Infrared and red light therapy, often termed photobiomodulation and mostly applied via LEDs, is a non-invasive treatment that employs specific wavelengths of light to stimulate healing and address a variety of health and aesthetic conditions. This innovative therapy has surged in popularity in the last decade, celebrated for its efficacy, safety, and adaptability. In this article, we will explore the scientific foundations of red and infrared LED light therapy, clarifying its mechanisms, its multiple health benefits and the practical considerations for its application…
How to reduce water retention and oedematous cellulite [42 tips]
![How to reduce water retention and oedematous cellulite [42 tips]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5294cad9e4b009e918124a61/1650712230501-6AWDWOVRI02VXI3GNKW6/iStock-154948281.jpg)
A lot of our clients ask us: What causes water/fluid retention on thighs, buttocks, lower legs or even the stomach? Can/does water retention cause cellulite? Does water retention make cellulite worse? Water retention (also referred to as fluid retention, puffiness, swelling, oedema etc.) affects a large number of women and, to a lesser extent, men. Water retention occurs when the veins and lymph vessels can not remove water from the tissues efficiently. Water retention can manifest occasionally (e.g. in the summer heat and/or if standing for long periods of time) or it may be chronic. Symptoms can range from mild (e.g. cellulite or puffiness typically appearing on the calves, thighs, hips, arms and face) to severe (medical water retention / lymphedema). Water retention can have many causes, both genetic and lifestyle-based. Check our comprehensive guide on the causes of fluid retention…
Tighten your skin and reduce cellulite with the same treatment
Our LipoTherapeia cellulite treatments combine deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation with high-power LED phototherapy. Both deep, strong radiofrequency and deep, strong ultrasound help with cellulite reduction, while high-power red/infrared light therapy helps maximise radiofrequency’s and ultrasound’s results (We keep insisting on the terms “high-power” because the low-power versions of these technologies, found in many salons and clinics, simply do not work.) Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency is the gold standard technology for SAFE and effective skin tightening…
Cupping for cellulite: does it work?
“Does cupping work for cellulite?” This is a common question we are asked at the clinic and on this article I am going to explain how effective cupping is for cellulite, according to both science and my own practical experience (I have practised different types of cupping treatments for cellulite reduction already a good 20 years ago)…
Advanced cellulite treatments for curvy women
Cellulite exercise | How to get rid of cellulite
At the time of updating this article (February 2023) Google returned 3.7 million pages for the query “cellulite exercises”, volunteering “helpful suggestions” such as curtsy lunges, lateral lunges, glute bridges and squat jumps. But do these exercises work? Can you get rid of - or at least reduce - cellulite with specific exercises? Here we present the ultimate “exercise for cellulite” guide. Honest and straight to the point, without clichés or even dangerous misinformation that you find all over the internet. Just science-based, actionable information.
Can I reduce lipedema with RF, cavitation or RF microneedling?
This is a very valid question asked by so many people in the lipedema community. However, the fact of the matter is that there is no good non-surgical treatment - be it radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, acoustic wave therapy, RF microneedling, HIFU, massage, red/infrared light therapy or pressotherapy. None of those non-surgical techniques or any other reduces lipedema and currently the only good solution for lipedema is surgery. Sure, exercise and healthy nutrition…
Why we now use red light therapy in all our cellulite treatments
At our clinic, we incorporate red and infrared light therapy into all our cellulite treatments, not as a standalone solution but as a vital enhancer of our core technologies.
While red and infrared light therapy alone cannot significantly reduce cellulite, it plays a crucial role in amplifying the effectiveness of deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency (RF) and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation, complemented by healthy nutrition and exercise.
Does alcohol cause cellulite?
The perfect cellulite reduction plan (when money or time is not an issue)
Here is the IDEAL cellulite removal plan, without any cut corners or compromises, i.e. where the usual time and money constraints are not issue. Most people only have two weeks left before their holidays to do something about cellulite, a limited budget (fair enough), limited time to receive treatments or to apply creams and no intention, energy or time to follow an exercise / healthy nutrition regime. But for those who have the time, money and energy, this is the best possible plan, without gimmicks or compromises.
