Red light therapy has dozens of scientifically validated applications.
Given that human cells respond so well to light, does it make sense to microdose?
In this article we will explore red light therapy microdosing devices, including wearable patches vs. panels.
While these may not be the ideal delivery method for red light therapy, there are other options out there, including the BIOMAX PRO, recently released by PlatinumLED.
What Is Microdosing Red Light Therapy and How Does It Work?
Microdosing is the act of taking very small amounts of a substance in order to achieve a desired biological effect while minimizing side effects.
Microdosing red light therapy means doing very short daily sessions rather than longer less frequent sessions: in effect, “feeding” your cells often with therapeutic wavelengths of light.
Light therapy involves shining specific wavelengths of light at the skin, where those wavelengths are absorbed into individual cells.
When light interacts with light-sensitive chromophores in the cells, it stimulates the mitochondria to produce more cellular energy. This process is a little like photosynthesis in plants. Increasing cellular energy results in cells that are healthier and more able to perform their specialized functions.
The light can be delivered via wearable patches for convenience when treating small areas, or panels for more powerful and widespread treatment.
What is microdosing red light good for?
One study, from 2015, found that a combination of blue and near-infrared light helps protect the brain against neurodegeneration. Energy metabolism improves as a result of light therapy. This can lead to better neuronal survival and lower incidence of neurodegeneration.
Red light therapy has been studied extensively for its anti-aging benefits. The trick with using it for the most potent anti-aging benefits is frequency - the “apple a day keeps the doctor away” approach.
Wearable Red Light Patches: Targeted Relief and On-the-Go Use
Since microdosing red light therapy is something that’s meant to be done daily, you have to consider convenience as well as efficacy.
Wearable patches are red light therapy devices applied directly to the skin. They are intended for treating small areas, for example the outside of the eye (crow’s feet), a small scar, or a sprained ankle.
Advantages of wearable RLT patches:
- Patches are applied directly to the skin. This direct contact helps to enhance absorption of the light wavelengths.
- Ideal for on-the-go treatment of joint pain or localized conditions and travel.
- You don’t need to wear eye protection.
- You don’t need to remove clothing. Red light therapy is applied to bare skin, but patches can be worn under clothing.
Disadvantages:
- Very limited treatment area, often less than five square inches. Patches are not suitable for overall facial rejuvenation, muscle soreness, hair loss, widespread skin conditions, or low back pain.
- Low light energy output (often less than 2.5 mW/cm2 average 7.5 mW/cm2 peak) means longer treatment times, up to 30 minutes at a time which defeats the purpose of microdosing and leads to modest results compared to full sized panels.
- Patches adhere to the skin. There’s a possibility of adverse reactions to the adhesive in sensitive individuals.
- They are typically available in limited wavelengths.
- Patches are disposable. You only get a certain amount of treatments per patch before you need to throw it out and buy more. This is not an eco-friendly approach.
Red Light Therapy Panels: Full-Body Exposure and Systemic Benefits
NIR and NIR+ red light therapy panels are very different from wearable patches. They are intended for larger treatment areas such as the entire face, large muscle groups, the back, or even the entire body depending on the size.
Panels use much more powerful LEDs with higher intensity light output.
Advantages of traditional red light therapy panels:
- Panels often feature more than one or two wavelengths, for more comprehensive treatment. For example, blue light kills bacteria on the skin, red light stimulates collagen production, and NIR light reduces chronic inflammation for faster wound healing.
- Greater coverage area, so you can treat a targeted area such as the face or a much larger area such as the torso - often at the same time.
- Panels don’t require skin contact.
- Light intensity is adjustable simply by moving closer or further from the panel.
- Higher light energy output can mean much faster results than small, underpowered devices with a limited coverage area.
Disadvantages:
- More expensive. In the long run, the cost is worth it due to the incredible versatility of red light therapy for treating a variety of conditions.
- Panels are less portable than wearable patches, although smaller panels are compact enough for travel.
-
Panels last more than 10,000 hours. If you’re microdosing red light therapy for 4 minutes a day, that’s approximately 15 sessions to reach just one hour of treatment. Your light therapy panel is designed to be part of your daily healthcare routine for many years!
Comparing Power Output, Wavelength Precision, and Treatment Depth
Power output of all LED light therapy devices is measured in mw/cm2. Basically, the higher this number, the more light energy is being absorbed into the skin.
Wearable patches are, at best, around 7.5 mW/cm2 at peak power. This is negligible in the face of the 268 mW/cm2 light energy output of the BIOMAX Pro Nano, the smallest of the series.
The largest BIOMAX Pro panel, the BIOMAX Pro Ultra, delivers 292 mW/cm2 at 6” from the panel with a total coverage area of 48” x 25”.
A few wearable patches feature more than one wavelength, usually blue and red or red and near-infrared. Unfortunately, because of the low light energy output of wearable patches, very few light photons will actually absorb into the tissues.
The BIOMAX Pro series features a comprehensive array of wavelengths: 480nm (blue), 630 and 660nm (red), 810, 830, and 850nm (NIR), and 1060nm (infrared).
This results in highly concentrated light on the surface of the skin as well as significantly more light absorption into deeper tissues, including cartilage, ligaments, and bone.
When to Choose Patches Over Panels (and Vice Versa)
There are applications where you may wish to choose patches over panels:
- Travel
- Treating only a very small area
- Treating very mild conditions
- Budget, or trying red light therapy to see if it’s for you (although, your results won’t be anywhere near what you can expect with panels)
Choosing panels over patches means:
- Greater treatment versatility: treat a small area, a body part, or the entire body in one treatment depending on the size of the panel.
- Greater light energy output, and faster and more profound results
- More wavelengths for more comprehensive treatment
- Faster treatment sessions due to higher power and larger treatment area: a three-minute session with a panel is “light-years” above and beyond what you can expect with a wearable patch.
Of course there’s no reason not to have both!
Red Light Therapy with the BIOMAX Pro Series
If your ultimate goal is better health, you will want to choose from the BIOMAX Pro series LED panels. They are the gold standard of red light therapy panels! With 50% more light energy output than the BIOMAX panels.
BIOMAX Pro panels also give you the option to customize your wavelength output so you can more effectively treat a specific condition such as acne. You can also link several panels together to increase coverage area and build a truly custom LED therapy array.
Curious to learn what you can achieve with the BIOMAX Pro series? Visit our Learning Center!
