Posted by Eileen Durfee on 19th Feb 2021
Instead of soaking up harmful ultraviolet (UV) sunlight, why not soak up some near-infrared light instead? High-intensity lighting systems are leading the way for wound healing, pain alleviation, and even cancer treatment.
Can near-infrared light therapy promote healthier skin? This treatment option is said to act as a cure-all for wrinkles, acne, and more. Still, some consumers are on the fence about its effectiveness.
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of infrared light!
After reading this guide, you might find it's exactly what you need to end your skin concerns. Read on to learn more.
Red light therapy is a natural skincare treatment option. NASA first started studying the effects of red light therapy on natural plant growth in space in the 90s. Now, near-infrared light therapy is used as a natural, non-invasive treatment for many medical conditions.
How does near-infrared light work?
First, a light therapy device will deliver red and near-infrared wavelengths to your skin. The photos of natural, therapeutic light produce a chemical reaction. The mitochondria, which produce power for your cells, then boost energy production and regeneration.
This leads to two reactions.
First, the near-infrared light produces more adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy. ATP is produced through cellular respiration. It's a crucial molecule all living things need to make energy for the body.
Light therapy also reduces oxidative stress.
Next, the near-infrared light enhances cell signaling in the body. Specific wavelengths of light help your cells create a better oxidative environment. As a result, more intracellular signaling pathways activate.
This increases protein synthesis, enzyme activation, and enhanced cell cycle progression.
By producing more energy in your body, you can improve physical function, speed up the healing process, lower inflammation, and reduce pain. Red light therapy also helps your tissues receive more nutrients and oxygen, which are essential for healing.
Now that you understand how near-infrared light therapy works, let's discuss a few of the benefits of infrared light.
First, red light therapy helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
Inflammation is associated with a number of skin conditions, including:
Red light therapy can help reduce acute and chronic inflammation. By increasing blood flow to your damaged tissues, red light helps increase your body's antioxidant defenses, too.
Reducing inflammation in your body can help promote skin healing, which will improve your skin's appearance.
Infrared light therapy for face treatments can also boost your collagen production. Collagen is the most abundant protein found within our bodies. It's essential for skin, joint, and bone health. Collagen is what holds our bodies together! The more collagen you can produce naturally, the better for your general appearance.
Collagen gives your skin its elasticity. As we age, our collagen production tends to decrease. This causes your skin to become less firm, which also leads to wrinkles.
Some people use supplements or creams to increase their collagen levels. However, it's even better if your body can produce the real thing.
Fibroblasts are cells that create collagen using amino acids. The process requires a lot of energy, which requires ATP production.
Red and near-infrared light therapy stimulates the cells' mitochondria. The energy boost makes it easier for mitochondria to take light, oxygen, and nutrients from the food you eat. Then, mitochondria use these components to generate more energy.
The increased energy makes it easier for your fibroblast cells to create more natural collagen. Increasing your collagen production will help reduce wrinkles and signs of aging.
According to this study, red and near-infrared light therapy are able to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and skin roughness. The treatments also increased intradermal collagen density.
Red and near-infrared light can help counteract the signs of aging. By increasing your collagen production, the light helps smooth your wrinkles. It also keeps your skin looking firm and enhances your skin tone.
Reducing your fine lines and wrinkles can help you maintain younger-looking skin.
Regular treatments can also help your skin regenerate faster. Study participants noticed fewer wrinkles in their forehead, around the eyes, and cheeks. Treatments also benefited the moisture content on the women's faces.
Regular infrared light for skin therapy purposes can help improve different skin conditions, including acne. The red light impacts sebum production, an oily substance that causes acne to form. Acne also develops due to increased inflammation levels. Regular treatment also helps control cytokines, which impact your inflammation.
Red light therapy can also help eczema and psoriasis patients. Light therapy can reduce itchiness and redness. It also improves the appearance of skin rashes and flaking.
Eczema also flares up due to increased inflammation. By using infrared light to reduce your inflammation, you can ease your eczema symptoms.
Infrared light therapy for face conditions like eczema and psoriasis is an effective, non-invasive treatment option. This form of treatment doesn't create the risk or side effects associated with many prescription drugs.
There are no cures for eczema or psoriasis. However, using infrared light therapy will help you manage the symptoms.
In this study, eczema patients noticed a reduction of eczema symptoms, including:
The study noted no side effects from the treatments.
Near-infrared light therapy can help restore the skin barrier, reduce inflammation, and reduce the severity of skin lesions for eczema patients. Psoriasis patients, on the other hand, noticed a reduction of skin inflammation, redness, hardening, and scaling of the skin.
Many of the benefits of infrared light help rejuvenate the skin. Red light can also speed up the healing process for surgery incisions, scars, wounds, and burns. Patients who were recovering from these injuries noticed less pain and inflammation.
Red light promotes new blood vessels and tissues to form. It also relieves pain naturally, without the side effects of prescription painkillers.
It seems like near-infrared light therapy can do it all! With this treatment option, you can discover a natural, noninvasive approach for remedying your skin concerns.
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