Jump To Section:
- What is Red Light Therapy?
- How Often Should You Do Red Light Therapy?
- Can I Do Red Light Therapy Every Day?
- Does Red Light Therapy Have Side Effects?
- Summing It Up
- People also ask
Red light therapy has become popular as a safe and non-invasive treatment for various health and beauty concerns. You may have seen the red light masks trending on Instagram or heard from your friends how red light therapy sessions cured their back pain. Maybe you’re considering buying a panel but want to see how safe it is. Or maybe you even bought a panel yourself, and you want to speed up your recovery process, which has you googling the question: Can you do red light therapy every day?
As a proud manufacturer of high-quality red light therapy panels, we’ve seen our customers over the years thank us for the difference our panels have made in their lives. We also closely guide them about safe usage to get the best results.
So, let’s get into this topic and answer this common question: Can you use red light therapy every day?
What Is Red Light Therapy?
Before answering whether it is safe to use red light therapy every day, let’s do a quick overview of what it is and the benefits of red light therapy. Red light therapy involves exposing your skin to low levels of red or near-infrared light, in the range of 600-650 and 800-850 nanometres. The light penetrates the skin, activating the mitochondria in the cells to produce more ATP (energy), increase cellular activity, and promote healing.
Ageing, illness, or lifestyle factors can cause mitochondria to produce less ATP. Red light therapy triggers cells to reverse this decline. Since energised cells can heal and regenerate faster, RLT therapy has been used for various reasons, including treating skin, dental, and inflammatory conditions.
RLT is clinically used to treat:
- Wrinkles and fine lines
- Acne and skin inflammation
- Wound healing
- Muscle recovery and pain relief
- Hair growth
Red light therapy is safe for all skin types and an easy, non-invasive treatment that you can do at home. Because of this, you don’t necessarily need to visit a doctor, physiotherapist, spa, or beauty clinic to treat yourself. You can buy and use a high-quality red light therapy panel at home.
How Often Should You Do Red Light Therapy?
No guidelines exist for how long or often you should apply red light therapy. However, our cells have a limit to how much ATP they can produce. So leaving it on for extended periods, thinking it will give instant results, won’t work.
Leaving it on for longer than 20 minutes will result in diminishing returns. Generally, 10-20 minutes of exposure to red light is enough time for the wavelengths to penetrate the tissue and be absorbed by the cells.
When it comes to the number of sessions/week, again, it’s up to you. 3-6 sessions per week will give you the most bang for your buck. More sessions that may give you diminishing returns on your time. However, there’s nothing to say you can’t have sessions more often. If you’re suffering from severe pain, it’s fine to have more frequent sessions until your body heals.
Keep in mind that red light therapy panels are built differently. The strength of your panel will vary depending on the brightness setting you use, its wattage output/centimetre-square, and the number of LEDs it has. Just be careful not to burn yourself. Reduce the intensity or step a few inches away if it is heating up.
Only a doctor can properly answer the question, “How much red light therapy per day?” as they will know your goals and complete healthcare history. They might also recommend a conventional treatment in addition to RLT and set up check-up appointments to ensure everything proceeds according to plan.
Can I Do Red Light Therapy Every Day?
If you’re looking for an answer to your question: Can I use red light therapy every day, there’s nothing to say you can’t! If you’re recovering from an injury or chronic pain, doing red light therapy every day for the first few days until the pain or inflammation subsides is recommended. However, you’ll see diminishing returns with daily use. For most people, 3-4 sessions weekly are enough to give results.
If you’re wondering, ‘What happens if you use red light therapy every day? ' The answer is that you’ll probably see quicker results than by doing sessions 3-4 times per week.
Does Red Light Therapy Have Side Effects?
To answer the question, ‘What happens if you use red light therapy every day?’ you’ll be glad to know that red light therapy has no known side effects. Unlike UV light, it does not damage the skin, even when absorbed into deep layers. However, some customers report migraines and eye aches. These usually cause slight discomfort and go away by themselves. BlockBlueLight’s red light therapy panels come with protective goggles to protect your eyes from eyestrain. Use them when targeting areas near your eyes, such as your face or scalp.
Be careful not to fall asleep with red light therapy panels on. Yes, red light therapy can be very relaxing, but falling asleep with it on can burn your skin. To prevent this accident, all of our red light panels come with a timer function. Just set a timer for 30 minutes as a precaution before starting, and you’re good to go!
Our red light panels are designed to not overheat, unlike cheap models, which will overheat, potentially burning your skin or reducing the effectiveness of the session because you’ll have to pull away. However, experiencing your skin warming up during the therapy is normal. Red light therapy produces heat because the red and near-infrared wavelengths which penetrate cause a mild increase in cellular metabolism, which generates heat as a byproduct. This gentle heat contributes to benefits such as improved circulation, reduced inflammation, and enhanced tissue repair. However, if it feels unbearably hot, then either reduce the brightness or position yourself further away. If the sensation remains, then consult your doctor before continuing further.
Some customers report a slight redness on their skin afterwards. This is normal. However, if the redness does not go away or is painful/itchy, OR, if you have sensitive skin issues, consult your doctor.
The great part about RLT is that it’s noninvasive and doesn’t hurt. So there’s no need to rest afterwards. Once you’re done, switch off the machine and return to doing what you were before!
Note: If you are pregnant, have diabetes or an underlying health condition, contact your doctor first before starting any type of treatment, including red light therapy.
Summing It Up:
So, can you do red light therapy every day? The answer is yes, with some considerations. Daily red light therapy can be safe and beneficial for improving skin health, speeding up muscle recovery, providing pain relief, and boosting mood and energy levels. The key is to use a high-quality red light therapy panel, start slow, listen to your body, and maintain consistency.
To learn more about red light therapy, refer to the following articles:
- Is Red Light Therapy Damaging To Eyes?
- How To Do Red Light Therapy For Hair Loss At Home?
- How The Right Light Therapy Device Can Help You
- How Does Red Light Therapy Work?
- 4 Incredible Reasons Red Light Therapy Is An Effective Acne Treatment
- Easy Guide To Red Light Therapy At Home For Skin Benefits
- Can I Use Red Light Therapy While Pregnant?
- Shedding Light on Red Light Therapy: Is it Safe and Effective?
- Can Red Light Therapy Remove Stretch
People Also Ask
Can I use infrared light every day?
Yes, you can use infrared light therapy every day. It's generally safe for daily use, but duration and intensity should be set according to your needs.
What happens if you use red light therapy every day?
Daily red light therapy can enhance its benefits, such as improved skin health and reduced inflammation. However, to avoid overexposure, monitoring skin reactions and following your doctor’s guidelines is essential.
How often should you use red light therapy?
The frequency of red light therapy sessions can vary. We recommend starting with a few sessions per week and adjusting based on the results.
What are the side effects of red light therapy?
Potential side effects of red light therapy include mild headaches, eye strain, skin irritation (for sensitive skin), and in rare cases, overheating or burns if you leave it on and fall asleep
Can red light therapy cause cancer?
Red light therapy does not cause cancer. It uses non-ionizing radiation, unlike UV radiation, which is associated with skin cancer risk. Using it according to your doctor’s guidelines is safe for skin and tissue health.
