Red & NIR Light: The Health & Performance Window
Many scientific and clinical studies have shown Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT), which is also called photobiomodulation, provides an extensive list of health benefits including:
- Reduced wrinkles
- Enhanced skin tone
- Increased skin hydration
- Reduced acne
- Increased rate and quality of tissue repair
- Reduced pain and inflammation
- Reduced signaling pain to the central nerve system
- Accelerated wound healing
- Reduced unhealthy fats
- Reduced fatigue
These studies show that only the wavelengths of light that penetrate deepest into the human body provide these benefits. These deep-penetrating wavelengths fall within red and near-infrared of electromagnetic radiation (with wavelengths from 0.6 micron to 1 micron).
Shorter wavelengths (less than 0.6 microns) do not penetrate deep enough to be effective because they scatter and are absorbed by surface tissue. Longer wavelengths (above 1 micron) do not penetrate deep enough to be effective because they are absorbed by water molecules in the body.
Based on these studies, in recent years many FDA-approved devices that deliver LLLT have become available. Due to the nature of these devices and their cost, today LLLT is mostly offered in clinical settings by physicians, physical therapists and chiropractors.