Red light therapy vs infrared light therapy: what are the differences?

“TL;DR: Red light penetrates less but needs less power to work on the superficial tissues. Infrared light penetrates more but requires more power to treat deeper tissues. Otherwise both frequencies work via the same mechanism of action.

There is no reason to use infrared light to heat deep tissues when radiofrequency does that much more effectively and without overheating the superficial tissues.”

• Red/infrared light therapy in beauty and wellness

• Red light penetrates less than NIR light

• Near infrared light needs to be quite strong to act deeply

• Higher frequency NIR light heats up the skin - but still not as effectively and deeply as radiofrequency

• Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

• Advanced, infrared / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia

• Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

Red/infrared light therapy in beauty and wellness

Red light therapy (wavelengths of 620 to 750 nm) and near infrared light therapy (wavelengths of 800 to 2,500 nm) has become very popular the last few years for both aesthetic (anti-ageing, acne, hyperpigmentation, skin rejuvenation etc) and wellness (pain relief, sports injuries, back pain, seasonal affective disorder, burns, wound healing etc) applications.

Many people wonder what is the main difference between red light and near infrared (NIR) light therapy and the answer is quite simple, as we will see below.

Red light penetrates less than NIR light

Both red light therapy at 620 to 680 nm wavelength and near infrared light therapy (800 to 900 nm wavelength) act on the cytochrome C oxidase enzyme in the mitochondria, where they stimulate energy production, which in turn leads to upgraded cell function and healing.

The only difference is that red light penetrates the skin less, so it is more suited to epidermal / dermal applications, while NIR light penetrates deeper so it can work better on the hypodermis, fascia, muscles (and even organs, provided intensity is quite high).

The best frequencies for the healing effects of red and infrared light are around ~650nm and ~850nm, respectively. Anything around 700nm or above 900nm does not seem to be that effective in stimulating cell energy production.

Near infrared light needs to be quite strong to act deeply

Near infrared light does indeed penetrate more but while it penetrates tissues it is also absorbed more. So when we want to reach deeper tissues we need to apply up to 10x times more light energy than when we want to reach the surface of the skin.

And this is where most light therapy devices fail, especially light masks, lower-end beauty LED devices (and those overhyped, over-expensive yet very low-power beauty laser devices too).

They work quite well in the red wavelengths for superficial applications (basically epidermis and upper dermis), but they are quite weak and ineffective at both the red the infrared wavelength for deep applications (anything deeper).

So if you want to treat the epidermis, most red/infrared light therapy devices with wavelengths around 620 to 680 nm will do, as long as you use them for long enough time per session, according to their light power output.

However, if you wish to treat deeper skin layers, muscles or organs you will need a far stronger device, red or ideally infrared, and still pay attention not to overheat/overstimulate the superficial tissues, again according to the device’s light power output.

Higher frequency NIR light heats up the skin - but still not as effectively and deeply as radiofrequency

Additionally, NIR light above 950nm is more suited to heating up tissues rather than boosting cell energy. However, radiofrequency can do a much better job of heating deep tissues than near infrared light, which does overheat superficial tissues too much. So NIR light above 950nm is a bit pointless.

Of course, far infrared light (3000 to 100,000 nm) works only by tissue heating and it does not count as light therapy (it is more heat therapy and still not as good as radiofrequency in that).

Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.

This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.

As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.

Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.

And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.

Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.

And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.

We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert cellulite / skin tightening treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1).

Advanced, infrared / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia

At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy, LED light therapy etc) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 240mW/cm2), for best results and treatment of large body areas.

We use specialised therapy protocols for skin rejuvenation / anti-ageing, pigmentation / post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), moderate/severe acne, skin redness, sensitive/inflamed/irritated skin, wound healing, sports injuries / musculoskeletal pain and overall wellness / well-being.

Our LED phototherapy sessions are comfortable, deeply relaxing and super-safe and are great to enhance our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments for skin tightening / cellulite reduction.

On our booking page you can book stand-alone phototherapy sessions or combine them with our other treatments, as an add-on.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1).

Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening?

Attend a half-day, 1-day or 2-day or 3-day professional consultancy / one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.

Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)