflammaging, aka the link between chronic skin inflammation and accelerated signs of ageing. Reducing as much inflammation as possible will go a long way to preventing inflammaging from setting in!
Foreo UFO Mask Call It a Night | $15The effects of Ginseng and Panthenol in this UFO mask are boosted with the power of red light therapy.
3) Reduce the Appearance of Scarring
Hypertrophic (aka raised) scars are hard to treat, especially at home. However, RLT is showing some really promising results, according to the science! In a study specifically conducted with an at-home device, significant improvements were seen in treated scars when compared to the untreated sections of skin.
4) Fits into Every Skincare Routine
Something that consistently appeared in studies about RLT was that there were never any adverse effects; compared to another well-studied anti-ageing ingredient, retinol, irritation was noted time and time again.
Because RLT doesn’t appear to irritate or inflame skin at all, it’s something that can be used by all skin types and doesn’t need to be layered or avoided if you’re using other skincare ingredients!
Foreo UFO | $289
Bring the power of red light therapy home with the ultra-powerful, yet compact Foreo UFO device.
Got a Foreo UFO but no skincare routine? Try our skin care quiz!
Products Mentioned:
