The Benefits of Red Light Therapy at Home

Getting your skin care routine right is an art and a science. You experiment with this serum, test that tool, switch up your daytime sunscreen and rotate through the latest nighttime moisturizers. When you crack the code on that perfect combo, it's like hitting the beauty jackpot.

Just when you feel like you've got it all figured out, another hot skin care trend comes along, begging to be tried. That's where red light therapy (RLT) comes in.

Red light therapy might make you think of a trip to the dermatologist or a hot yoga class, but you can easily reap the benefits of this innovative practice in your home, too!

Get ready to give your skin, muscles and hair a boost!

What is red light therapy?

Red light therapy (RLT) is very much what it sounds like. This non-invasive practice uses low levels of red or near-infrared light at different wavelengths to support smoother skin, encourage muscle recovery, help stimulate hair growth and help heal other parts of your body as well. Fun fact: The benefits of RLT were first explored by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) on plant growth in space and then to help promote recovery in astronauts.

Red light therapy is designed to target your skin and cells to promote energy production in mitochondria, your cells' powerhouses. There are many ways to try RLT—from LED panels at your dermatologist's office to handheld devices you can score online and use at home. Red light therapy is also referred to as low-level laser therapy, low-power laser therapy, low-power laser or photobiomodulation.

How effective is red light therapy for home use?

Getting spa-level products without booking a dermatologist session sure sounds like a dream. But is it too good to be true? Although many medical-grade skin care products have been available to the masses for some time, with plenty of clinical research to back them up, at-home red light therapy is still relatively new—the first options came out in 2016.

That means that compared to other health and wellness therapies, we don't know that much about DIY red light therapy options, although initial findings are promising. And some studies have shown that red light therapy home devices can be as effective as those regimens you get at the dermatologist, even if they are less intense. For instance, one study done with men found that in only six weeks, the use of a specific at-home face mask supported a more youthful look in their skin's appearance.

Use of red light devices at home has also been shown to help support the smoothness of skin around the eyes. In another six-week study, this time with women, the participants noticed a visible improvement in their under-eye area when they used a commercially available LED device.

As the popularity of red light therapy grows, so do the options for getting the perfect glow-up at home. A quick internet search will reveal masks, beds, and handheld devices available for personal use, with the main differences between medical-grade and at-home versions being the distance they sit from your skin, as well as the power and potency of the infrared light.

There is a whole spectrum of options, including face masks, handheld devices designed to target specific areas and act as spot regimens, panels, beds (for a full-body RLT experience) and hair growth support devices like caps and helmets. Some products have the added benefit of both red and blue infrared light.

Because red light therapy is a non-invasive skin procedure, it's incredibly easy to do at home, and painless. (Now that's a real benefit!)

How often should you use red light therapy for best results?

If you want to make the most of your red light tools at home, consult with your dermatologist first. The'll be able to assess the most effective approach, given that the recommended usage varies depending on your skin's situation. To help support smooth, glowing, and healthy skin, some studies suggest twice-weekly sessions. When it comes to keeping skin imperfections at bay, using red light therapy two to three times a week is recommended.

Although the suggested number of sessions varies, everyone agrees that consistency is the key to getting the best results. Sure, you may see benefits from one session, but RLT is not a one-and-done solution. Your skin will continue to improve with prolonged, consistent use.

Once RLT is part of your skin care routine, you'll want to reassess the rest of your product lineup. Pick a good cleanser to wash your face before your light therapy (RLT works best on clean skin). Avoid heavy creams and choose a serum to apply beforehand to boost the benefits of red light therapy—look for those with vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, or ones that have "light therapy" in the name.

Benefits of red light therapy

Whether you schedule an appointment with a skin care professional or scour online reviews to find the best and brightest at-home red light therapy products, you may reap benefits to your body and your appearance, including:

• Healthy skin

  : These at-home devices are thought to stimulate collagen production, which helps maintain skin elasticity and a volume and moisture boost (all excellent benefits when you're concerned about aging skin).

• Promote antioxidant protection

  : RLT may help reduce oxidative stress, to support a strong, intact skin barrier and help resist free radical activity.

• Energy support

  : ATP (adenosine triphosphate ) is an energy-carrying molecule that's the universal energy source for all living cells, made by converting the food we eat into energy. (Remember the increase in mitochondrial energy production RLT is known for? There it is again!) Who doesn't want more of that?

Overall, quality at-home red light therapy can help improve skin texture and leave you with smoother, glowing, and healthier-looking skin and energy to keep you glowing from the inside.

Can you use red light therapy every day?

While LED light therapy is quickly catching on as a useful practice to help support the skin's look and feel, along with other benefits, science is still catching up with data. Again, a healthcare professional is going to give the best advice and have the most accurate information on whether RLT is right for you and your skin (or hair or body!) and how often to use it.

Red light therapy continues to create buzz in the beauty world and is becoming more accessible medically and commercially. If you choose an at-home option, you'll not only enjoy the benefits of RTL, but you'll also get flexibility around when you use your device and for how long. You can also create the perfect, comfy environment for this trend with at-home devices.

And without the travel or office visits, you'll save time and money—all hidden benefits of bringing RLT home!

References

• Couturaud V, et al. "Reverse skin aging signs by red light photobiomodulation." Skin Res Technol. July 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37522497/
• Glass EG. "Photobiomodulation: A Systematic Review of the Oncologic Safety of Low-Level Light Therapy for Aesthetic Skin Rejuvenation." Aesthet Surg J. April 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36722207/
• Kwon HH, et al. "The clinical and histological effect of home-use, combination blue-red LED phototherapy for mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris in Korean patients: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial." Br J Dermatol. May 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23278295/
• Mineroff J, et al. "Male facial rejuvenation using a combination 633, 830, and 1072 nm LED face mask." Arch Dermatol Res. November 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37418018/
• Ngoc LTN, et al. "Utilization of light-emitting diodes for skin therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis." Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine Journal. October 2022. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/phpp.12841
• Nitayavardhana S, et al. "A Comparative Study Between Once-Weekly and Alternating Twice-Weekly Regimen Using Blue (470 nm) and Red (640 nm) Light Combination LED Phototherapy for Moderate-to-Severe Acne Vulgaris." Lasers Surg Med. October 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33538345/
• Pagán CN. "Red Light Therapy: What Is It?" WebMD. May 2024. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/red-light-therapy
• Park SH, et al. "Clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of home-used LED and IRED mask for crow's feet: A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study." Medicine Baltimore. February 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39960921/
• Wang JY, et al. "Outstanding user reported satisfaction for light emitting diodes under-eye rejuvenation." Arch Dermatol Res. August 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39133416/
• "NASA Research Illuminates Medical Uses of Light." NASA Spinoff. May 2022. https://spinoff.nasa.gov/NASA-Research-Illuminates-Medical-Uses-of-Light
• "Red Light Therapy." Cleveland Clinic. December 2021. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22114-red-light-therapy