Cellulite laser treatment: does it work?
There are three types of lasers used for cellulite and skin tightening: hot lasers, i.e. high energy lasers; cold lasers, i.e. low energy lasers and also known as low level laser therapy / LLLT; surgical/invasive lasers. Here we present an analysis of all three types of lasers used for cellulite removal and their effectiveness.
TENS for cellulite, fat reduction or weight loss: does it work?
Different kinds of electrical treatments have been suggested the last few decades for skin firming and fat/cellulite reduction, with varying effectiveness. Examples include radiofrequency, high frequency wand treatments, microcurrents, galvanic, HIFEM (electromagnetic muscle stimulation), EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) etc. TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), used in physiotherapy for pain relief, is not one of them, but…
Fibrosis massage after liposuction or cellulite surgery: how to do it at home
In a previous article we analysed everything to do with fibrosis after liposuction/cellulite surgery (normal liposuction, vaser, laser lipo, body tight, abdominoplasty/tummy tuck, thigh lift, cellfina, subcision, cellulaze), including what causes it. On this article we focus on the specifics of how to perform a safe and effective anti-fibrosis massage fibrosis after lipo/cellulite surgery.
Ultrasonic cavitation for cellulite: what is the best frequency?
Fibrosis after lipo: how to get rid of it
After almost all “lipo” surgery (liposuction, liposculpture, laser lipo/smart lipo, vaser lipo, bodytite, abdominoplasty/tummy tuck, Brazilian butt lift/BBL, cellfina, subcision, cellulaze, cellutite, profound RF etc) inflammation and oedema (water retention). Inflammation / oedema are followed by scar tissue development (known as fibrosis, adhesions or simply ‘hard lumps’) in one of more areas or widespread throughout the operated area…
Red/infrared light therapy vs green, yellow and orange for skin rejuvenation: what's best?
A science paper published in 2014 explored the effectiveness of photobiomodulation (PBM) using novel polychromatic light sources vs red light for skin rejuvenation. The study investigates how non-thermal red and infrared light can improve skin appearance and stimulate collagen production, offering a gentler and more effective alternative to traditional skin rejuvenation methods like laser resurfacing or intense pulsed light (IPL). The study also compares red/infrared light therapy versus green, yellow and orange light therapy, in terms of skin rejuvenation (fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness and skin collagen content)…
Does cellulite go away?
Unless cellulite is very recent and/or very little (pre-cellulite or Stage 1) it does not go away on its own, with a non-surgical treatment or with surgery (especially not with surgery). This is because by the time cellulite is noticeable by most people (Stage 2) permanent, non-reversible changes have occurred in the connective tissue under the skin. So don’t believe the smooth operators who promise for “cellulite to go away”. With cellulite that has been around for some time or it is Stage 2, 3 or 4, it is about reducing it to about…
How long do skin tightening / cellulite treatments last for?
RF fat melting: hype vs facts
I don’t know where this “fat melting” idea came from, but those who invented this phrase a few decades ago, should have known that fat is already liquid in fat cells. In fact, scientists call the lipid content in fat cells “the adipocyte lipid droplet”. So next time you visit a clinic where they claim to melt your fat…
How red/infrared light therapy fights skin and whole body inflammation
Red/infrared light therapy works by shining light on the body, where it’s absorbed by specific molecules called chromophores. One key chromophore is cytochrome c oxidase, found in the mitochondria—the powerhouses of cells that produce energy. When red (about 630nm) or infrared light (about 830nm) hits this molecule, it boosts energy production by increasing ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the cell’s energy currency. It also causes a small burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are molecules that can signal changes in the cell. Other chromophores include calcium ion channels, which might respond to blue or green light, and water molecules, which absorb infrared light. All these interactions lead to a chain reaction: ATP rises, ROS briefly spikes, and nitric oxide increases, all helping cells function better and reducing inflammation…
