Red Light Therapy for Wrinkles

Did you know that the medical term for wrinkles is rhytids? Everyone will eventually get wrinkles, but most people dread seeing them on their face. This is probably because wrinkles remind us of the inevitability of death or the fact that we are aging and there is nothing we can do about it. Or maybe there is something we can do about it. 

Of course, there is nothing we can do about getting older, but we can surely reduce the impact of aging on our body, skin, and mind. One of the many solutions that have come up in recent years is using red light therapy (RLT) to trigger the healing process of the cells in our body – a process that slows significantly as we age. 

In this article, we discuss wrinkles and their causes, red light therapy and how it can help alleviate wrinkles and some of the best red light therapy devices on the market. 

Let’s begin!

What Are Wrinkles? 

The formation of wrinkles is a concept that has plagued scientists and doctors for decades. This is because, while most wrinkles are formed as a result of aging, which causes changes to the skin, some wrinkles form prematurely. 

Wrinkles are defined as lines and creases that form on the skin due to aging or other factors. Wrinkles can turn into deep crevices or furrows and are usually noticeable around the eyes, mouth, and neck due to the repeated motion that occurs around these areas. 

It is common to see wrinkles on areas of the skin that experience the most exposure to the sun.

Aging and Wrinkles

It is impossible to talk about wrinkles without talking about the process of aging. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), aging is linked with dynamic biological, physiological, environmental, psychological, behavioral, and social changes. 

Many age-related changes in the human body can sometimes be benign (inconsequential), like the graying of hair. Other changes that occur may lead to a decline in brain and body function or the inability of the cells to heal as properly as they used to. This decline usually leads to frailty, disability, frequent sickness, and a decline in the general well-being of an individual. 

However, many studies show that the rate of aging can be slowed significantly by exercising, consuming vitamins, and using treatment methods like red light therapy. 

Apart from smoking, some other factors that cause wrinkles on the skin are genetic factors, smoking, and prolonged exposure to the sun (natural tanning and tanning beds). 

What Causes Wrinkles?

Wrinkles are caused by many different factors, but here are some of the most common factors: 

Aging: Age is the most common and prominent reason for the appearance of wrinkles on the skin. This is because the skin becomes weaker and less elastic as you age, and the cells that replenish the skin become less effective. Also, with aging comes a decreased production of essential oils in the skin that helps to maintain its elasticity and glow. 

Also, as we age, the body can no longer handle the conversion of fat to energy like it used to. Therefore, the fat in the skin's deeper layers diminishes, resulting in loose and saggy skin, which comes with deeper wrinkles.

 

Prolonged exposure to the sun: Prolonged exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and indoor tanning beds speeds up the natural aging process and is usually the primary cause of wrinkles in young adults. 

Genetics: Some inherited genetic conditions can speed up the aging process in some individuals and cause the skin to develop wrinkles prematurely. 

Smoking: Smoking is regarded as one of the leading causes of wrinkles on the face and other parts of the body. Smoking is known to cause a rapid decline in the aging process of our bodies, thereby contributing to wrinkles. This has been linked to the effect of smoking on the reduced production of collagen in the body.  

Frequent facial expressions: The furrows that form on the forehead of most people are a testament to how easily wrinkles form on areas of the skin that undergo constant expansion and contraction. This is because as the skin ages, it loses its ability to go back to its original shape and size after a slight distortion, like frowning, laughing, crying, or furrowing the eyebrows. Over time, these grooves on the face become permanent facial features. 

Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy (RLT) is not a new form of treatment, but it has gained more interest in recent years as more research and studies are conducted to understand how it benefits the human body. 

Red light therapy is a form of photobiomodulation therapy – the process of altering cellular functions with low-level, non-thermal LED light. 

To put it simply, red light therapy uses low-level wavelengths of red light within the range of 620 to 750 nanometers to stimulate an increase in energy production in the cells of the body. 

The red and near-infrared light therapy helps to stimulate the mitochondria – the energy center of cells – and helps the cells produce more energy. This process forces the cells to heal the body naturally while producing the necessary proteins the skin needs to maintain its elasticity and glow. 

The best part about red light therapy is that unlike any form of low-level light therapy (LLLT) used in the past, including laser therapy, it is non-invasive and doesn’t damage the skin in any way. 

The red light or near-infrared light from the red light therapy device goes directly into the skin to activate the cells, and studies have shown that it does not have any adverse effect on the user. 

Red light therapy is effective in the reduction of wrinkles and the stimulation of healing factors in the skin. Red therapy can be used alongside physical therapy, such as exercise, to reverse the effects of aging on the skin or at least slow it down. 

How Red Light Therapy Clears Wrinkles

Depending on the kind of red light therapy device you are using, it comes in the form of red therapy masks, red therapy light panels, red therapy hats, and lots more. 

To understand how red light therapy helps to clear wrinkles, it is important to know that cells can carry out more cellular tasks, such as healing and growth, when they receive more energy. This increased energy boost leads to faster healing times and better growth. 

Red light therapy activates the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in the mitochondria. ATP is the molecule responsible for providing the cells of living things with energy. The increased production of ATP is a major part of the healing factor that red light therapy provides. 

Shop our: Red Light Therapy Panels

Shop our: Red Light Therapy Light Bulb

Conclusion

This article discussed wrinkles as a product of aging and other factors. Wrinkles tend to occur when the skin becomes less elastic and flexible due to old age, exposure to UV light from the sun and tanning beds, and smoking. Red light therapy is a very viable solution to the formation of wrinkles, and the best part is that it comes with no side effects. 

Hooga is one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of some of the best red light therapy devices in the United States.