Red Light Therapy or Low-Level Laser Light Therapy is a non-invasive procedure that claims to beat the stubborn fat in the body, remove it by burning it and without any need for surgery.
The procedure uses a low-irradiance laser. It emits red, blue, and infrared light wavelengths of approximately 2.5-5 cm into your skin.
The procedure claims to target the layer of fat that is just below your skin and burn it.
The therapy is quite controversial but claims to be beneficial for all. The common theory of the procedure is that it temporarily breaks the cell membrane, causing cells to leach out, shrink, and be removed by the natural waste removal procedure of the body.
But are these the only direct benefits that you get from this?
In this article, while we discuss a little bit about the controversy around LED light therapy or RED light therapy, we will discuss the benefits it embraces.
Benefits of LED Light Therapy in Weight Loss:
According to research in 2013, LED light therapy helps in:
- Increase in Blood Flow
- Boost Collagen
- Increase the production of Fibroblast
- Controls inflammation
More importantly, LED therapies are more preferred than RLT as they are nonablative and nonthermal. Research has been going on for 20 years and still doctors, dieticians, and fitness gurus keep a different view of such therapies. However, many positive testimonies and direct benefits have been observed in hundreds of beneficiaries.
1. Reduce the Stubborn Fat:
The first most important benefit of using LED therapy is the removal of stubborn fat that even long-term exercise fails to remove. The therapy breaks down fat cells that are just below your skin. How?
The fat cells absorb the LED light which causes them to release their content. Extra energy breaks their membrane and the internal content leaches out of the cells. They are then flushed out by the body by the natural process of elimination.
2. Promote Wound Healing:
The LED boosts collagen production in your body. Apart from giving you a younger look, collagen also helps heal your wounds and repairs your tissues.
3. Reduce The Side Effects of Cancer Treatment:
Cancer treatment such as chemotherapy comes with chemotherapy. LED therapy has shown tremendous results in reducing those side effects in the following ways.
- It reduces Oral Mucositis.
- Reduces the pain from cancer treatment.
- Helps in treating Lymphedema which is a common swelling side effect.
- Helps with radiation dermatitis.
- Helps with hair growth.
- Improves energy circulation and reduces fatigue.
4. Helps in Hair Growth:
Applying LED therapy on the scalp makes the follicles more active. As a result, patients see hair growth and treatment of a common challenge, ‘Androgenic Alopecia’.
- Stimulates the hair follicles by penetrating the scalp and encourages them for the hair growth cycle.
- Enhances the mitochondrial function in the hair follicle cells and the cellular energy in them.
- Increases blood flow in the scalp.
- Reduces scalp inflammation.
- Activates the stem cells.
- Protects against hair follicle damage.
5. Helps in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
‘Carpal Tunnel Syndrome’ is one of the most common causes of numbness and weakness in the arm. It happens when the ‘Median Nerve’ in the hand gets squeezed when it travels through the wrist.
LED therapy treats Carpal Tunnel Syndrome temporarily by:
- It reduces pain.
- Decrease inflammation.
- Enhances the regeneration of nerves.
- Helps with blood circulation.
- Reduces muscle spasm
- Enhances hand functions
- Accelerate the healing.
6. Enhances Metabolism:
As we discussed, LED therapy stimulates the mitochondria in cells which leads to ATP production. This boosts cellular energy and enhances the body’s natural metabolic procedures.
As a result, your body burns calories more efficiently and easily. You eat more, stay active for a longer duration, and be more energetic.
7. Improve the Blood Circulation:
LED light therapy improves the blood flow in the targeted part. Light therapy stimulates the cells and improves circulation. Blood carries more oxygen through the nerves and lets it reach each part of the body. Also, it carries nutrients as well, which automatically improves body functions, including metabolism as well.
8. Enhances Muscle Recovery and Growth:
LED light on muscles reduces their oxidative stress and inflammation. This greatly improves the conditioning of the muscles and enhances their functionality. Moreover, it also improves your weight loss journey because of muscle recovery after heavy exercise sessions.
Better exercise performance leads to more calorie burn and consistent healthy weight loss.
9. Improve Neural Functionality:
When LED therapy is used on the scalp cells, it also stimulates mitochondrias of the cells, leading to better nerve functioning of the brain. Better nerve functioning means you gain improved decision ability, more willpower and improved actions.
- Increases the mitochondrial activities.
- Reduces Neuro-inflammation.
- Stimulates the growth of new neurons and repairs the damaged ones.
- Improves synaptic abilities like memory.
- Protects from oxidative stress by enhancing antioxidant defences. It also limits the production of harmful free radicals.
- Enhances cognitive performance.
- Improves sleep quality.
10. Enhances Skin Complexion:
There is collagen in our body which makes us look younger. LED therapy helps our skin to shine and stay hydrated. It reduces inflammation and boosts the production of collagen.
The continuous therapy sessions help your body produce more collagen, which enhances your skin complexion, reduces wrinkles, tightens your skin, and gives you a younger look.
11. Relieves Pain:
LED therapy has anti-inflammatory properties and increases the blood flow, circulation relieves the pain and improves the healing process of the wounds. Less painful treatment makes patients more comfortable during the whole treatment.
Conclusion:
LED light therapy, though, is controversial, and many doctors may not recommend it very much. But scientists and researchers have shown that it has direct benefits for your health. There are testimonials, reports, research papers, and surveys that prove the same. Technology has been around us for at least 20+ years, but still more research is needed for the subject to become a mainline treatment procedure.
However, there are side effects and cons as well. Please make sure you don’t sign up for the treatment without consulting your doctor.
