10 min read
Red Light Therapy Dangers & Possible Side Effects
Long before NIR and red light therapy treatments we know and adore today, there was the sentence - Let there be light - in various Genesis myths from the Torah to the Old Testament. In the symbolic beginning of all time, light is only submissive to the form of the physical reality that defies the void itself (sort of something instead of nothing vibe). This is how important light is for existence in our world, outside some (inevitable) exceptions to the rule that have evolved to live in complete darkness. Weirdoes. For the rest of us, light is life. It controls everything from sleep-wake cycles to the growth of our food, mood, and sense of sight. Light is visible energy that interacts with our physiology in many interesting ways. Soon after the discovery of electrical lights in the 19th century, smart people started paying attention and contemplating using this new form of energy multiplied and magnified to therapeutic levels for medicinal purposes.
How did we get to red light therapy?
Now mega-popular in clinics, beauty salons, spas, and athletic hubs, photobiomodulation (the use of light in the therapy of living organisms) continues to change the way we approach pain, inflammation, and aging as a non-invasive at-home anti-aging treatment that surpasses our SF dreams of only decades ago.
From the sun, raw open fires, oil, and gas lamps to Thomas Edison registering the patent for an incandescent light bulb in 1879, we jump to the Danish physician Niels Ryberg Finsen, who wanted to know the effect of light on living organisms. The road was long and interesting. Dr. Finsen used 15 times concentrated electric light to treat a type of tuberculosis in a painstaking process, treating only a diameter of 2 cm at a time for treatments that lasted several hours. But it worked, and many of the 804 patients were cleared of disease lesions, and Finsen grabbed a Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1903.
Once our species had control over electric lights, many prominent moths began circling it, looking around for untapped possibilities. Even Albert Einstein couldn't resist and theorized the possibility of a concentrated and coherent light source, a "laser", in 1917. Still, it would be 40+ years until physicist Theodore H. Maiman and his team actually built a laser. Laser technology was developed by a Hungarian physician, Endre Mestner, and is now used in LLLT (low-level laser therapy). Mr. Mestner, trying to cure cancer, actually discovered a wound-healing process and hair-regrowth properties of coherent light sources.
What is the difference between a laser and an LED light?
The difference between lasers and LED lights is that LED light therapy is less targeted and less intense than laser therapy. However, LEDs still emit a consistent color of light, which makes them great for light therapy in larger areas like neck, chest, or hands and yields similar results in reducing inflammation and improving skin texture. The benefit of LED light is that it can be used on a wider scope in a single go than the very precise laser and is, therefore, excellent for whole-body treatments.
Red light therapy (RLT) uses low-level red or near-infrared light to help the body repair, heal, and boost energy output at a cellular level, effectively moving your cells away from senescence (the aging process). There is always a dose of healthy skepticism when anything sounds too good to be true, and many first-time users equate LED light therapy with UV light, as you would find in a tanning bed. This is incorrect. UV rays can seriously damage your skin, destroy its collagen and elastin structure, mutate cells and impede proliferation, cause hyperpigmentation, and generally make your photo-age and look much older than your biological age. Red light is completely different, much gentler, and has no harmful UV elements.
