Cyan Light LED Therapy: In-Depth Knowledge

What is Cyan LED Light Therapy and What Does It Do?

Disclaimer

The written article is based on a summary of existing literature on the topic of infrared saunas. The article is for educational purposes and the information provided below cannot be taken as a promise to help with acute health problems or diseases. 15 references back the claims in the article. All references are numbered. You can access the text of the reference by clicking on the number.

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In today's stress-filled world, finding effective, natural methods for relaxation and wellness can be a challenge. If you're feeling constantly overwhelmed with the daily grind, and your body is craving for a therapeutic release, yet standard methods aren't living up to the mark, then this blog is for you.

One such alternative that's gaining recognition but is still largely misunderstood is Cyan Light LED therapy. You've heard about LED light therapies and their benefits, but are they really worth it?

There is a plethora of colours available, each with its unique benefits. Enter cyan light LED therapy, a cutting-edge wellness topic. In this blog post, we will demystify cyan light therapy for you.

This post is part of our comprehensive chromotherapy series, where we explore all visible colours of light and their therapeutic uses. Take a look at the healing powers of the other colour wavelengths here:

Today, we're shining the spotlight on cyan light. We'll first delve into the science behind it, helping you understand cyan LED light from a therapeutic perspective.

Then, we'll explore its numerous benefits, painting a clear picture of how this innovative therapy can transform your wellness regime. So, let's get started on this enlightening journey, shall we?

Light Therapy Basics & Why To Use LED Light Therapy

In this section, the fundamentals of light therapy will be unravelled. To fully comprehend light therapy, it is crucial to consider the concept of the "light spectrum". From a physics standpoint, the light spectrum refers to the various types of light.

The light spectrum encompasses ultraviolet light (known for causing sunburns), visible light (the only type of light perceivable by the human eye), and infrared light (which primarily generates heat) (1; 2; 3). We, of course, will exclusively focus on visible light.

Visible light can further be categorised into colours such as violet, blue, cyan, green, orange, red, and all the shades in between these colours. Naturally, the focus of this blog post is on cyan light.

For several decades now, LEDs or "Light Emitting Diodes" have been available in the market, enabling the emission of highly specific types of light.

In the realm of physics, light is quantified by its wavelength.

For instance, the wavelength of blue light ranges from 400 to 500 nanometers.

Cyan light, being strikingly similar to light blue, has a wavelength at the upper end of that range, approximately from 470 to 500 nanometers.

Each type of visible light possesses its own unique wavelength. Chromotherapy leverages this feature to emit these wavelengths, thus creating coloured light therapies.

For example, Clearlight® Saunas Medical-grade Chromotherapy generates numerous different colours from the light spectrum.

Red light is emitted at 660nm, blue at 405nm, and green at 540nm.

By blending these three primary colours, new ones such as yellow, purple (or violet), and orange can be created.

It's also possible to adjust the settings to achieve duller or brighter hues.

Why use LED light therapy?

Simply put, light therapy offers a plethora of health benefits, both physical and psychological.

For example, red light can enhance skin health, expedite wound healing, aid in exercise recovery, improve sleep quality, and alleviate pain, among other benefits.

Blue light, on the other hand, can be instrumental in addressing skin issues and enhancing alertness.

But what about cyan light? Well, let's delve into its unique attributes.

Blue Light vs. Cyan LED Light: What Is Cyan LED Light Used For?

This section delves into the various applications of cyan LED light, examining its versatile uses and potential benefits. It seems that cyan LED is a unique variant of blue light with its own distinctive benefits.

Cyan is frequently deemed as a subset of blue light.

It's important to bear in mind that the majority of research on the effects of cyan light has been conducted using animal models.

For definitive conclusions, many of these studies need to be replicated in human subjects. Nonetheless, the range of positive impacts that cyan light appears to have on various biological aspects is indeed promising.

Let's take a look at what evidence is available for the therapeutic application of Cyan LED Light Therapy.

Benefits of Cyan LED Light Therapy

1. May Improve Bone Healing

In animal studies, cyan light and blue light, from 400 - 490 nanometres, can speed up bone healing (4). Infrared light is slightly superior here, but cyan and blue light still have an effect. 

