Red Light Therapy (RLT) provides a number of health benefits all over the body. However, there is one benefit that many of us aren’t tapping into: Skincare. Red light can help heal all sorts of skin care ailments. From acne to psoriasis to reducing the signs of aging, red light is a skincare powerhouse. Many cosmeticians and dermatologists have known about these benefits and used them in their offices for treatment. Nowadays, you can bring these benefits home. Companies have developed products like Red Light Therapy Masks and Portable RLT Panels that are user friendly and affordable. Gone are the days where you have to go to the salon for an expensive treatment and add on a red light therapy service. You can now enjoy your daily dose of RLT for your skin and see much more dramatic benefits. I’m sharing all about how Red light therapy works for skincare. I also wanted to highlight my favorite RLT mask in this Kala Red Light Therapy Mask Review.
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* Information in this post is not professional medical advice and should not be relied on or used in place of consultation with healthcare professionals. Should you have any medical questions, please consult your primary healthcare provider. **
What is Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy is a technique used to speed up healing, reduce inflammation and treat certain health ailments. It uses exposure to red light at low wavelengths which helps promote a variety of healing responses within the body. This is done simply by repeatedly exposing areas of the body to low levels of red and infrared light for small treatment periods. Red light is emitted at wavelengths that do not generate heat or harmful UV rays. Red light is capable of safely penetrating deep below layers of the skin to create healing.
How Does Red Light Therapy Heal the Skin?
Red Light Therapy was founded a long time ago but it was only recently rediscovered by NASA in 1993. This happened accidentally when NASA scientists were working with red light to see how it may help grow plants in space. What they ended up noticing was any wounds or cuts or bites on their skin began to heal while they were working with red light. After noticing this, NASA began looking into the healing benefits of Red Light Therapy. They spent years experimenting and looking into these benefits. In 2001, NASA published scientific articles on red light’s ability to enhance healing.
In 2008, NASA published their landmark study on the healing benefits of Red Light Therapy on the human body. After years of research, they were now confident in Red light’s abilities and how it worked to benefit health. So, How does it work?
The Science Behind Red Light Therapy’s Ability to Heal
The main reason why red light therapy helps to promote healing is because of it’s effect with our mitochondria. Mitochondria are found in every cell of the body except for our red blood cells. Mitochondria is found in our skin, muscles, organs, joints, etc. Their job is to support energy within our cells and are a key component in a process called “apoptosis”.
Apoptosis is a process in the human body that encourages cell death of our unhealthiest cells. It helps move these bad cells out of the body before they can cause harm. This process keeps our bodies at their healthiest and discourages illness and disease from manifesting. Our Mitochondria are responsible for directing which cells need to be eliminated and which cells are healthy enough to stay. If we have low functioning mitochondria, our bodies are unable to turnover bad cells leading to disease and illness. If our mitochondria are functioning at optimal levels, our body will experience optimal health by maintaining only the healthiest cells.
There are many factors associated with modern day living that cause damage to our cells and mitochondria. This impairs their function. Red light therapy penetrates the skin to reach our mitochondria in our skin, organs and joints. Red light therapy helps ignite our mitochondria and provides them energy needed to function at optimal levels. A good analogy for this process is a flash light running on a low battery, it produces a dimmer light and doesn’t work as it should. Think of red light therapy as a charger for your cells. By simply holding red light over a specific area of the body, you will encourage the mitochondria in that area (whether that be an organ, skin, joint, tendon, etc.) to produce more energy, work more efficiently and speed healing to the area.
10 Health Benefits of Red Light Therapy for the Skin
Red Light Therapy provides a number of benefits to the human body, but it is especially beneficial for the skin. It can heal a number of ailments and provide you with an overall glow. Here are some of the incredible benefits of using Red Light Therapy for your Skin:
- Increases Collagen Production: Red light therapy boosts the skins production of collagen. As we age, our collagen production decreases drastically which contributes to inflammation, fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, loose skin and more.
- Anti-Aging + Wrinkle Reduction: Many use red light therapy for it’s anti-aging properties. This is done mostly by boosting collagen production which helps plump out our skin and fill lines/wrinkles. By supporting collagen production, we can naturally slow down the aging process and appear more youthful.
- Heals Skin Conditions: Red light therapy can help heal common skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. It does so by reducing the inflammation that is behind these conditions.
- Reduction of Inflammation: Red light therapy has been proven to modulate inflammation production in the body. A study observed red light’s ability to reduce the inflammation markers of sunburned skin.