Red light therapy is safe and provides many benefits:
- Visibly, smoother and clearer skin of improved texture
- Alleviating inflammation, which leads to swelling reduction, and regarding body care, less joint and muscle pain
- Restarting cellular energy in the mitochondria and processes necessary for increased collagen production to reduce wrinkles visibly
- Speeding up the healing of tissue after any injury
- Helping with breakouts and acne, which are basically inflammation in the deeper skin layers
The market can be overwhelming, so here are some red therapy lines worth exploring further at our leisure, all obsessively perfectly designed for hygiene, safety, device longevity, and clinically proven to work:
FAQ™ 100 Collection
- FAQ™ 101 RF & Red Light Wand For Face
- FAQ™ 102 RF, EMS & Red Light Anti-aging Wand For Face
- FAQ™ 103 Diamond-adorned RF, EMS & Red Light Wand
FAQ™ 200 Collection
- FAQ™ 201 Silicone LED Face Mask
- FAQ™ 202 Anti-aging Silicone LED Mask
- FAQ™ 211 Red Light Neck & Décolleté Mask
- FAQ™ 221 Anti-aging Red LED Hand Mask
FAQ™ 300 Collection
- FAQ™ 301 LED Hair Strengthening Scalp Massager
- FAQ™ 302 Laser & LED Hair Regrowth Scalp Massager
FOREO UFO™ 3 Collection
- UFO™ 3 Hyper-hydration Anti-aging LED Facial
- UFO™ 3 LED Concentrated NIR & red LED Light Therapy
- UFO™ 3 mini LED Light Therapy for Young Skin
- UFO™ 3 go Travel-friendly Red Light Therapy Device
As the popularity of red light treatments grows due to their completely noninvasive character—painless, easy skin renewal with no downtime—questions keep nagging. Is red light therapy safe? Will it hurt your eyes? What if you use it every day? Can red light therapy cause cancer?
We like solulus far better than delulus, so we'll explore if there is anything to worry about with red light therapy - using science, not rumors and fear.
Is red light therapy safe?
Yes, red light therapy is very safe when used correctly. This means reading the instructions for use on your at-home device, even if you've used other red light devices, and following the instructions of your skincare professional if you're getting professional treatments. Unlike ultraviolet (UV) light, which is responsible for skin damage and melanomas in people who choose to ignore sunscreen and shade warnings, red light therapy uses non-ionizing wavelengths not associated with cancer risk. Super well-tolerated by most people, non-toxic, and non-invasive, red light therapy is a safe alternative to some more aggressive topical treatments or even aesthetic procedures.
What are the possible risks and side effects?
There are possible but unlikely side effects to living, and certain risks even in handling cotton candy or marshmallows. Red light therapy is very low risk. All technologies and aspects of our lives are neutral bystanders whose useful or harmful qualities will depend on the way we use them. So when using red light therapy, it's good to keep in mind the following:
Eye Strain
While most at-home red therapy devices will be safe to use without glasses, if you've got a pair with your product, use them with no hesitation. However, most rejuvenating LED face masks, anti-aging face wands, and hair growth devices will not be uncomfortable for the eyes. If you're having a red light treatment done and are advised to wear glasses, wear them because clinical-grade devices may be a bit stronger. Also, prolonged and direct red and NIR light exposure could cause some eye strain, but it is generally not harmful.
Overuse & irritation
Overuse of red light therapy can lead to skin irritation and increased sensitivity, but keep in mind that if you were to simply pet your pet animal at the same spot over and over again, it might go bald, not from the fact that petting is inherently dangerous but from overdoing it. So, irritation is technically not a side effect to worry about much if following the recommended use. We know it feels good and is easy and fun to use, but more is not necessarily better. Read the instructions for use and use the device exactly as recommended by the manufacturer, dermatologist, or aesthetician.
What you may regard as redness or irritation is mostly just a reddish hue on the skin due to the increased microcirculation, especially if your red LED therapy device pairs with any circulation-boosting massage, as is the case with most items in the above-mentioned FOREO and FAQ™ collections. Those with very dry skin usually also have very sensitive skin, so the redness might be due to the mechanical manipulation of the skin surface.
Photosensitivity
Photosensitivity is an oversensitivity to intense light that can result from some medications (e.g., antibiotics, isotretinoin) or inherently light-sensitive conditions, such as certain autoimmune diseases like lupus.
Breakouts
If your skin badly needs a detox, you might notice an unexpected breakout as you first start using LED therapy, and the skin starts rapidly cleaning itself from toxins. This usually passes as soon as your skin clears the accumulated toxins, and is nothing to worry about. If you're pairing your red LED therapy with a new topical, it might be due to the choice of an overly comedogenic topical for your skin type.
People also ask
Can Red Light Therapy Cause Cancer?