2. May Speed Up Healing After Traumatic Brain Injury

Another animal study shows that cyan light applied to the brain can speed up healing after a traumatic brain injury (5). Treatment occurred several times per week for one week. The light emitted was 473nm.

3. Improves Skin Health In Acne

A human study (6). Here, 470nm light was used. And it turns out that cyan light inhibits the inflammatory lesion process with acne. You only need to treat your skin once weekly, as twice-weekly treatments don’t confer any additional benefits. Red light had similar effects, so you might want to combine the two for the best results.

Another study confirms this outcome where 470nm light was used once more (7). Blue light improved both wound healing and the inflammatory process. Once more, blue was best to be combined with red light.

Other studies also show that cyan light at 470nm is protective of skin cells (10).

4. Makes You More Motivated

Cyan, red, and white – which contain all colours – can increase dopamine levels in chicks (8). Dopamine is a brain signalling compound (“neurotransmitter”) that makes you ambitious, and motivated, and allows you to think outside the box.

Of course, such results need to be confirmed in humans. However, these animal studies are promising. 470nm cyan light was used here.

5. May Speed Up Wound Healing

In yet another animal study, cyan light at 470nm sped up wound healing dramatically (14). The group receiving the 470nm light had much better blood flow, and the skin closed much better than animals not receiving any light therapy for their wounds.

Another animal study confirms this effect and shows that 470m cyan light significantly affects wound healing in a positive way (15).

Finally, there are two downsides to cyan light as well:

Adverse Side Effects of Cyan LED Light Therapy

1: May Be Damaging To The Eyes In Larger Doses

Well, this outcome is not a benefit but a side effect (7). One more reason to combine cyan and red light is that the former, in isolation, may damage eye health, such as the retina. Red light protects against that effect. In nature, such as with sunlight, blue light (and thus cyan) is almost always paired with red light.

It’s mostly the excess and unbalanced exposure to cyan light that’s damaging. Using computer screens for many hours a day at maximum brightness is an example - in such a case, we’d recommend wearing blue-blocking glasses.

Other studies confirm this effect of the potential toxic effect of cyan light on the eyes (9).

2: May Negatively Affect Stem Cell Biology

Another isolated side effect is that cyan light may slow the proliferation of stem cells (11; 12). Stem cells are undifferentiated cells in the body that can specialise in almost any role. This side effect is no problem though if you’re not overexposed.

In general, though, cyan light is far less damaging in many situations than blue light (13).

Overall, we've skipped a few potential benefits here, such as on cancer and on sperm motility outside the body - these aren’t applicable for most people or require much more medical context.

Is Cyan LED Light Worth It?

Overall though, the cyan light LED therapy effects are positive. 

And keep in mind that there’s not much research on this topic, with only 15 different studies identified to write this blog. Much more research will very likely emerge in the future as tons of interest has been generated in cyan light therapy in the last few years - which is only growing.

Let’s now compare the blue light therapy and that of cyan:

Blue Light Therapy: Cyan As A Special Form Of Blue Light

Well, there’s tons of overlap between cyan and blue light, as they’re technically two sides of the same coin. 

Blue light has some additional benefits that cyan light doesn’t have, though, such as improving wakefulness when it enters your eyes. And blue light, because it has a lower wavelength level, is also higher energy than cyan light. For that reason, the risk of eye damage after prolonged and excessive exposure is higher with blue light than cyan light.

The safety profile of cyan light is thus better overall. Finally, let’s conclude:

Cyan LED Light Therapy Has An Interesting Future

Hopefully, we’ll see hundreds if not thousands of studies into cyan LED light therapy in the future. The same has happened with blue and red light therapy in the last few decades. And, with more research, many other benefits will be found. 

Originally, in the 1960s, researchers thought red light only increased wound healing. But after a few decades of science, that list of benefits has become so long that the average person can’t remember it.

The same might be true for cyan light.

So why not upgrade your infrared sauna with cyan light? You might not only get what you want but also what you need.