- Acne Treatment: Research has shown red light therapy’s ability to heal acne. It is proven to reduce the inflammation that exasperates acne blemishes. It can treat current acne lesions as well as reduce appearance of acne scars.
- Wound Healing: Red light therapy was re-discovered due to it’s ability to heal the wounds of NASA scientists. Red light stimulates mitochondrial production which turns over healing cells to help speed recovery from abrasions, cuts, bites, burns, and more.
- Sun Damage Repair: Sun damage like spots and discolorations can be improved via regeneration of new skin cells and reduction of pigmentation.
- Improved Skin Texture + Complexion: Regular use of red light therapy over the skin can lead to reduced texture, bumps and imperfections. This leads to smoother and healthier looking skin.
- Reduces Scars & Stretch Marks: By promoting the production of healthy cells and encouraging dead cell turnover, red light therapy can fade and reduce scars and stretch marks on the skins surface.
- Reduce Hair Loss/Promote Growth: Red light therapy has been shown to encourage hair growth. Recent studies have shown that red light therapy can improve hair growth by over 35% in both men and women with androgenetic alopecia.
My Favorite RLT Mask: Kala Red Light Therapy Mask Review
Of all the different Red Light Therapy masks, I opted for the Kala RLT mask for a variety of reasons. It has definitely improved my skin with consistent use and has been adopted into my current skincare routine. I will do my best not to miss my red light mask sessions because I have seen such an incredible improvement over the last few months since introducing it. Here are a few reasons why I opted for Kala over other brands and my full Kala red light therapy mask review.
Kala Therapy is a Toronto based company created by two friends and former athletes. These men had been treated for their own injuries using red light therapy and were amazed at the results. They created Kala to offer high quality red light therapy devices for at home use at an affordable and accessible cost. They now have a full line of red light therapy devices in Canada that offer a range of applications. This includes red light therapy face masks and skincare wands to help combat signs of aging like wrinkles and even acne. I love that they offer a wide range of products and would classify Kala as one of the most affordable Canadian red light therapy companies available. Kala also gives back to the community by providing light therapy lamps to CAMH for those suffering from Seasonal Depression.
Here are the main specifications that I look for when reviewing and choosing the best red light therapy mask:
- High Irradiance: Red: 20 mW/cm², Near-Infrared: 10 mW/cm², Blue: 10 mW/cm²
- Ultra Low EMF: Minimal electromagnetic field exposure
- Easy to Use with Auto-Timer: 10 or 20 minute treatments
- Portability: TSA-approved, lightweight at 270 grams, perfect for travel
- Affordability: Much more affordable than other red light face mask companies and includes exclusive THV discount (below) and FREE shipping
- Premium Materials: Crafted with medical grade silicone and 66 medical grade triple chip LED’s for long-lasting use.
- Full-Face Coverage: Evenly distributes light across the entire face
- Three Treatment Wavelengths: Three therapeutic wavelengths: Red Light (633nm), Near-Infrared (830nm), Blue Light (465nm)
- Safety Tested + Certified FDA-cleared, dermatologist-recommended with clinically-proven results for skin rejuvenation and anti-aging benefits
Health Benefits of Blue Light Therapy
One unique feature of the Kala Red Light Therapy Mask is that there is actually one extra light wave that most light masks don’t have: Blue Light! There are many bonus benefits to using blue light in addition to red light for your skin. I wanted to briefly share a few benefits you will receive when using blue light along with red light in your skincare routine.
- Blue Light is anti-inflammatory. In certain skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis and keratosis, immune cells within the skin are a contributor of symptoms. These cells create local inflammation and worsen skin care conditions. The blue light can decrease inflammatory cytokine production.
- Blue Light can reduce acne. The skin bacteria P. acnes (Propionibacterium acnes) is what gets stuck in skin ducts causing skin swelling and eventually nodules and cysts. Blue light kills P. acnes. Using blue light can help improve the swelling and bacteria causing acne.
- Blue light helps treat atopic dermatitis and reduces itch. A study of 36 adults showed improvement of their condition after a five day treatment.
- Blue light helps treat eczema. A study of 21 individuals showed improvement in eczema lesions when used 3 times per week after 4 weeks.
- Blue light is anti-bacterial.
