My Red Light Routine (and When I Skip it)

I sit in front of a red light (mine is from bestqool.com) several times a week. Mostly with my face in front of it (wearing protective goggles and looking absolutely ridiculous), ranging anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes whilst listening to music, a guided meditation or a podcast.

First a bit of theory

There are two different types of red light: red light (with a wavelength of 630nm-640nm) and near-infrared light (NIR, wavelength between 800nm-850nm).

Especially NIR supports cellular recovery - which is one of my ways in trying to tackle the ageing process of my skin. NIR light can penetrate into tissue more deeply (up to 50% of light energy reaches the first 8cm) than just red light (which travels through human tissue superficially, with the first 2cm absorbing around 80% of light energy).

It helps with cellular turnover, circulation, and anti-inflammatory emission. NIR also enhances cell membrane permeability and helps maintain cellular PH balance while enhancing nutrient absorption and waste byproduct removal.

As red light therapy has so many benefits (including the anti-inflammatory effect), it is also great to help you recover quicker from injuries. I've used it on my Achilles which is a tough injury to recover from - I'd sit in front of it with my heels for 20 minutes at a time whilst reading or working (I even sat through meetings) - and noticed that the inflammation went down a lot quicker than before when I didn't have the red light.

My routine

The specific red light I use, has the option to use either both the red and NIR light at the same time or separately.

So for my skin (or injuries) I use them together (hence the goggles to protect my eyes as NIR light is not good for your eyes).

If I use it first thing in the morning to stimulate my circadian rhythm and tell my body it's day, but it's still dark outside or a grey day, I only use the red light.

However, on sunny days, I tend to skip it. As I do believe that the real (circadian) reset comes from daylight, not devices.

Results

So yes, I might look ridiculous sitting there in front of that red light (with not the most trendy protective goggles on), but the results speak for themselves and have really noticed a difference - not only in rejuvenating my skin, but also when it comes to recovering (from injuries) and using it to feel more awake in the morning on dark/grey days. And that is what matters most to me. Nevertheless, like most things in my routine, it's about supporting my body's natural processes, not replacing them: red light when I need it, real sunlight whenever I can get it.