Red Light Dosing & How to Use Your Red Light

You purchased your red light and now you are trying to determine how to bring it into your daily routine.  How, when and at what distance you use it can all matter depending on what your intention is. 

“Just as human cells need nutrients from food, light is also a necessary nutrient for our cells to function well. Certain wavelengths of light can help power up our cells, affet hormones and neurotransmitters, balane our mood, enhance physical performance, hasten recovery from stress, increase alertness, improve sleep and positively affect the expression of our genes.”

- Ari Whitten, from his book, Red Light Therapy

THE HUMAN BODY NEEDS LIGHT TO BE HEALTHY

Here are some suggested tips for using your redlight

Frequency:

3-7 times a week, 1 time per day is optimal.  Your cells can only absorb so much light, so the length of time you use your light matters too. After 15-20 minutes there is diminishing benefits. 

If you are sick or injured and using the red light for healing, start slowly (2-3 minutes per session, gradually adding time). 

For Skin Health and Anti-aging:

I typically sit in front of the light first thing in the morning, or within two hours of waking. This helps balance hormones and circadian rhythm, along with skin health.  The results I notice the most from frequent use of the red light on my face is, even skin tone, decrease in fine lines and wrinkles, and a glowing complexion. 

You will want to sit about 25” away from the light for 5-10 minutes.  

I take this time to focus on deep breathing, or I will sometimes put on a guided meditation or set my intention for the day. If I feel overly busy, I will take this time to be away from electronics and hand write out my todo list for the day. Note: If you are going to have your eyes open while using the light, make sure to wear the safety glasses included.

 The warmth of the red light, along with the penetration of the Near and Far infrared ray bring the body into a parasympathetic state, meaning it helps us relax.  It’s a great way to start the day. 

For Strength and Recovery:

For strength/muscle gain the ideal time is right before you work out. The red light gives a boost to your mitochondria making workouts more effective. Do about 3-7 minutes 6” away on each of the muscle groups you plan to exercise. 

For recovery, use the light 3-6 hours post workout, about 6” away for 3-7 minutes. 

For brain performance and mood enhancement:

Use the light 6-12” inches away, for 3-10 minutes.  Your hair will block the light, so keep this in mind if you have a beard or are trying to treat an area in the middle of your head. You will want to use the light on an area without hair. 

There have been serval studies on depression and brain enhancement with the red light being used on the forehead area. Especially with the near infrared light since it penetrates the skull. 

Sleep enhancement:

There is some research suggesting that red/NIR impacts melatonin. Ari Whitten talks about this in his book, Red Light Therapy and I have experimented with this extensively myself. 

Dr. Andrew Huberman says ‘The quality of light we get in our eyes the first few hours after waking, will affect our melatonin and sleep production at night.’ 

So basically, the morning light affects the night’s sleep. This is why I try to sit in front of the red light within two hours after waking. 

Blue light is primarily what effects circadian rhythm and suppresses melatonin (Your cell phone emits a lot of blue light, as does the sun from about noon-2pm). 

Timing is very key with this one. With the intention of sleep it can be done in the morning and the evening (or just the morning or just the evening).

Morning: Use the light 12-18” away from the body for 3-10 minutes. 

Evening: Same. Very Important: Do the treatment at least 2 hours before you go to sleep (if you do it in the evening. If you do it too close to bedtime it can amp up your energy and affect sleep. 

Injuries (such as sprains, strains, cuts, burns etc):

Try to get the light on these as soon as possible after the initial injury. Bring the injury close to the light 6” or so and treat for 3-5 minutes, 2 times a day. 

Fat loss/Cellulite reduction: 

If your adrenals/nervous system can handle it (ladies be careful fasting too close to your period or on it) try to use the light in desired areas while in a fasted state (or first thing in the morning). Use the light 6” away and for 2-5 minutes. 

There are so many other protocols and ways to use your red light! Please make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more information. 

This blog and much of the information was inspired from the book, Red Light Therapy by Ari Whitten. I highly recommend purchasing the book if you desire more information. It has been my goto source for understanding and prescribing red light therapy. 

Medical disclaimer