The Difference Between Red Light Therapy vs Infrared. Are Red Light Therapy and Infrared The Same?

Red Light Therapy is a technology that uses light waves of a specific wavelength to stimulate cellular processes, promoting well-being and healing. 

In recent years, this therapy has received a lot of attention, and leading medical studies and universities are enthusiastic about the results so far. In fact, it is a great surprise to learn that this treatment has a positive impact on physiological and pathological problems.

If this is your first time encountering Red Light Therapy, it is important for you to know that not all Red Lights are the same, in fact they can vary and each has its own characteristics. Although it is a therapeutic method that is still being studied, it is useful to know that you can currently find two different categories:

• RLT, which is also called LLLT (Low Level Light Therapy) or PBM (Photobiomodulation);
• Infrared Lights, also called IR (InfraRed) devices.

Although the name is similar, their function is not. 

The difference lies in the wavelengths that the lights are able to transmit. Remembering that these are mainly responsible for the functioning of the therapeutic devices and from which the beneficial effect on the desired area is derived. 

RLT is a type of therapy that stimulates the cells of the human body with wavelengths that are between 600 nm and 850 nm while Infrared Light is characterized by lengths above 900 nm. 

If we consider the continuous spectrum of light, however, the difference is that RLT is visible to the naked eye while infrared light is not.

So what is the Difference between an RLT device and an Infrared device?

As we have written, the difference lies in the ability of the devices to penetrate the light they emit deep down, from the most superficial layer of your body such as the skin through the bones to the innermost organs. 

RLT is most commonly used to treat conditions ranging from skin problems to muscle tissue and bones, and for this reason it is the most commonly used therapeutic medium for improving skin condition, removing wrinkles or signs of aging, treating superficial wounds, limiting hair loss, reducing inflammation and much more. 

In contrast, IR devices  with longer wavelengths are able to penetrate deeper and are therefore used, for example, to treat particular diseases or brain disorders. Your body does not perceive light but instead perceives infrared heat, so the device goes to vibrate molecules in the affected area which results in heat production that raises your body temperature. 

RLT devices, on the other hand, only stimulate the mitochondrion of the cell, raising its energy state and promoting wellbeing and healing, for more information see our article "How red light therapy works".

So you have read that the main difference is that in RLT devices the light is visible and in IR devices the light is invisible, it is important to refresh your memory about the safety of their use. In fact, with the Red Light emitted by LEDs you can sleep peacefully at night as it has been amply demonstrated that the wavelengths cannot cause damage to your body, this is because they are emitted gently and do not cause tissue damage. Which is not the case with IR devices, where if the emitted light accidentally meets the eye then there is a risk of damaging the iris and compromising the eyeball.

We conclude by quoting a sentence from a CNN interview where,Dr. Brandith Irwin, dermatologist and founder of skintour.com and Concierge Dermatology & Laser in Seattle, Washington, writes: "If the red light is at too high of a level, it damages skin cells. If at too low of a level, it does nothing." 

So if you are using a therapeutic red light device with wavelengths that are not too intense, as in NoMore's devices, and you carry out your therapy by following the instructions inside the box without overdoing it, then you can just relax and let the Red Light do its job by providing relief and bringing the wellbeing you so desperately need.