Red Light Therapy and Skin Health

Red Light Therapy and Skin Health

Numerous studies have proven that red light is beneficial for skin health. My red light machine at home has an automatic “skin” mode, pre-set to low-intensity red and near-infrared light. This is very convenient. I use it three times a week, and my skin and face are looking better and better.
Collagen is a molecule crucial to skin health, helping skin cells adhere to each other and to other tissues, such as subcutaneous fat cells. Collagen not only helps connect cells and tissues but also provides elasticity to the skin, allowing it to stretch and resist injury. The body naturally produces collagen from nutrients in the diet.
However, for most people, the amount of collagen they produce begins to decline around age 20. This decrease in collagen production is quite gradual, only about 1% per year. This effect accumulates, making the reduced amount of collagen with age even more significant. When collagen production decreases, it ultimately leads to a loss of elasticity and plumpness in the skin. This is the cause of wrinkles and sagging skin as we age. As we age, low collagen levels can also make the skin more fragile, making it more susceptible to damage when injuries occur.
Research suggests that red light therapy may stimulate cells in the skin called fibroblasts. These cells are responsible for producing collagen, and using red light therapy may encourage increased collagen production. According to scientists at Harvard Medical School, the effects of red light therapy on fibroblasts and the levels of collagen they produce could help red light therapy improve symptoms of aging.
In 2015, researchers conducted an in vitro study exposing cultured human cells to red LED light. The results, published in the International Journal of Light Energy, showed that exposure to 660-nanometer red light increased the rate at which skin cells divide and helped improve their ability to migrate.
A 2018 study published in the Journal of Wound Management and Research also tested the effects of light on cultured skin cells. The researchers found that red light, or red light combined with near-infrared light, could regulate fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis. They also determined that combining red and near-infrared light produced a greater effect than red light alone. In 2019, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology published a study that found that treating skin cells with low-intensity red and near-infrared LED light significantly increased the expression of the hyaluronan synthase (HAS2) and elastin (ELN) genes. These genes are involved in the production of hyaluronic acid and elastin, two molecules that play an important role in maintaining skin hydration, suppleness, and elasticity and that decrease with age. The researchers found that these effects appeared in just three days. The researchers noted that because low-intensity red and near-infrared light stimulated the production of multiple biomarkers associated with anti-aging skin benefits, these findings suggest that low-intensity red and near-infrared light therapy offers the opportunity for daily home treatment.