This seems to be a big fear, as we're scared by so many cancerogenic or potentially cancerogenic influences from our contemporary environment. Red light therapy is not one of those. It doesn't use UV light, which is associated with skin cancer risk. Red light therapy wavelengths are non-ionizing, meaning they do not damage DNA or cause mutations in cells.
Is It Safe to Use Red Light Therapy Daily?
Yes, there's no need to skip days, as the skin doesn't need to recover from controlled damage, unlike with more invasive treatments like microneedling, chemical peels, or plastic surgery. Red light therapy is generally safe for daily use if you follow the instructions carefully. However, adhering to recommended treatment times is essential to avoid potential skin irritation.
Do You Have to Wear Eye Protection with Red Light Therapy?
No. Not if your red light therapy device doesn't ask for it, as will be the case with the most advanced skincare devices from reputable brands such as FOREO Sweden, FAQ Swiss, and Omnilux... Still, please read the instructions for any new device in your life, especially if it pertains to something you'll use directly on your body. If the instructions for the use of your LED light mask or red LED panel device demand goggles, wear them without exception. Protective eyewear also helps prevent eye strain or discomfort when having professional, and usually more intense, treatments. If you need them, the person performing the treatment will make sure you wear protection.
Who Should Avoid Red Light Therapy?
There are always some no-nos for every procedure since we do not want to exacerbate an issue or use any intervention when we cannot be entirely sure of the outcome, such as with pregnant women. We presume there would be no adverse effects to the mother or the baby, but as the (non-psychotic) society is highly unwilling to experiment on pregnant women, there is just not enough evidence to confirm that red light therapy is completely safe during pregnancy. We've also mentioned light-sensitive conditions, or those persons taking photosensitizing medications. You may be able to be ok with red light therapy, but make sure to consult a healthcare provider before using red light therapy.
The other common-sense reservations when using red light therapy are, of course, young kids and adolescents. Unless you're using laser or LED light therapy in a controlled and supervised way for medical purposes, such as tissue healing, reducing inflammation, or managing pain, don't let your children play with things they don't need. We all envy their super-efficient cellular processes, so let's not meddle with or fix what isn't broken. The LED light will not cause cancer in any way or form, but if you do have cancer, do not use it directly on the area before speaking to your oncologist, as red light therapy does affect processes on the cellular level, and we don't want any interference with medication. Keep in mind that you should monitor your thyroid if you have an underlying condition because direct exposure could sometimes modulate thyroid function.
Should you be scared of trying something new and introducing red light therapy into your skincare routine? No, not at all. Outside of some underlying medical conditions that may make you more sensitive to light or during pregnancy, red light therapy is a widely applicable, promising, non-invasive solution with numerous benefits for minimal risks. From improved skin texture to faster healing processes and reduced inflammation, the risks are minimal and typically preventable with proper usage and protection. If you stare at any light for too long, you'll get some strain and potential for damage; if you use your device for two hours when it says 15 minutes or, ignore the instructions to wear goggles, or violently press the device into skin when it was supposed to gently glide - that's on you.
So, follow the instructions and avoid taking any unnecessary risks; more is not always better. Please, whatever device or method you choose to use to enhance your self-care, follow guidelines and consult with healthcare providers or professionals when necessary. They are here to help; this is what they do, and they love an informed and curious customer or a patient. Ultimately, red light therapy stands out as the backbone of modern wellness as a safe alternative to more invasive procedures, as long as users respect its guidelines and limitations.
Stay curious, stay beautiful, and enjoy the (red LED) spotlight. Feel free to explore some additional resources on red light therapy beauty devices below, and enjoy living in your skin.
Do At-Home LED Masks Work? Separating Fact & Fiction
Thinning to Thriving: LED Light for Intense Hair Growth at Home
FAQ™ 302: At-home Laser Therapy & Red Light for Hair Growth
UFO™ 3 vs UFO™ 3 LED - Choosing the Perfect Match for Your Skin
What Can LED and Near-Infrared Light Therapies Do for Your Skin?
The Science Behind Red LED Light Therapy and Its Benefits
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