Red Light Therapy For Skin Health

It is paramount to understand the main differences between red and NIR, as it applies to RLT
treatments. First and foremost, red light penetrates about 0.5” whereas NIR penetrates about 1.5
– 2”. That means that the red light does not penetrate any deeper than the skin (epidermis &
dermis).

However, because it is a longer wavelength compared to red light, NIR can penetrate deep
enough to stimulate a healing effect in the deeper tissues such as the bone, joints, organs, brain,
etc.

So you can now begin to understand why you would want to utilize only red light for skin issues
(except for hypertrophic scars) and why you would want to employ NIR when you are trying to
affect any tissue or structure deeper than the skin. There will be times that you want to use the
combination of red and NIR, such as when you are doing a routine health & wellness treatment
and you want reduced inflammation/improved circulation to all tissue layers where your body is
being irradiated by light.

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Skin Health

our skin (aka, the integumentary system) is the largest organ in your body! With that being said, it
is a critical component of your health and wellness -- not to mention, your beauty and vibrancy.
Your skin health can augment your youthful appearance as easily as it can age you.

Red/NIR light is effective at reversing signs of aging, repairs damage from UV rays and can
reduce the appearance of line wrinkles and scars.

Not only this, but Harvard professor Dr. Michael Hamblin, PhD has found that red/NIR light can:

Ÿ Enhance collagen synthesis and density

Ÿ Accelerate skin repair and wound healing
Ÿ Combat skin conditions, such as acne, keloids, vitiligo, burns, herpes virus sores and psoriasis
Ÿ Reduce cellulite
Ÿ Reduce color patches/hyperpigmentation/skin discoloration.

In short, RLT offers a safe, non-invasive alternative to Botox injections, abrasive chemical peels,
cosmetic surgery and dermatological visits to improve the health and vibrance of your skin. Anti-
aging made easy!

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 RESEARCH

In a study assessing red/NIR light therapy on skin health found: "91% of subjects reported improved skin
tone, and 82% reported enhanced smoothness of skin in the treatment area."
Avci, Pinar & Gupta, Asheesh & Sadasivam, Magesh & Vecchio, Daniela & Pam, Zeev & Pam, Nadav & Hamblin, Michael. (2013). Low-Level Laser (Light) Therapy (LLLT)
in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring. Seminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery. 32. 41-52.

“Our study showed that LED therapy reversed collagen down-regulation and MMP-1 up-regulation (both
help reduce wrinkles). These findings suggest that LED at 660nmis a safe and effective collagen-
enhancement strategy.”
Barolet, Daniel & J Roberge, Charles & Auger, François & Boucher, Annie & Germain, Lucie. (2009). Regulation of Skin Collagen Metabolism In Vitro Using a Pulsed
660 nm LED Light Source: Clinical Correlation with a Single-Blinded Study. The Journal of investigative dermatology. 129. 2751-9. 10.1038/jid.2009.186.

"LED (lights)…has been shown to be effective for improving wrinkles and skin laxity… Among patients who
received LED photo-rejuvenation along, 90% reported that they observed a softening of skin texture and
a reduction in roughness and fine lines, ranging from a significant reduction to sometimes subtle
changes.”
vci, Pinar & Gupta, Asheesh & Sadasivam, Magesh & Vecchio, Daniela & Pam, Zeev & Pam, Nadav & Hamblin, Michael. (2013). Low-Level Laser (Light) Therapy (LLLT) in
skin: stimulating, healing, restoring. Seminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery. 32. 41-52.

"LLLT appears to have a wide range of applications in dermatology, especially in indications where
stimulation of healing, reduction of inflammation, reduction of cell death, and skin rejuvenation are
required"
Avci, Pinar & Gupta, Asheesh & Sadasivam, Magesh & Vecchio, Daniela & Pam, Zeev & Pam, Nadav & Hamblin, Michael. (2013). Low-Level Laser (Light) Therapy (LLLT)
in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring. Seminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery. 32. 41-

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 Protocol for Skin Health

Frequency:
3 - 7x/week

Treatment time:
(each side of body)

1 - 3.5 min. @ 12" away

1.5 - 5 min. @ 18"
5 - 10 min. @ 24" - 36"

Light:
Red light alone is most likely superior, but you can also
use NIR simultaneously if red light by itself is achieving
desired results

Tips:
While red light is possibly superior to near-infrared light for skin health, they likely achieve
similar benefit. Thus, you can try treatments with just red light or both and see what works
best for you!

