by Kerri Flanagan

Red light therapy is used to effectively treat a variety of issues, ailments, and conditions. And because the range of benefits is so wide, it stands to reason that the frequency and duration of treatment should vary as well, right? 

The answer is more than a simple yes or no. Most experts and device manufacturers will recommend 3-5 sessions a week at 10-20 minutes each. And the reason it’s pretty standard across the board is because of how red light therapy works. Rather than treating the issue on the surface or merely masking it, red light therapy actually gives your cells’ natural healing abilities a boost. (This article on red light therapy for treating pain explains the processes in which it does this quite well.) This is why you might use RLT to treat one thing and see benefits in a totally unrelated area at the same time. In other words, the healing doesn’t stop as soon as the machine is switched off. 

WHAT FACTORS CAN AFFECT DURATION AND FREQUENCY OF RED LIGHT THERAPY TREATMENT?

• Your tolerance: some people find the light slightly irritating to the eyes and the skin. This is normal, temporary, and will not cause harm.

• Your schedule: Many people find the red glow of their device soothing and may use the opportunity to meditate, do yoga, or listen to an audiobook or podcast. Many others, on the other hand, have jam-packed schedules, leaving little time for more than a few power sessions a week. Thankfully, several studies have shown red light therapy to be effective even when used for just a few minutes a day, sometimes as little as twice a week. So you don’t have to feel guilty about keeping your sessions short and sweet.

• Your device: the effectiveness of red light therapy treatment is largely dependent on how powerful and efficient your device is. Rouge Red Light Therapy panels are almost three times as powerful as the other popular brands on the market. This has to do with, among other things, energy output, energy density, number of LEDs, and beam angle. In short, a more powerful device means quicker results. We break down how Rouge panels outshine the competition here.

• Your body: every body is different and responds to treatment in its own way and at its own speed. It’s a bit like working out: some people gain muscle and drop pounds easily (much to the frustration of their peers), while others are more slow to see progress. The important thing is to remain consistent and to track your progress.

CONSISTENCY AND PATIENCE ARE KEY

It may take time to start noticing results, so it’s important to stick with it. Results can be incremental, as well, so you may not notice improvements as they happen, only to be blown away when you compare yourself to when you started treatment - or, as some of our clients have reported, when friends and family start complimenting you left and right.  

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS TOO MUCH RED LIGHT THERAPY?

As we’ve said, every body is different, so it may take some trial and error to figure out what treatment schedule works best for you. This may take time, as well. As long as you’re getting your baseline treatment each week, you can allow yourself to play around with the frequency and duration of your sessions. 

The good news is that red light therapy is not harmful at any dose. You could live under a red light therapy machine and not have any adverse effects, besides perhaps a slight, temporary redness and tightness in the skin - and a general annoyance at everything being red all the time.