With various light therapy devices flooding online shopping channels and the plethora of misinformation available on the internet, it is time to define what LED light therapy really is, specifically near-infrared light therapy (NIR) and its therapeutic effects on the body.
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THE ABCS OF NEAR INFRARED LIGHT
One of the easiest ways to explain infrared light therapy is to think of it as photosynthesis for mammals. Just like plants, scientific research has shown that human bodies can absorb light particles called photons and transform that light energy into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Adenosine triphosphate powers the metabolic processes in cells, thus improving overall cellular performance and encouraging tissue repair, wound healing, and pain relief.
It is also important to understand what near-infrared light therapy is not. It is not the same light energy used in tanning booths, and it does not expose skin to harmful ultraviolet rays. Near-infrared light therapy is also not used in infrared saunas. Infrared saunas normally utilize far-infrared wavelengths which emit thermal energy and can have a detoxifying effect on the body. Longer, far-infrared wavelengths are not absorbable by the mitochondria and are therefore not capable of increasing metabolic function in compromised cells.
WAVELENGTHS
Medical-grade light therapy devices use three types of wavelengths: blue, red, and near infrared. The blue and red LED light provides great aesthetics benefits, including the treatment of acne and increasing collagen production to help reduce those under-eye wrinkles and laugh lines, as well as enhance wound closure. Near-infrared wavelengths are clinically proven to penetrate deep below the surface layers of skin to better target skin, muscle, joint, and pain conditions. These near-infrared wavelengths provide much needed pain relief from injuries and other inflammatory based conditions. For this reason, near infrared has become known as the “pain” wavelength.
Benefits
Poor circulation and the lack of oxygen and other essential molecules in blood vessels, like glucose and adenosine triphosphate, can cause pain or a lack of sensation. Light energy stimulates the release of nitric oxide, causing blood vessels to increase in diameter (vasodilation) and allowing more blood flow, oxygen, and other important factors to be delivered. This increase in oxygen and nutrients, along with stimulation of the light energy emitted from LED devices, increases adenosine triphosphate production, which activates pain relieving pathways to decrease pain and inflammation and increase tissue regeneration in the localized area.
Categorizing Wavelengths
On the electromagnetic spectrum, infrared wavelengths lie between 700 nanometers and one millimeter and are divided into three ranges: near, mid, and far infrared. Only near-infrared wavelengths are utilized in medical-grade LED or any low-level light therapy devices because these wavelengths are capable of being absorbed by the mitochondria to increase adenosine triphosphate so compromised cells can do their job more effectively.
Mid and far infrared cannot penetrate cells and are not absorbable by the mitochondria, so these wavelengths cannot upregulate mitochondrial activity. For this reason, they are not used in LED devices. However, mid- and far-infrared wavelengths emit thermal energy, which can have a detoxifying effect on the body, and they are used in heating lamps and in saunas.
The most reliable research can be found in peer-reviewed and published studies on low-level light therapy, and there are several studies that discuss the benefits of near-infrared light therapy. Be careful of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram which are certainly fun but not exactly reliable as sources of material when it comes to investigating medical devices and aesthetics protocols. A little due diligence can lead licensed professionals to a device that can help build their practice and provide clients with the results they desire.
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