Health and Wellness

How to choose the right red light therapy device

Published

6 months ago

April 5, 2024

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A visit to a beautician is enough to familiarize yourself with their products to be used at home. From cleansers to moisturizers and masks, you would possibly have the option to find the exact product that is approved by your beautician (or low cost asshole at google) in a number of seconds. No matter how easy they’re to find, other tools, akin to red light therapy devices, often add more strain on the wallet and a confusing nuance to your “home spa” search.

“You can easily incorporate red light therapy using fancy devices like LED masks or handheld gadgets,” Zen Den founder Alexandria Gilleo told ESSENCE earlier this 12 months. But ‘The best device is the one you employ,’ says dual-certified pediatric and cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Karana Lal he adds, warning against buying a tool that’s difficult to use, expensive. Unlike skincare products, finding the right light therapy device may require more thought, but the unparalleled advantages are price exploring.

From healing muscles and joints to treating discoloration, stimulating collagen and improving skin tone: “I’ve seen people experience the benefits of using red light therapy three times a week,” says Gilleo. Proven to help reduce the signs of aging and rejuvenate the skin, according to the NIH, using red light for improvement has an actual impact in your weekly routine. So as an alternative of booking facials every other day, here’s what you need to search for in an LED device.

Check out Lala and Gilleo’s guide to finding the only red light therapy device to be used directly in your bathroom.

What should I search for in a device?

“Red light therapy uses a narrow spectrum of visible light (600-900 nm) to help heal skin, muscles and even joints,” says Lal. “[So] you really need to perform some research and be certain that the company is using the right wavelengths and has FDA clearance,” Gilleo adds. “For skin problems, you should look for devices with a wavelength of 630-690 nm,” says Lal. “Some devices will emit near-infrared wavelengths that penetrate deeper into the skin to promote healing and collagen production.”

What is the right price range for the device?

“You can buy these expensive products online if they are within your budget,” Gilleo says. Lal warns that with prices starting from a number of hundred to 1000’s of dollars, “most patients buy them and never use them,” although “consistency is key,” Gilleo adds. Therefore, finding a user-friendly and multi-functional device – akin to TheraFace LED face mask Or TheraFaceProeach priced under $600 – might be the perfect starter option.

Can I exploit red light throughout my body?

Depending in your budget and usage, you might be in search of a tool that might be used throughout the body. “Body-mounted devices often simply cover a larger area [body surface area] and can have a deeper wavelength to help penetrate muscles and joints,” says Lal. “I actually have mini red light device by JOOVV” says Gilleo, recommending this device to construct for a bigger LED setup.

Does red light therapy carry any risks?

“You’ll want to make red light therapy a regular part of your routine,” Gilleo says, recommending using red light on targeted areas for 10 to 20 minutes a day. “It’s so safe. They even use red light to treat arthritis in dogs,” adds Lal. However, “If you use it for longer than recommended, it can heat the skin and cause irritation, so stick to the recommended time limit for using the device,” she says. “Overheating the skin can make melasma worse, so more is not better.”

Is LED protected for every day use on discolored skin?

“Red light is my go-to for darker skin types,” says Lal. “It works great for discoloration, which we are prone to as darker-skinned patients.” However, she cautions against frequent use of blue light therapy “because it may cause discoloration in people with darker skin.” According to study published in the NIHblue light – depending on the wavelength – caused different degrees of pigmentation each in women without melasma and in patients with melasma.