skinalchemist

[skinalchemist]

IS RED LIGHT THERAPY THE RED PILL OF ANTI-AGING?

As far back as 1903 Neil Ryberg Finsen won a Nobel Prize in medicine for his discovery that exposure to red light accelerated the healing process. It has even been used by NASA after observations of wound healing in astronauts from red lights used to grow plants in space 80 years after Finsens work. Leading to a lot more research on the matter. However, for a long time it was still dismissed as pseudo-science or fringe. So, what has brought the red light truth out of the dark? Is it all of the biohacking podcasters or the availability of affordable at home devices like panels and masks? Do you think it’s time for you to get aboard the red light train before you miss it? Let me tell you a little bit about its magic and how it works.

Let’s get a little science geeky. Explained by the Cleveland Clinic, the number one mechanism is increased mitochondrial efficiency. Meaning red light therapy is acting on the power plant in your body’s cells called mitochondria with more energy, other cells can do their work more efficiently such as repairing skin, boosting your cell growth and enhancing your skin rejuvenation. According to the American Academy of Dermatology red light therapy increases the expression of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid in the skin.

If we want to get a little less science geeky, I can explain why YOU would want to get on board. It has a long and scientific track record for wound healing, bone growth, inflammation reduction, pain relief, hair growth, recover after surgery, improved cognitive health and improved mood. Aside from its vast health benefits we can be vain for a moment, how does red light make me look younger? Its effects on the skin includes reduction in fine lines and wrinkles, reduction in hyper-pigmentation, reduction in acne and acne scaring, reduces appearance of previous scars and aids in preventing formation of scars and increases collagen and elastin making skin more supple, youthful and resilient. You must admit these are some pretty incredible results just from sitting under a light for 20 minutes. This coupled with no negative side effects reported really makes you wonder why we haven’t been doing this all along. People are finding more and more benefits since the explosion of red light therapy usage.

So why does it seem we are just going crazy for this now? Well, the one drawback if you can call it that is red light therapy takes frequent and consistent use from a quality device to obtain results. So previously if you were lets say being treated for an injury, a period of frequent therapy visits were to be expected. However, if you were receiving a treatment added to your regular facial, one to two twenty-minute sessions a month is not enough to actually get the fibroblasts working enough to produce notable results. With the recent surge in in at home devices you are able to get four to six twenty-minute treatments per week without needing to ever leave your house.

So, what is the best device to get? There are so many now on the market and they come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges so how do you know what is right for you? Luckily there are well educated people on the front of the train leading the way. They have tried and evaluated most of the devices so that you don’t have to and selected the ones they deem the best. My favorite red light guru is Alex Fergus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31Xu84lf4vY. He provides a wealth of information on helping you understand red light and select the right device for your needs. If you are using red light for skin rejuvenation like I am, I also highly recommend checking out Maysama https://maysama.com/ they retail a cutting edge product that increases efficacy and results when used in conjunction with pulsed red light therapy as well as lots of science, recent studies and discoveries on the topic. So what do you think, is red light therapy the red pill of anti-aging in 2024? Are you ready to climb aboard? CHOO CHOO LETS GO!