Also, we suggest you stand at least 12" away so the light better targets your skin and does
not penetrate too deeply and you can also treat larger areas of your body at once.

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 Protocol for Cellulite

Frequency:
2x/week

Treatment time:
15 minutes
(per location)

Light:
Red & NIR

Tips:
Research indicates that superior results are achieved when RLT is combined with
massage. Research combining red light treatment with massage found that there
was a 71% reduction in cellulite.

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Safety

Eyes
Eyes are some of the most mitochondrial-dense tissues in our body (third to only the brain and
heart), so it makes sense that they could benefit from red light therapy (RLT). Scientific research
has demonstrated that red and near-infrared light (NIR) irradiation can even regenerate
damaged retinal tissue. RLT's ability to act as an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-
apoptotic protector makes it a strong candidate to assist with age-related macular degeneration
as well.

It seems that NIR is the most beneficial for the mitochondria and, thus, the most efficacious
choice for eye treatments -- along with the fact that the sheer brightness of the red light may
lead to unwanted eye damage. With that being said, we advise that you consult with a medical
doctor and/or an ophthalmologist before commencing RLT eye treatments.

Pregnancy
Currently, there is no data to verify one way or another as to whether RLT can be harmful for
pregnant women. However, women are constantly exposed to sunlight -- which has both red and
NIR wavelengths -- during pregnancy. But due to the fact that these two wavelengths are being
emitted in concentrated doses there may be some unexpected effects. Some articles have
pointed out that relevant research suggests that using RLT on other parts of the body away from
the belly is likely safe. But, again, consult with a medical doctor for their professional opinion
before administering RLT treatments.

Side Effects
Red light therapy is extremely safe and it is rather difficult to "overdose" on this type of light. But
as with any type of biological treatment, there are some potential negative side effects. And while
the possibility is there, negative side effects are relatively infrequent. Reported symptoms include
nausea, fatigue and exacerbation of pain 1 - 2 days after treatment.

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Contraindications
No contraindications have been found with respect to light-emitting diode (LED) red light
therapy (RLT). The wavelengths engineered into our devices are therapeutic wavelengths of light
(red light at 660nm; near-infrared light at 850nm) and not potentially harmful wavelengths, such
as (overexposure to) UV. LED RLT is a technology that was originally developed by NASA and has
been used successfully for medical purposes for many decades.

Although there are no contraindications for LED RLT, we still advise that you consult your doctor
and seek their professional medical advice.

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Considerations

Personal Factors
Evidence suggests that a number of factors will alter the treatment protocol to achieve a
desired outcome, including skin pigmentation, where greater melanin content
necessitates a greater dose. Similarly, greater amounts of adipose tissue between the skin
and target tissue will also necessitate a greater dose to reach the target. Below is a
summary of important factors to take into consideration that may affect RLT treatment
outcomes:

Ÿ Age/health status

Young/healthy vs. older/frail vs. young/unhealthy vs. older/vibrant

Ÿ Severity & duration of health condition

Ie, headache vs. Alzheimer's, skin wrinkles vs. diabetic ulcer

Acute vs. subacute vs. chronic

Ÿ Skin pigmentation

More melanin requires a larger dose

Ÿ Adipose tissue

More fat requires a larger dose

Ÿ Medications

Steroids, opioids, calcium channel blockers, etc.

Ÿ Nervous system sensitivity

Normal vs. hyposensitive (depressed nervous system) vs. hypersensitive (ie. fibromyalgia)

Ÿ Mental status

Personality traits, anxiety/depressed, catastrophizing

Disease Factors
Not all conditions will be responsive to RLT. For example, if you are dealing with a
structural injury (ie, herniated disc, torn labrum, bone spur), RLT will not be able to alter
the structure. However, RLT treatments will likely reduce inflammation, improve
circulation and enhance mitochondrial health, all which may help to modulate pain levels
and improve overall quality of life.

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