How to Use the Kala Red Light Therapy Mask
One of the most prominent features for the kala red light therapy review is it’s ease of use. It is such a user friendly device with a user friendly remote and built in session timers. Once you charge your new device it is very easy to start using it and seeing the skincare benefits. Here is just how easy it is to use the kala red light therapy mask in a step by step as per Kala Therapy’s instructions:
Step 1: Charge your Kala red light therapy mask with the provided charging cords and outlet plug ins.
Step 2: Once you have the mask on your face with the straps secured behind your head, press the Start function on the remote to begin your 10 minute treatment.
Step 3: Remove your mask once treatment has finished and wipe down the surface to keep it bacteria free.
Step 4: Following treatment, apply your choice of moisturizer to your skin.
I tried an RLT Face Mask for 60 Days: Here’s what I noticed
I have had my own fair share of skin issues. As a teenager and into my early twenties, I suffered with bouts of acne. Sometimes it was typical hormonal acne and I also had a year of painful cystic acne. I have always had sensitive and reactive skin. I have to be careful about what products I use and keep a steady skincare routine.
Prior to trying a red light therapy mask, I had some lingering sun spots as well as some uneven skin tone and bumps along my forehead. I no longer get major breakouts but I do get the odd blemish the week prior to my cycle. I have fine lines and wrinkles that are most prominent in my forehead but present throughout. My cheeks tend to flush and redden due to skin sensitivity and reactivity.
My Personal Kala Red Light Therapy Mask Review: 60 Day Results
Here is my own personal experience and Kala Red Light Therapy mask review over 60 days. I will continue to use this mask and share my results going forward as I’ve seen some amazing improvements that I’m excited about. It takes time to see results but there are subtle improvements that happen in the early stages of use as well.
Days 1-15: Early Impressions
The first few weeks I allowed my skin to adjust to using the Kala Red Light Therapy Mask. I decided to use it 5 days per week and one session per day. I noticed my skin would redden slightly after using the mask but felt really great. The following mornings I would notice a nice glow to my complexion. It definitely provides some immediate noticeable benefits like glow and brighter complexion. This continued throughout the entire process but I began to notice more marked improvements as time went on.
Days 15-30: Small Shifts
During weeks 3 to 4, I began noticing less overall redness to my skin. My complexion was more even and the tone of my skin was balanced. It was the type of skin that you don’t feel the need to reach for foundation as much. I didn’t need to hide as much redness or flushing in my cheeks. While the bumps had not left yet, my skins texture was beginning to smooth out slightly. These benefits were subtle but definitely noticeable.
Days 30-45: Slight Improvements
I started to notice even more improvements during weeks 5 to 6. I was wearing less makeup because my skins overall complexion remained balanced. But the most dramatic improvement over these weeks were the bumps and texture of my skin. I had been experiencing small bumps along my forehead which are known as fungal acne. It is very common and also difficult to treat. The bumps were reduced by about half at this point and this was the improvement that has convinced me of the benefits of Red light therapy masks for skin. These weeks coincided with my cycle and I had no breakouts in the week prior. This is not typical for me and I can only attribute this to the one change I’ve made during this time: my red light therapy mask.
Days 45-60: Visible Results
These last few weeks (weeks 7 to 8) have brought some unexpected benefits. I have a small sun spot on my left upper cheek bone that has been there for years. It is the most prominent discoloration on my face. During these last few weeks I have noticed visible reduction in the pigment of this sun spot. It is disappearing! I am hopeful that with continued use I can eliminate this spot and maintain a much clearer complexion.
To summarize my Kala Red Light Therapy Mask Review, I noticed the following changes in a period of 60 days:
- glowing complexion
- balanced complexion
- reduced redness and reactivity
- reduced bumps and fungal acne on forehead
- no typical breakouts prior to my cycle
- reduction of pigment in a prominent sun spot
Kala Red Light Therapy Discount Code
Kala Therapy has generously offered 15% off to all THV Readers. No code necessary, just click through the link HERE or through the products linked below and the discount code will apply to cart automatically.
Shop Kala Red Light Therapy
Kala Red Light Mini 2.0
Kala Therapy Wand
Kala Red Light Face Mask
Kala Red Light Pro Panel
Kala Red Light Elite Panel
Kala Red Light Elite Duo Panel
Kala Red Light Quad Panel
Kala Infrared PEMF Mat
Kala Red Light Neck Rejuvinator
Kala Infrared Sauna Blanket
Kala Infrared Sauna
Kala Therapy Lamp for SADS
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