You can use red light therapy for weight loss but the therapy can do a lot more besides as you will discover in this post. One of the biggest benefits with red light therapy is for anti-aging. We will discuss this and other benefits here.
Is Red Light Therapy Safe?
The good thing about red light therapy over other treatments is that is completely natural. There are never any chemicals or drugs used with this therapy. You don’t need to apply anything to your skin. All you need to do is use the right LED lamp and the rays will penetrate your skin and promote cellular activity in your body.
There is no pain involved with red light therapy. When you are under a red lamp your body produces collagen and fibroblasts which are good for your skin. You will never damage your skin or your overall health by using red light therapy and you can benefit from the effects of it in a short time. A red-light therapy session of 5 to 10 minutes is commonplace.
No matter what type of skin you have you should be safe with red light therapy. A person of any age can use this therapy and reap the benefits from it.
Red Light Therapy Weight Loss
It is possible to lose weight using this therapy but not all of the experts recommend it. The supporters of red-light therapy for weight loss claim that it is an easy and non-invasive method for removing stubborn areas of fat that exercise and diets have been unable to get rid of.
Some people use this method to “sculpt” their bodies. It helps to remove fat cells without the need for other treatments and surgery. Infrared light is used to penetrate your skin by about 1 to 2 inches and the idea here is that it will target the fat cells that remain just under the surface of your skin.
Nobody understands completely how this works, but an expert theory on this that most in the industry seem to support is that the infrared waves cause a temporary breakdown of cell membranes. This results in the leaching out of any fat cells and they shrink down and are removed by the body in a natural way.
There are various studies around that come to different conclusions when it comes to losing weight with red light therapy. Some of these claim that consistent weight loss is possible using the therapy on a regular basis. Others found that the weight loss results for fairly moderate.
We are not saying that you cannot use this therapy for weight loss. What we are saying is that the results might not be as great as you were expecting. This does not mean that it is not worth trying. If you want to attend these therapy sessions then you can expect to pay quite a hefty price for them. It is not uncommon to pay around $3,000 for 6 sessions in the United States.
If you have stubborn belly fat that you want to get rid of then light therapy may not be the best solution for you. In order for the infrared waves to get at the offending fat cells it would need to penetrate father into your body.
With conventional light therapy for weight loss, only a tiny percentage of the light waves will penetrate deep enough to reach all of the fat cells that you want to remove. This means that you have to increase the intensity of the light source to reach these areas in your body.
It is important that you understand different wavelengths of light have the potential to penetrate deeper into the body. There is “near infrared” which offers the best potential for deeper penetration to reach fat cells. The jury is out on whether the use of near infrared is really effective for fat loss.
The good news is that most of our body fat is stored just under the skin and is known as “subcutaneous fat”. Most people store around 90% of their body fat as subcutaneous fat. This includes arm and leg fat (yes cellulite is included in this), muffin top stomachs, buttocks, love handles, chest, neck, face fat and more.
If you have too much belly fat then some of this will be directly under the skin. This fat will hide the natural contours of your body and there is a good chance that you can get rid of it with light therapy.
What we would always advise is that you do not solely rely on red light therapy for weight loss. It is a nice thought that all you need to do is to sit under a red lamp and all of your unwanted fat will simply disappear. The reality is likely to be very different for you.
Take a good look at your diet and make changes here to a healthier routine. If you are not exercising regularly then implement some gentle exercise on a regular basis. The right combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise will help you to achieve better weight loss results. Add light therapy to this and you should do even better with fat loss.
Red Light Therapy for your Skin
There are benefits for your skin with light therapy. When you have light therapy treatment it will penetrate different areas of your skin and cause extra cell activity. In turn, this increases the blood flow to the surface of your skin meaning that more oxygen and nutrients can nourish the cells.
A lot of people use light therapy to prevent certain issues with their skin. When you use a red light, your skin will glow more and be healthier and you end up with a smoother tone to your skin. Most people neglect their skin and expose it to excessive sunlight. Sitting in the sun for too long can cause a lot of damage to your skin.
Exposure to red light therapy can help you to reduce the number of wrinkles and fine lines that you may have now. It is very good for reducing “crow’s feet” and forehead wrinkles and can work wonders on your “laugh” lines.
