LED Light Therapy Basics: A Complete Understanding

In this blog post, we delve into the fascinating world of LED light therapy. "LED" is an acronym for "Light Emitting Diode".

Various applications of LED light therapy have swept across the globe, captivating wellness enthusiasts everywhere.

For example, red light therapy, utilising red and near-infrared LEDs, has gained significant popularity in recent years.

Recently, blue LED light therapy treatments have also emerged, targeting skin health and enhancing alertness, while green light therapy is employed to improve circulation and alleviate pain.

This article is part of an enlightening series on chromotherapy that delves into every visible colour of light.

• What is Chromotherapy?
• What Does Red Light Therapy Do?
• Colour Psychology: How Colours Affect How You Feel

However, this particular blog post focuses on LED light therapy as a whole. To begin, we'll introduce you to this intriguing subject:

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What Is LED Light Therapy?

LED light therapy utilises Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), a relatively recent innovation in the world of lighting technology.

The unique feature of LEDs is their ability to emit highly specific types of light centred around distinct "wavelengths".

Each form of light possesses a particular wavelength. For example, blue light lies between 400 and 500 nanometers (nm) in length, while red light ranges from 600 to 780 nm.

Meanwhile, green light has a wavelength spanning 500 to 560 nanometers. These distinct wavelengths can be harnessed for LED light therapy treatments due to their individual biological effects.

For instance, the ultraviolet light from the sun can result in sunburn, while infrared light, whether from the sun or an infrared sauna, provides warmth.

Moreover, all forms of visible light that can be perceived with the naked eye also elicit different effects. While we cannot see infrared and ultraviolet light, we can observe violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and all the hues in between.

Depending on its wavelength, light interacts with your body at varying depths. Some types of ultraviolet light can penetrate the skin, while blue and green light tend to remain at the surface.

Conversely, red and particularly near-infrared light can penetrate deeply, reaching up to several centimetres.

LED Light Therapy utilises these light wavelengths to influence your health and well-being. It boasts a wide range of therapeutic applications, including cosmetic enhancement, medical benefits such as pain reduction and acne treatment, as well as psychological benefits derived from the effects of colours.

Chromotherapy, one form of LED light therapy, is incorporated into all our Clearlight Saunas.

It's important to note that chromotherapy differs significantly from the red light therapy you might be familiar with.

While red light therapy combines red and infrared wavelengths, chromotherapy exclusively utilises wavelengths within the visible light spectrum.

Lastly, let's delve into some of the potential effects these various types of light can have in the realm of light therapy.

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LED Light Therapy Treatments: Red, Green, Blue, And Others

We've delved deep into various LED light therapy treatments in the past, such as red, green, and blue light. Here, we'll touch upon some of their key effects.

• Green Light LED Therapy: It can assist in muscle mass development and fat loss, provides pain relief akin to red light therapy, and enhances skin appearance.
• Yellow Light LED Therapy: It works wonders on skin health, including texture, and has a rejuvenating effect. Additionally, it boosts hydration and collagen production.
• Purple Light LED Therapy: It's a boon for skin health, tackling a variety of skin conditions. Furthermore, it may enhance blood flow, expedite wound healing, and even aid bone healing.
• Orange Light LED Therapy: It may enhance cognitive function and motivation, likely reduce pain, and bolster the immune system whilst improving skin health.
• Cyan Light LED Therapy: This therapy boasts potential benefits for bone healing, skin health improvement (especially in acne cases), motivation boost, and may even accelerate wound healing.
• Blue LED light therapy: It's a wakefulness booster, aids in managing skin conditions, enhances skin health, and may even lift your mood, among other benefits.
• Red LED Light: With over 2,500-3,000+ studies endorsing it, red light is a powerhouse of proven benefits. These include reducing inflammation, boosting energy levels, lifting mood with anti-depressive and anti-anxiety effects, enhancing workout recovery and performance, alleviating various types of pain, and increasing several domains of cognition, among others.

Thus, an impressive array of LED light therapy treatments exist. By combining them, you can reap the maximum benefits. The chromotherapy feature inside our infrared saunas is a prime method of blending these light types, as it allows for myriad combinations.

Here's how it operates:

Recall the wavelengths we previously discussed. Our chromotherapy emits blue light at 405nm, green light at 540nm, and red light at 660nm. These three primary colours can be combined—much like mixing paint in primary school—to form secondary colours. Red and blue combined yield purple. Blue and green create cyan and green and red result in yellow.

Next, let's focus on one of the effects of blue LED light therapy—to give you a glimpse of what can be achieved with chromotherapy:

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Blue LED Light Therapy Example: Using Blue Light For Healing

A plethora of studies, ranging between 100-200, have been published on blue LED light therapy. Let's delve into a few ways blue light therapy can impact your health.

Firstly, blue light therapy can address skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, acne, and psoriasis (1; 2; 3; 4). The beauty of this treatment is that one doesn't require an exorbitant dose; simply shining blue light on the skin suffices.

