Red light therapy is a procedure using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to treat medical and cosmetic conditions. It sends low-intensity red and near-infrared light deep into the body’s cells to stimulate healing. It is noninvasive, painless, and does not use heat.
Hungarian physician and professor Endre Mester first used red light therapy in 1967 while studying how cancer cells react to radiation exposure. Today, this treatment is used in medical, dental, spa, and home settings to help repair tissue and relieve pain and inflammation.
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Red light therapy goes by several names, including:
- Photobiomodulation (PBM) or photobiomodulation therapy
- Low-level laser light therapy (LLLT)
- Low-power laser therapy (LPLT)
- Cold laser therapy
- Biostimulation
- Photonic stimulation
- Soft laser therapy
Red light therapy is part of photodynamic therapy as well. In this case, red light activates an agent to help the skin absorb more light.
This article will discuss the mechanisms behind red light therapy and how well it works for a variety of conditions.