In addition to this, you can help to improve the time that it takes your skin to heal scrapes and small cuts and get rid of blemishes from acne when you use light therapy. The light therapy also helps to create capillaries that can cause redness or flushing. If you have scars and stretch marks then light therapy can help to lighten these too.
Skin Problems that Light Therapy can help to Fix
You now know that light therapy can help to make healing skin conditions a faster process, so let’s take a look at some of the most common skin problems that you can fix by using a red light. These are not “miracle” fixes and it may take a bit of time for them to work. But with regular light therapy you should see some results pretty fast.
Acne and the Marks it can leave
You need to be aware that red light therapy is not a cure for acne as it will not get rid of the bacteria that cause this skin condition. What it will do is to help to reduce inflammation that acne can cause.
If you suffer from acne then light therapy will help to repair the skin tissue damaged by the condition. By using light therapy, you will notice that acne marks heal faster and it will also ensure that there is no further tissue damage.
Anti-Aging and Light Therapy
As we get older our bodies produce less collagen and this leads to wrinkles and other aging defects. Regular light therapy helps to boost your collagen levels and it also produces fibroblasts. This is a powerful combination to fight against the effects of aging.
Nobody wants forehead wrinkles, wrinkles under their eyes, crow’s feet and laugh lines so to prevent these (or reduce them if they are already there) we recommend that you participate in light therapy on a regular basis. Some people have achieved remarkable anti-aging results with light therapy and you can do the same.
Light Therapy to help with Psoriasis and Dry Skin
With dry skin problems you need more hydration. When you use light therapy, you will provide power to the skin cells that are in the thickened skin areas. What this does is increase blood flow to these skin areas and more nutrients are supplied to the affected areas.
You skin needs to be nourished and hydrated and light therapy will help in both of these areas. Your skin has a thirst just as you do, and with the use of light therapy you can quench this thirst and treat any dry skin problems.
Stretch Marks and Scars lightening with Light Therapy
There are a number of causes of stretch marks and the most common ones are losing weight and getting older. If your body does not have enough collagen then this can result in saggy, stretch and loose skin.
By undergoing light therapy treatment, you will increase the collagen in your body and this helps to prevent any more stretch marks developing. You will find that your scars and stretch marks will lighten over time with red light therapy as well.
Pain Relief from Light Therapy
You may have heard that light therapy can help with pain relief. This is true and again is due to the increase of healing in your body. If you have injuries and wounds then light therapy can assist in the reducing of inflammation in the affected areas.
Regular light therapy can help to improve the range of motion for your joints. Joint pain is not something that just older people suffer with. You can get back pain problems at any age as well as suffer from other joint problems such as carpal tunnel.
High-Quality Red-Light Therapy Products
If you have the right equipment, you can perform your own light therapy treatment in the comfort of your own home. It is worth you investing in these products as attending light therapy sessions at special locations will cost you a great deal more money.
We regularly review red light therapy products and we have created a list of the top 5 products that we recommend. All of these products are available on Amazon so it will be easy for you to purchase them if they interest you.
1. 338 LED Red Light Panel from Anyork
Anyork is a company that specializes in red light therapy products and has been making them for more than 20 years. Their red-light therapy panel is one of the largest available and contains a total of 338 LEDs.
The Anyork light therapy panel produces wavelengths of 660 nm which is perfect for delivering maximum benefits to the user. At these wavelengths, your LED panel will be able to penetrate deeply into your body tissues and they will be absorbed properly.
This panel is very lightweight and weighs less than 4 pounds. It is very versatile too with dimensions of approximately 15 inches by 12.6 inches by 3 inches. You get a special hanger with the panel so you can easily hang it on a door for example. A set of goggles and a power lead are also supplied.
To get the most from your light therapy panel you need to target different areas of your body. This is easy with the lightweight Anyork panel as you can hang it at different heights on a door frame, place it on a table or a char and so on.
You get a beam angle of 60º with this panel which gives you some flexibility in how you position it. To get the best results you need to be between 5 and 15 inches away from the panel. This is one of the best ways that you can apply light therapy to your entire body easily.
