What Is Red Light Therapy Tanning?
The science of red light tanning therapy is quite similar to plants. Plants need sunlight to produce more energy for their consumption. Meanwhile, our skin and body tissues can absorb red light and convert it into energy to stimulate our body to regenerate new cells.
Unlike UV light, red light tanning therapy works by emitting a wavelength of between 620nm to 940nm. The range of these wavelengths falls beyond the UV range. So, what does red light tanning therapy do?
Well, red light therapy works by penetrating several inches deep into the skin to promote new cell growth, collagen production, tissue repair, and overall skin regeneration . These effects are made possible because of the improved oxygenation and detoxification this tanning promotes.
In a red light therapy tanning bed, imagine being secured in a full-sized cozy bed and feeling the gentle warmth of the red light penetrating your skin. This therapy will not only work on selected areas of your body but will work on your entire body instead.
Benefits of Red Light Therapy Tanning Bed
Red light therapy as a whole is a natural, safe, non-invasive treatment for many medical and beauty problems. The number of health benefits it provides always grows over time.
Unlike regular tanning beds, red light therapy tanning may make your hair shinier, lower your blood pressure, relieve pain, increase the healing time by controlling inflammatory processes, and eliminate the appearance and growth of acne.
Some of these health benefits will be discussed thoroughly in this article.
1. Promotes Skin Rejuvenation
Red light tanning beds work significantly in promoting excellent circulation needed for the body to stimulate skin rejuvenation. This regimen boosts your body’s circulation by penetrating deep enough into your skin to promote cell growth while bringing more blood into your skin’s surface.
It’s also excellent for treating age spots, wrinkles, discoloration, removing blemishes, and other skin problems
2. Shortens Healing Time
Tanning beds with red light therapy also contribute to the fast healing time of different injuries. How does red light therapy do this? Well, red light can reach the deeper parts of your body and stimulates the production of adenosine triphosphate or ATP.
When ATP is produced, effects such as reduced inflammatory processes and increased formation of new cells must be expected. These processes will significantly impact the time required for healing or recovery to occur.
For instance, a study involving a rat fracture model showed an increased ATP production of fibroblasts when 660 nm red light therapy was received .
3. Eliminates Acne
Acne has been one of the most common skin problems for centuries. Aside from the insecurities, it can bring aesthetically, acne is also considered a medical problem. Some acne is even associated with more serious medical conditions, which is why having acne shouldn’t be taken lightly.
If left unmanaged, your acne will leave permanent scars on your skin that other medical interventions might find challenging to deal with.
Red light therapy also helps eliminate the development of acne and its resulting scars. This regimen works with your body’s hemoglobin and activates those cells. Once the hemoglobin is activated, it will signal your body to limit the blood supply to oil-producing sebaceous glands and, in turn, prevents your skin cells from producing too much oil or developing acne.
A study also revealed that red light therapy could penetrate deep into the skin, which targets sebaceous glands and exerts anti-inflammatory properties by influencing cytokine release
4. Relieves Pain
Red light therapy can penetrate deep enough into the body to help repair cell components. It’s a regimen known to relieve pain.
One study revealed that red light therapy could relieve muscle pain by increasing muscle mass after training and decreasing inflammation in muscle biopsies .
A study in 2017 also revealed that red light therapy could relieve knee pain. This study showed pain reduction and cartilage regeneration as attained by the biochemical changes involved in red light therapy.
Red light therapy tanning beds are very effective in treating not just local pain but also whole-body pain because of the larger surface area it can cover.
5. Promotes Hair Growth
Red light therapy tanning serves as an effective treatment for androgenetic alopecia. This regimen also helps regulate hair growth and improve it over time.
A controlled study was conducted on female patients with their scalps exposed to red light therapy at 655 nm. Results showed a 37% increase in hair growth, which is a promising sign of progression .
Learn more about the benefits of red light therapy for hair loss and baldness in this article.
6. Improves Mood Disorders
Red light therapy tanning may also help with mood improvement. Sunlight is essential to our well-being. It’s also been proven to affect our mood by increasing our energy and reducing depression triggers.
When you’re in a red light therapy tanning bed, you’ll experience a full-body treatment that will not only target local areas but will heal you as a whole. The benefits include improving any mood disorder.
Light therapy positively impacts our mood. The research was done on patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and revealed that the regimen could improve depression symptoms .
7. Controls Blood Pressure
Red light therapy tanning beds may also aid in lowering your blood pressure. Since this regimen’s effect involves the whole body, a study has also proven its effectiveness in supporting the treatment of increased blood pressure or hypertension.
The same study revealed experimental data showing that red light therapy is feasible and effective at inhibiting heme aggregation, resulting in more controlled blood pressure .
When Can I Expect Results?
Every person reacts differently as each condition requires a different approach. Although these are all facts, research has shown that many red light therapy users show results within the first 30 to 60 days of scheduled use.
One study showed that results were already evident in a week given that the treatment was interrupted [1]. If the therapy is interrupted, you must also expect a gradual return of your conditions.
For the first 3 weeks, you can start slow, with 2 to 3 sessions per week. After these sessions, evident results will start to unveil. Also, know that using a red light therapy device on a daily basis will maximize your body’s healing process.
Summary
Red light therapy tanning bed might sound new to some people, but it’s already existed for years. The health benefits it provides make it more appealing, especially to people who want a non-invasive and safer alternative treatment.