Red Light Therapy Benefits & How it Works

Red Light Therapy Benefits, How it Works, & Why You Should Try it at Home

There are many red light therapy benefits such as enhancing a person’s cellular function, and supporting greater balance and energy efficiency across the body. A high-quality device like a Joovv is designed to support healthier sleep, reduced inflammation, healthy skin, and improved recovery, among other aspects of a healthy lifestyle.

How can shining light on your body have these positive health effects? Also, how does light therapy work? This article is about red light therapy benefits and how this form of therapy works. We’ll explain how healthy light can improve cellular function and ATP energy production. Red light therapy can also have an anti-inflammatory effect and improve blood flow. We’ll also cover how red light therapy can have a positive effect on a person’s sleep, skin, fitness, mental acuity and overall well-being.

What is Red Light Therapy?

Red light therapy is a simple, non-invasive treatment that delivers red and near-infrared light to a person’s skin and cells. A red light therapy home device like a Joovv uses LEDs to shine red and near-infrared light on your body during a treatment session. This is just like the wavelengths of light your body needs from natural sunlight, but without the heat or UV rays that cause sun damage. For a more detailed explanation of what light and wavelengths are, check out the video below.

So, does red light therapy work? Red light therapy works because healthy light intake is crucial for our health. It’s essential for our cellular function and energy production, just like water, sleep, and the nutrients from food. Unfortunately, most people don’t get as much natural light as they need for optimal health (the average American spends over 90% of their time indoors). [1] Red light therapy is an easy solution for getting more healthy light every day, in the comfort of your home, regardless of the weather or season.

Should You Try Red Light Therapy at Home?

Red light therapy devices are quick and easy to use at home. They’ve also proven to be safe, with almost no side effects*, in hundreds and hundreds of clinical trials and studies. Doctors and health practitioners use LED treatments because they’re non-invasive and well-tolerated by patients young and old but we still recommend consulting with your doctor before starting treatments.

Red light therapy hosts a long list of health benefits such as reducing inflammation, faster recovery from exercise, supporting healthy skin, and much more!  As we mentioned previously, the average American spends 90% of their time indoors! [1] This makes practicing red light therapy at home a critical step to health and wellness. Luckily, Joovv makes practicing red light therapy at home easy and convenient with their comprehensive line of medical grade red light therapy devices that come in a range of sizes so you can enjoy the benefits of red light therapy in the comfort of your home. 

The Go 2.0 or Mini 3.0 are an amazing option for those that want to utilize red light therapy at home for targeting specific areas of the body while The Joovv Solo 3.0 is larger and can be utilized to treat a wider area of the body. See more about the difference between targeted and full body here. 

Here’s what Joovv customer’s are saying about their experience with red light therapy:

"Lighter, less pain, more agile. I'm very pleased so far."

 

"I love it and use it every day. It’s cleared up my face from blemishes and scars from acne."

 

"Everything they said is true! I absolutely love the results!"

How to Use an at Home Red Light Therapy Device

Red light therapy treatments are simple and easy. There are also a variety of red light therapy benefits when combined with a healthy lifestyle. Joovv recommends 10 minutes per treatment area, ideally every day. For the best results, follow these basics:

• Position yourself 6 inches to 2 feet from the device
• Expose your skin for best results
• Approximately 10-20 minute treatment times per coverage area
• Daily use is ideal
• Any time of day

Check out Joovv’s treatment guidelines for a full look at an optimal red light therapy routine. If you’re interested in trying red light therapy, this simple quiz can help you pick the best red light therapy home device for your health and wellness goals.

Red Light Therapy Works by Enhancing Cellular Function

Red light therapy is designed to enhance cellular function and promote greater efficiency and balance in the cellular energy-making process. Check out this video for a scientific look at how a red light therapy treatment impacts cellular function.

Humans have trillions of cells, and each one needs energy to do their job and keep our bodies in balance. We convert this energy from food, water, and oxygen, and do so most efficiently in a vital process called cellular respiration. The product of cellular respiration is adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy that our body uses every second. The more efficiently we can create ATP, the better we feel and function.

Red and NIR light improve the efficiency of the cellular respiration process and help your body make and use ATP energy more effectively. Light does this by impacting the mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell. Red light therapy can increase the number of mitochondria [3], and also boost their function in the cell. [4]

In short, red light therapy treatments can stimulate the electrons involved in the mitochondria during cellular respiration, and help clear out nitric oxide (NO), which is a harmful roadblock to ATP production. [5] Essentially, NO gunks up the cellular system of ATP production, and red and NIR light helps prevent and reverse this problem. The photons in red and NIR light excite electrons, which helps break up nitric oxide bonds, so hydrogen ions can move through the process more effectively, resulting in greater levels of ATP energy that power your cells and body. [4]

That’s a broad summary of a very complicated, microscopic process. For a more detailed look at how light impacts cellular respiration, you can read this overview of the mitochondria and ATP process. You can also see more on how light therapy supports inflammation and improved blood flow.

 FAQ

What devices are available for at-home red light therapy?

Joovv has a comprehensive line of medical-grade red light therapy devices that are suitable for the home including The Go 2.0 or Mini 3.0 which are best for smaller, targeted treatments, and moderate to full body options ranging from the Joovv Solo 3.0, the cornerstone of the modular system, to the largest light therapy setup, the Joovv Elite 3.0 which is comprised of six Solos.

What is the best red light therapy at home device for me?

Learn the basics of Joovv to help you determine which Joovv red light therapy home device is best for you.

How long does red light therapy take to work?

Exposing your body to red and near infrared enhances your cells to function as they are designed to. The human body is complex yet amazing! It is hard to predict the way your body will respond to red light therapy and how quickly you will see results. Your cells will decide what healing needs to take place first. Joovv recommends daily use of 10-20 minutes.

Is red light therapy safe to do at home?

Red light therapy is a great option for easy, in-home health improvements. But it’s crucial to make sure the device you use on your body is safe and conforms with all of the applicable medical device standards such as Joovv device.