2. HG300 Red Light Panel with High Output from Hooga
The HG300 light therapy panel was designed and manufactured by Hooga, a company that has its headquarters in Wisconsin in the United States. This model will emit two wavelengths at 660 nm (red light) and 850 nm (near infrared) in the same proportions. You will get the perfect therapy conditions from this so that you can take care of your skin.
This light therapy panel has a high level of irradiance measured at 100 mw / cm2. They created this because it is the recommended irradiance level to obtain the best results. There are 60 LEDs with this panel and they have a beam angle of 60º.
You can customize the treatments that you receive from the Hooga HG300 panel. On the panel you will find 2 power switches. One of these switches turns on 30 LEDs that provide the 660 nm red light and the other turns on the remaining 30 LEDs responsible for the 850 nm near infrared.
As a safety feature, there is an internal fan with this panel that prevents any overheating. It is very quiet when it operates and, in our tests, we could hardly hear it. When you purchase the Hooga panel you get an adjustable kit for hanging it where you want it.
To get the best results from light therapy it is essential that you target different areas of your body. With the Hooga panel measuring just 12.6 inches by 4.92 inches by 2.44 inches and weighing just 6.7 pounds it is very easy for you to move it around to any position that you want.
We were impressed by the quality of the Hooga HG300 light therapy panel and found it very easy to locate it in the right positions to target different areas of the body. It is definitely worthy of consideration if you want to benefit from light therapy treatment.
3. Device for Red Light Treatment from TENDLITE
This is a very popular light therapy device that a lot have people have benefited from using. It can help with pain relief and uses the same technology that professionals and physical therapists use when administering light therapy treatment for their patients.
The TENDLITE device was designed and manufactured in the US although there are some imported components in it. It is very easy to use this device, all you need to do is to shine the light beam on the affected muscles or joints in 60 second sessions.
Only weighing 9 ounces and having compact dimensions of just 5 inches by 1 inch by 1 inch means that you can take your TENDLITE light therapy device with you wherever you go. When you purchase this device, you will receive a convenient carrying case with it. You will also get protective goggles, a charger and a special pouch for the device.
This is an excellent light therapy product that is very popular and will not break the bank. It has very good build quality and being lightweight and small you can take it anywhere. So, you can enjoy joint pain relief wherever you happen to be.
4. Light Therapy Belt to Relieve Pain from DGYAO
If you are in the market for red light therapy pads then this is a good choice. With this belt you get a total of 117 LEDs of which 52 provide visible red light and the other 65 provide invisible 880 nm near infrared light.
This is a totally hands-free light therapy treatment and you can easily apply it to the affected areas of your body. The belt uses Velcro to ensure a simple and secure fit. You get 2 Velcro strips with this device. Use the longer strip when you want to target your hip or your back and the shorter one for your arm, elbow, neck, knee, shoulder or chest.
The DGYAO comes with an auto shut-off timer so there is no need to be concerned about overdoing it with your light therapy. It will automatically switch off the light therapy belt after 20 minutes.
You can take your DYGAO therapy belt with you anywhere as it is small and lightweight. It weighs approximately 2.6 pounds and has approximate dimensions of 16.6 inches by 8.2 inches by 2.3 inches. We were impressed with this light therapy belt and believe that you will be too.
5. Slippers for Light Therapy Foot Pain Relief from DGINJUN
Our last recommend light therapy product is a little different from the rest. There are lots of people that suffer with painful feet and these light therapy slippers are an ideal solution. You can easily use these at home or in the office to provide pain relief for your feet.
We tested the slippers and found them to be very comfortable. You get a total of 66 red LEDs and 66 near infrared LEDs that are distributed evenly around your feet when you wear the slippers. The slippers are large and will fit most people up to size 11 US.
To ensure that you do not wear the slippers for too long there is an auto shut-off feature which will turn the LEDs off after 20 minutes use. The combined weight of the slippers is only around 2.3 pounds and the approximate dimensions are 12.9 inches by 8 inches by 3 inches. This is a very innovative idea for the relief of pain in your feet using light therapy.
Conclusion
We began this post by giving you our opinion on red light therapy weight loss. Light therapy can help you to lose weight but you need to eat healthily and exercise regularly as well. There are several benefits to using red light therapy for your skin, pain relief and your general wellbeing.