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What Is Cyan Led Light Used For Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions about what is cyan LED light and what it is used for:

What Is Cyan Light

Cyan light is a specific form of blue light. Cyan is found around the 470 - 500 nanometres light spectrum wavelengths.

Blue light, however, is traditionally defined as ranging from 400 to 500 nanometers. But, as you can imagine, many shades of blue light exist. Cyan and light blue are just one part of that blue light spectrum.

What Is The Wavelength Of Cyan?

There’s no hard science on where exactly colours start or end. There are only scientific assumptions about where colours begin or end. Technically, colours aren’t really part of hard science as they’re not measurable. For that reason, scientists talk about wavelengths.

Colours are in the eye of the beholder, partially, as many people may perceive colours differently. Measuring wavelengths of light allows scientists to avoid talking about colours too much. 

The problem here is that if 470nm is cyan and 469nm is blue, it’s tough to tell where precisely cyan ends and blue starts. Some people might still perceive 475nm light as being “blue” instead of “cyan”, and that’s why talking about wavelengths is much more precise.

What Colour Is 490 nm Wavelength

The 490nm wavelength is cyan. 490nm is very close to the green colour zone, though - that green colour zone starts from around 500nm light.

What Is A Cyan Light For Face

As stated before, cyan light may have benefits for both skin problems such as acne and wound healing. These issues are some of the main reasons why many people go to dermatologists nowadays or have skin treatments.

But, as it turns out, cyan light may counter that acne and improve wound healing if you have problems. So, hopefully, we’ll get more research on this topic in the future and see more cyan LED lights integrated into light therapy products.

Some trendy products, such as face masks or light therapy panels, emit cyan light today.

What Does Cyan Do

Limited evidence on animals shows cyan helps with recovering from a traumatic brain injury and may boost bone healing. Also, human studies show that cyan has skin health benefits, can improve wound healing, and may make you more motivated.

More high-quality studies are required to confirm these effects definitively, though.

What Is The Difference Between Cyan And Light Blue

Again, colours are partially in the eye of the beholder. For that reason, physics researchers talk about wavelengths of light and not necessarily colours. The problem with colours is that one person might perceive 480nm light as cyan while another thinks it is light blue.

Cyan is technically a “blue-green” mix, according to most sources. For that reason, cyan lies the closest to the green light spectrum starting at 500nm. So, the colours seem similar.

If you want to be technical about it, you could say that light blue is closer to the 470nm range, and cyan is closer to the 500nm range. In that scenario, light blue hardly has any green influences, and cyan has more. But, in reality, the light spectrum is a spectrum, with no hard cutoff points.

What Does The Colour Do To Your Mood

Apparently, cyan light can raise dopamine levels in your brain, in the same way blue and red light do. So, you become more motivated. Dopamine is one of the most characteristically human brain signalling compounds because it’s so intertwined with abstract thinking, planning, long-term motivation, and goal-oriented behaviour. Dopamine is not necessarily equal to well-being, but in a way, related to future well-being.

What Colour Is 483 nm Wavelength?

483nm, although rarely found in medical research (if at all), is cyan of colour. This 483nm is located very close to the 500nm start of the green wavelength and therefore already contains green influences.

What Color Is 430 nm Wavelength?

430nm light is very clearly blue and not cyan - that’s because the 430nm is very far removed from the start of the cyan wavelength as 470nm.

What Colour Is A 486 Wavelength?

The answer here is the same as with the 483nm above - this is clearly cyan.

What Is The Wavelength Of 490 nm?

Same here - see the previous answer. At 490nm, we’re almost located at the green part of the spectrum at 500nm.

What Colour Is Close To Cyan Blue?

Cyan is close to blue light, between 400nm and 470nm, and green light, between 500 and 600nm. People often distinguish between green and yellow and locate yellow in the latter part of the green spectrum.

What Colors Increase Mood?

Tons of different colours can improve mood. Ultraviolet light improves mood because when it hits the skin, it helps release natural painkillers called “endorphins”. Ultraviolet light can also increase dopamine through exposure in the eye. Next up, blue light, cyan light, red light, and infrared light can all increase mood, but all through different mechanisms.

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