We get a lot of questions about red light therapy, and our Relax device so I thought I'd put together a little guide to cover the basics and benefits of Red Light therapy, and how and when to use our device.
As fall and winter approach, red light therapy becomes much greater in value as many of us have less available sunlight, and typically spend most of our time indoors, and likely looking at screens.
Screen time is unavoidable for most of us, but comes along with the downsides of being drowned in blue light all day, not only in our eyes but on our skin. This can have negative impacts on our hormone production, eye health, mood, and mitochondrial energy production - which can then domino effect into issues with digestion, detoxification, and ability to exit a stressed state.
On those long indoor days especially, it is really helpful to have a high-intensity red light supplement that you can use to nourish your body with the healing frequencies and potent bright light which helps our bodies function in so many ways.
Red Light vs. Near Infrared Light
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Red Light uses bright visible red wavelengths (610-660nm) that benefit the skin and systems within the skin tissue, such as circulation, healing scars/burns, and collagen production.
- Near Infrared Light has longer, invisible wavelengths (810-850nm) that penetrate below the skin, to cells deep in your body, including muscles, joints, and bones
Red Light Benefits
Red Light mainly benefits the skin, but the bright light also supports the circadian rhythm and can benefit mood and energy as well.
- accelerating wound healing
- reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and scars
- promoting collagen and elastin production in the skin
- reducing inflammation and increasing circulation
- promoting healing of active acne
- stimulating hair follicles for growth
NIR Light Benefits
Because NIR penetrates deeper into the body, it can benefit our muscles, bones, and tissues on a cellular level to soothe pain and promote healing and regeneration.
- muscle healing and recovery
- joint, tendon, and bone repair
- reducing chronic pain & inflammation
- dental healing/pain reduction
- counteracts the harmful effects of excessive blue light exposure
- eye health and damage protection
- stimulates mitochondria to create more energy
How to use Relax
For maximum benefits, we recommend using both the Red and NIR light settings at once, however, you can use one at a time if preferred.
Recommended treatment time:
15-20 minutes per treatment area at a time. Repeat multiple times per day as needed.
You can apply the light directly onto the skin for the most penetration, or as close as you can get it to the treatment area.
It is recommended to keep your eyes shut if applying red light to your eyes/face, otherwise, you can keep them open during treatment. If you are very sensitive to bright light eye protection may be helpful, but not necessary for everyone.
When to use?
You can use the device at any time throughout the day, however, it is important to consider the circadian rhythm and work with it, not against it.
Using the Red & NIR lights first thing in the morning can help wake up the body, reset the circadian rhythm, and provide energy.
At night/before bed, it is best to only use NIR to avoid the bright Red light from keeping you up by reducing melatonin.
During the fall & winter months, when there is less sunlight available, it’s even more beneficial and supportive to health to get Red & NIR light exposure daily
Why choose Relax?
There are many red light therapy devices on the market, however, they vary a lot in quality. I wanted to offer a device that took into account flicker rate, EMF exposure, and the best quality components to maximize the benefits of use and offer shipping directly from Canada and the US for less shipping and customs fees. These are the issues I came across when I was looking to purchase a device years ago.
There are many other companies offering red light therapy devices, and several of them are also great. At the least, I would recommend staying away from devices found on Amazon. For the price, I think Relax is one of the most affordable devices at its size and specifications.
Flicker-Free
Many red light therapy devices on the market use low-quality components that result in flickering, which can’t be seen by the naked eye. This constant flicker can have a negative effect on the nervous system, and take away from the healing and relaxation factors of the Red and NIR wavelengths.
We use top-quality bulbs and LED drivers that are completely flicker-free to maximize effectiveness and relaxation.
Low-EMF
Another issue with other red light devices is that they emit EMFs through the light panel itself, which can reach the body when using the device closely, making it less ideal to use directly in contact with the skin.
Our device has an external power source on the cord rather than directly in the device, allowing for close contact with the light without EMF exposure.
To learn more about Relax and view more product specs, visit the product page here.
