At some point, most of us become aware of, and possibly self-conscious about, the external signs of aging. Whether you’re in your twenties or your sixties, when wrinkles, age spots and thinning hair announce themselves, you may well consider doing something about it.

‍‘Going under the knife’ is one conventional option but, more recently, light therapy has come into its own, not only to treat external signs of aging but also as a highly effective treatment for health conditions and aging ‘symptoms’ that may not be so visible to the naked eye – think inflammation, circulation problems, joint pain and so on.

‍Keep in mind, the medicinal use of light therapy is hardly a new idea. Legend has it that the ancient Greeks, Chinese and Egyptians all plugged into natural sunlight as a healing helper. With the arrival of the electric light bulb, at the end of the 19th and into the early 20th century, artificial light became a popular way to treat ailments like rickets, infections, skin conditions, and so on.

Since then, the medicinal use of light has radiated out to other areas, including the management of orthopedic, rheumatological, and even neurological conditions. But, over the last few decades, red light therapy (or RLT) has emerged as one of the most exciting of the light therapies, and a health therapy with the power to help preserve youthfulness, both inside and out.

‍Besides tamping down inflammation and promoting anti-oxidant activity – and no matter what your age, everyone needs that – red light has the ability to stimulate the mitochondria. Keeping those energy powerplants inside our cells functioning at optimal levels is essential if we’re going to stay active and vibrant ourselves.

Here's a topline on what RLT is all about, and why my team and I are so excited to include more and more of it in our longevity and wellness toolbox. What’s in it for you? Plenty – so read on:

What is red light therapy?

Red light therapy (RLT) treats certain health conditions with light (yes, it looks red!), and in the process, delivers numerous potential physical and mental health benefits. One of RLT’s key benefits is its ability to stimulate and energize mitochondria, the 'power plants’ or energy centers housed in every cell of your body. Optimized mitochondria translate to cells that can promote healing and rejuvenation as needed.

But wait – aren’t red light and infrared the same thing?

Though they sound sort of alike, and both do stimulate the mitochondria, they are different kinds of light, albeit they live next door to each other on the light spectrum. The big difference is that red light is visible to the eye and great for using on the skin’s surface whereas infrared has a longer wavelength and is not visible. Infrared really shines though, when it comes to more deeply penetrating the skin, roughly an inch and a half deep into the body. Infrared is also known to heat the body from within – cue the sweating if, for example, you’ve ever tried an infrared sauna – while red light will not.

‍In red light therapy, both types of light are used together to enable the concentrated wavelengths to penetrate the skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscles, amplifying the benefits (more on those below), tamp down cellular damage and nudge aging’s downsides in a healthier and more positive direction.

OK, so why should I try red light therapy?

Because your body’s going to love it! Red light therapy has been shown to improve many conditions which become top-of-mind as we age and find our bodies needing a bit more TLC. While there are presumably more upsides yet to be identified, here’s what we do know so far about RLT benefits from head-to-toe. All you and your practitioner need to do is focus on your particular areas of concern and let the healing begin. Among the benefits to take advantage of:

1. Healthier skin: RLT stimulates collagen production, reducing wrinkles, fine lines, and promoting wound healing. If acne is a problem, RTL can help here too, offering improvements in both skin tone and texture.
2. Pain reduction: RLT can improve circulation which in turn helps reduce pain and inflammation, particularly helpful for those dealing with conditions like joint pain, sore muscles or arthritis.
3. Healthier hair: In addition to stimulating hair follicles and promoting hair growth, RLT may also improve hair thickness and density.
4. Better circulation: By increasing blood flow and vasodilation, RLT can improve circulation, which can benefit heart health and oxygenation of the tissues.
5. Wound healing – by promoting the formation of new blood vessels, RLT is helpful for healing and speeding up repair of chronic wounds, surgical incisions and other skin injuries.
6. Tamed inflammation – the anti-inflammatory properties of RLT can be beneficial for a number of common health issues, such as arthritis, tendonitis, and many skin conditions.
7. Happier joints – RTL gets high marks for improving joint health by reducing pain and inflammation associated with conditions like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
8. Better mood – research indicates that RLT may help relieve anxiety and depression, tame stress, enhance mood and support better mental health by stimulating the production of serotonin and other neurotransmitters.
9. Healthier eyes –RLT is being used to treat and manage eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy by promoting retinal cell function and decreasing inflammation.
10. Better performance & recovery – post-workout or post-injury, athletes (and ordinary civilians) use red light therapy to enhance performance, speed up recovery, and reduce muscle fatigue.

A buddy for your brain

Keeping the brain healthy is a universal goal – and research indicates that RLT can be a big help for your noggin too, offering a number of potentially cognition-saving benefits to help our brains function better for longer. Positive effects on the brain include:

1. Increased blood flow – which can potentially enhance oxygen and nutrient delivery to brain cells.
2. Neuron protection – helping to shield them from damagers like oxidative stress and inflammation.
3. Improved cognitive function – including better memory, attention, and higher processing speeds.
4. Mood-enhancing effects – thanks in part to its ability to influence brain neurotransmitter levels and reduce inflammation in the brain.
5. Protection against neurological damage and decline: initial research indicates that RTL may be a promising treatment to help mitigate the effects of neurological scourges like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, as well as traumatic brain injuries.

But, doc, what about the home versions?

OK, so with all those potential benefits, who wouldn’t want to get in on RLT? With the recent proliferation of home-use red light devices, the answer seems to be, nobody. You’ve likely seen ads and social media influencers touting an array of use-at-home, non-medical grade RLT devices – think LED wraps, panels, wands, gloves, Hannibal Lecter-style face masks, etc.

Though the home versions do feature both red light and a small amount of infrared light to help penetrate further into the body, some work better than others. Not surprisingly, RLT devices designed for home use tend to be less effective than the professional strength versions used in a clinical setting. Add to that the variability in the quality and strength of the light used in these devices, plus the variability of individual responses to RLT (you can thank your genes among other factors for that), and the results may be underwhelming. Not all devices will live up to the hype, particularly if you don’t closely adhere to the manufacturers’ instructions, which may require daily 10-20 minute sessions over the course of several months. My advice? Let safety and efficacy be the determining factors and keep expectations low on the home versions, or skip them altogether. Opt instead to work with a licensed practitioner to custom design and execute a healing, anti-aging RLT plan expressly for you – and deliver all the benefits you’re looking for.