Secondly, when blue light enters your eyes, it can enhance alertness, and wakefulness, and uplift your mood (5; 6; 7; 9). Historically, sunlight has been the primary source of blue light exposure for humans. However, due to 'malillumination' (overly dark buildings), many people aren't exposed to sufficiently strong light during daytime anymore. Thus, incorporating blue light exposure into your daily routine can significantly bolster health and performance.

Thirdly, blue light therapy likely impacts serotonin (10; 11; 12). Serotonin, a critical brain signalling compound, gives you a sense of well-being. Numerous other effects of blue light therapy exist as well, but these three benefits enjoy robust scientific backing.

Much like blue light therapy, green light therapy also shows similar evidence of benefits, and red light therapy holds even more substantial evidence. Other colours, such as violet, yellow, and orange, also have effects, although fewer studies investigate their impacts.

Lastly, let’s conclude:

Welcome To The LED Light Therapy Revolution

Indeed, LED light therapy is showing immense promise in the realm of health and wellness. This therapy harnesses various colours of light, each with its unique benefits.

Red light therapy, the combination of RED LED Light and Near-Infrared Wavelengths, backed by numerous studies, has been proven to promote wound healing and tissue repair, reduce pain and inflammation, lessen psoriasis and burn scars, and improve workout recovery and performance.

Blue light therapy, while primarily known for its skincare benefits, also aids in managing conditions like acne and psoriasis. It can enhance alertness, wakefulness, and uplift mood.

Green light therapy is renowned for aiding in muscle mass development and fat loss, providing pain relief, and enhancing skin appearance.

Orange and yellow light therapies, although not as extensively studied as red, blue, or green lights, have shown potential benefits in animal studies. These include improving cognitive function, reducing pain, boosting the immune system, and enhancing skin health.

It's evident that the field of LED light therapy is ripe with possibilities, and ongoing research continues to uncover new applications and benefits.

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LED Light Therapy Frequently Asked Questions

Let's consider a few frequently asked questions about LED light therapy:

What Does LED Light Therapy Do For You?

LED light therapy isn't merely a single-effect treatment, rather, it wields an influence over a broad spectrum of health variables. Much like the sweeping changes that can be induced by a new diet or exercise routine, LED light therapy can have far-reaching effects on your health when integrated correctly into your lifestyle. One such method is through the use of chromotherapy within our Clearlight® Infrared Saunas.

Is LED Light Therapy Any Good?

Undoubtedly. As previously mentioned, countless studies explore the impacts of red light therapy, with hundreds more probing the effects of blue and green light. These studies reveal numerous positive outcomes across various health domains.

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What Are The Side Effects Of LED Lights?

While potential side effects do exist, they are rare under normal usage conditions. For example, exposure to blue and green light at night can disrupt sleep patterns.

Overuse of blue light could also trigger anxiety. The reason behind this is that blue and green light can suppress melatonin levels, and blue light can elevate stress hormone levels, such as cortisol (13; 14; 15; 16; 17).

However, these potential negative effects are not cause for concern. For most individuals, daytime use of blue and green lights is optimal. Overuse of red light, though uncommon, can lead to fatigue (18; 19). It's essential to consult a physician before using red light therapy if you have cancer, as it increases blood flow and could potentially spread cancer cells (20; 21; 22).

The key takeaway is that moderation is crucial. Just as over-exercising can lead to burnout and excessive water consumption can cause poisoning, so too can an overdose of LED lights result in side effects (23; 24).

How Often Should You Have LED Light Therapy?

Typically, the best results are achieved with four to five LED light therapy sessions per week. Even one or two weekly sessions can yield substantial benefits. However, allowing your body a day of rest after six consecutive days is generally advised based on anecdotal evidence.

How Often Should You Use LED Face Light?

For facial skin rejuvenation, we recommend using a device at least three times weekly. Session lengths will vary depending on the type of device you are using. For our Red Light Therapy products, we recommend 10-15 minutes early in the morning.

Are LED Lights Better For Your Skin?

Indeed, LED lights are beneficial for your skin because they emit exclusively therapeutic wavelengths. For instance, they can be designed to emit only healing wavelengths, such as 420nm blue light, 630nm red light, 660nm red light, etc.

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How Long Does LED Therapy Take To Work?

The duration varies depending on the intended benefit. For skin health, noticeable effects typically take several weeks.

Whereas, for other benefits like athletic performance and recovery or pain reduction, significant results can be experienced in as little as one session. However, we recommend a trial period of at least five to six weeks to evaluate the effectiveness.

What Does Red LED Light Do For Your Face?

Red LED light has multiple proven benefits for facial treatment. Firstly, it stimulates collagen and elastin production, reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

Collagen tightens your skin, and elastin makes it flexible - both of which decrease with age. Secondly, red LED light enhances facial brightness, aids in removing dark circles, and may reduce facial redness. However, it often takes weeks to see significant effects.

Do You Put Anything On Your Face Before LED Light Therapy?

No, it's generally advisable not to apply anything on your face before LED light therapy. Some types of light, such as blue and green, don't penetrate very deeply, and even deep-penetrating light, like red, can have its penetration depth significantly reduced by applying anything on the skin. Therefore, for skin rejuvenation and other goals, it's best to go au naturel.

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