Who Should Not Do Red Light Therapy? (Side Effects)
Please don’t use red light therapy, at least not until you read and understand this article.
We didn’t stumble upon red light therapy when lightbulbs were invented because it requires the right devices to be used correctly.
The treatment works when you have the right amount of energy from the correct wavelengths.
If you do red light therapy incorrectly, you will not get enough of the right light, which will not work.
Rather than disappointing yourself, don’t buy red light therapy unless you plan to follow the instructions with your device!
Key Takeaways
- Red light therapy uses specific wavelengths of light to provide energy to cells and promote healing and well-being.
- To get the benefits of red light therapy, you must use the correct devices and follow the instructions carefully, particularly regarding the treatment time and the distance between the light and your body.
- Using the therapy for too long or holding the light too close can overpower the cells and make the treatment ineffective.
- The recommended treatment time and distance vary depending on the device’s power output, but generally, you want to stay within a range of 5 to 100 joules of light exposure per session.
- Be cautious when buying red light therapy devices, as some manufacturers may not provide accurate information about the light’s specifications or proper usage instructions.
How to Do Red Light Therapy Correctly
If you understand a few key concepts, you will reap the massive benefits of red light therapy.
Red Light Therapy Transfers Energy to Cells
We make energy from food and light. That’s why we have more vitamin D after being in the sun.
While vitamin D depends on ultraviolet rays, energy metabolism relies on infrared rays. With the right amount of energy, our bodies control our pain, fix our skin, and reboot our brains.
Inside every cell are thousands of energy hubs called mitochondria.
The hubs contain battery factories called the electron transport chain and ATP Synthase. Red light therapy absorbs in the electron transport chain.
The photons lend energy to the mitochondria through Einstein’s photoelectric effect.
The result is more metabolic energy to run this thing we call a body.
Low and Slow
There’s a definite limit to how much light the iron and copper inside the proteins can absorb.
So, leaving the light on too long or holding it too close can overpower the photoreceptors, making the therapy useless.
Treatment Time
The first rule of proper red light therapy is following the treatment schedule.
Every second of light exposure adds more photons to the electric transport chain.
There will come a point when the iron and copper embedded in the proteins can’t take any more energy. If you keep exposing them to more light, they will reject it and reverse the gains.
The amount of time for each session is completely dependent on your device. It doesn’t depend on the device’s wattage, which is its input power.
For example, you could use a light rated at 50 milliwatts per square centimeter per second (50 mW/cm^2). That power density works out to 3 joules per minute exposure.
You generally want to stay between 5 and 100 joules per session.
So what would happen if you used the light for 20 minutes? 60 joules, that’s well within the range (3 joules x 20 minutes = 60 joules).
Would you use it for two hours? 120 minutes times 3 joules is 360 joules.
While some studies use that much light, they’re outside the majority.
Device Distance
Energy tends to drop dramatically with distance.
This is reflected in the inverse square rule, which states that energy drops fast with distance.
The law states that intensity is equal to the inverse square of the distance from the source.
You don’t need to know the law’s vocabulary to obey it.
If the manufacturer says to put the light 6 inches from the target, use a ruler to measure that distance.
Because four inches gives you a lot more energy, and 10 inches gives you a lot less.
Here’s an easy way to picture the inverse square law.
If you hold a lamp up to your abdomen, right on the skin, how much light spreads past your body?
Put that light on the table and aim it at your abdomen. Now how much light spreads out past your body?
Finally, walk a foot backward from that lamp, and look at the light on your abdomen getting fainter.
More light is spreading to either side of you, not onto you.
So that’s all the inverse square law is. The more the light spreads out, the less light hits your target.
The “Official” Irradiance Problems
Too many manufacturers are jumping into the red light therapy market without knowing what “irradiance” means.
They use solar meters to measure a lamp’s output when solar meters don’t measure LEDs very well.
There are two ways to resolve this problem when shopping for red light therapy. You can avoid manufacturers that don’t prove their light’s specifications. Just don’t buy from them.
Or you can assume that the actual irradiance is about half what they claim.
The easiest path here is to buy from manufacturers you trust.
Yes, Alibaba is cheaper, but it also offers fewer guarantees.
But are you getting the right wavelength of light, with instructions for the correct distance and time per session?
This is why I don’t want you to buy red light therapy until you understand the dosing problem. If you do it wrong, it won’t work.
Red light therapy is a powerful pain killer, and it helps foggy brains come back online and powers movement and exercise.
I want everyone to use red light therapy correctly to experience its benefits.
Conclusion
Red light therapy is a promising treatment that can help with pain relief, skin healing, and cognitive function.
However, it’s crucial to understand and follow the proper guidelines for using the therapy correctly. Using the wrong devices or incorrect techniques can render the treatment ineffective or counterproductive.
Before investing in red light therapy equipment, educate yourself on the appropriate dosing, treatment times, and distances for your specific device.
By following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and being mindful of the therapy’s nuances, you can maximize the potential benefits of this innovative treatment.