Red light therapy is all the rage these days, and for good reason. RLT has been making a sustained, important impact across the globe, with people of all ages noting how much it’s helped them with a variety of different ailments and illnesses. On the face of it, this may seem like an “out there” idea, but trust us when we say that this could change your life.

As is the case with most things related to medicine, there are many common misconceptions when discussing red light therapy. From the implementation of it to the actual core meaning, it just seems as if there are far more hurdles than there need to be. As such, we here at NovaaLab thought it’d be beneficial to take a step back and set the record straight.

Today, we’ve decided to pick through a handful of terms that pop up pretty frequently when discussing red light therapy. Some may appear to be more relevant than others, but they all serve as an important piece of the story.

So buckle up because it’s time to get our thinking hats on.

What is red light therapy?

We’ve spoken about this at length in the past, but it’s worth reiterating — it is completely normal to feel skeptical about red light therapy. Whenever a new idea enters the conversation, it’s only natural to have a lot of questions. After all, exposing your skin to a lamp, laser, or heat-based device of any kind would be enough to throw a lot of people off. 

Alas, when you actually learn more about the products and what they do, it can be a lot easier to trust the process. With RLT, wavelengths are being transmitted to parts of your body that need assistance. Sometimes it may just be a small functional error, but it can also be an outright injury that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Red light therapy also helps to improve the circulation of oxygen-laden blood in your body. From there, you can conduct faster healing of deep tissue problems, which allows you to take a huge step forward in improving your physical well-being. It’s not just that, either, as red light therapy has been proven to relieve any undue stress and worry for the user.

How does red light therapy work? RLT terms defined

Wavelength

Electromagnetic energy is a wonderful thing in so many ways, especially when it comes to this topic. It travels in waves, and in science, the length of every specific wave is really critical when trying to understand how it can help a patient. The shorter the wavelength of the radiation, the more energy it’s going to have available to give out.

Red light has a really low energy percentage compared to some of its relatives, and within the context of what it is trying to achieve, that can only be a good thing. In a simpler sense, the advancements made in wavelength research are one of the big reasons why red light therapy has been able to thrive.

Mitochondria

There are so many important roles that mitochondria play within the red light therapy sphere of influence. These tiny organs live inside of cells and help them to function, as they produce more energy and help to control inflammation - with the latter being one of the biggest reasons why people turn to red light therapy for help in the first place.

A report has previously indicated that the wavelengths of red light can stimulate your mitochondria and reduce oxidative stress, with more core energy coming from that. From top to bottom, this is the kind of game-changer data that really helps make the argument in favor of red light therapy even stronger.

Photomedicine

We all have preconceived ideas of what medicine actually is, how it is practiced, and how doctors and nurses administer certain treatments to the general public. One sub-genre that tends to be quite underreported, though, is that of photomedicine. It’s a branch that studies the application of light and how that can impact someone’s illness or disease.

Light therapy falls directly under this tree, with bright lights being used in a variety of different ways to aid with the process of recovery and just how far you can get with that. From arthritis to alopecia and beyond, it’s slowly beginning to feel like there’s no real limit to what can be achieved here. As time goes on, even greater discoveries are made.

Collagen

Collagen, in essence, is a structure that is used to make connective tissue. It helps build up your body in a multitude of different ways, but perhaps most crucially, when it comes to red light therapy, it assists with your skin. We all get frustrated by our tone or wrinkles from time to time, and because of that, it’s important to point out how red light therapy can help.

By improving your cellular function, RLT can help increase the production of collagen. This will assist with your fine lines and wrinkles, and who can say no to that? Instead of forking out thousands on surgery to try and get that younger look, this is a far more productive method that’s going to be a real all-rounder from head to toe.

Red light

The name alone is the big giveaway for this one, as this is, in essence, the entire brand. Red light is quite obviously the color of the product, but the actual definition stretches beyond that as any light that has a wavelength of between 620 and 750 nanometers. As such, the appearance isn’t the only thing that it is defined by, as it instead focuses on the wavelengths.

If you’re dealing with something along the lines of ultraviolet, then this is a high-energy product that could increase your risk of developing further health issues. Red light, however, has the longest wavelengths of visible light, and even using it to the extreme will not harm you - so long as you use it in moderation and know your limits.

LLL therapy

LLLT is the process of exposing cells or tissue to low levels of both red and near-infrared light - and, essentially, is another term for red light. The aim of the game for low-level light therapy is simple: reduce pain and inflammation while preventing tissue damage. It soothes any aches you have, and it can add a further layer of protection that benefits you in the long run when attempting to keep those pesky illnesses away.

While it was actually discovered many, many decades ago, only recently has LLLT been utilized more consistently in dermatology. Naturally, that’s because it took a while for it to be universally recognized and appreciated, but all good things take time. It’s non-invasive, it’s safe, and it’s becoming so much easier to use in just about every way.

Using red light therapy at home: Our tips

We understand that there can be some confusion behind what it means to actually use red light therapy in the comfort of your own home. As a result, we’ve decided to make two very quick points in relation to this query.

With these tips alone, you’ll be off to the races.

Start at a slow pace

Anything that’s new or outside your comfort zone can be scary, and we aren’t about to pretend like that isn’t the case. With red light therapy, especially, it may seem strange that such a useful tool is so readily available to the public - but we can guarantee it’s safe to use, easy to understand and great to manage once you’ve started your journey.

When using your favorite NovaaLab product, it’s important to ease into things. That often means using your product for up to five minutes, allowing you to really take in the provided instructions and understand your own tolerance. If you do this at the start of the week, you can gradually build your way up until you’re at a point where you can keep going for 20 minutes.

Get a routine

We’re all busy living our lives and trying to make a living, but that doesn’t mean we should lose track of something that’s actively working to make our lives better. Sure, it’s easy to lose track of the day and let things slip by, but red light therapy is so quick and efficient that it shouldn’t be too difficult to get into a routine that your body is happy with.

Carve out the time and set the alarms you need to get you in the right frame of mind for your red light therapy. Avoid distractions, and make sure to space out your sessions in a way that gets you adjusted properly. In our view, it’s good to use RLT in the morning and then in the evening, giving you a great start to the day as well as the perfect lead-in to your bedtime routine.

Learn more about red light therapy right here

At NovaaLab, transparency is at the forefront of our operation. We aren’t here to sell snake oil, and we certainly aren’t here to feed you false promises about what this will and won’t do for you in the long term. Yes, the fact of the matter is that red light therapy is scientifically proven to help with a parade of different health concerns, but that doesn’t always mean you’re going to have peace of mind.

That comes from a long, sustained relationship with a brand, and it also comes from seeing cold, hard evidence. Thankfully, we have plenty of outstanding reviews littered across our website that highlight some of the great work we’ve been doing in the last few years. So, if you have concerns (which would be entirely valid), there are plenty of ways to put your mind at ease.

Beyond that, we just want to reiterate that we’re here to help. There are no marketing tricks or ploys on display - we simply want to do what’s best for our customers.