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While most scars don't usually hurt, they may cause pain, tightness, itching, or stinging for some individuals. Thankfully, emerging studies suggest that red light therapy (RLT) devices may help in minimising or even eliminating scars.
In this article, we'll review the current findings for surgical scars, keloid scars, and acne scars and see how RLT benefits these applications.
Some situations require surgeons to prioritise the success of the surgery over cosmetic appearance (i.e. C-sections), during which surgical scars (also known as fine-line scars) can occur.
Thankfully, red light therapy may help reduce any postoperative scarring. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Biophotonics found that red light therapy (referred to as light emitting diode-red light or LED-RL) has been shown to modulate skin fibrosis, which concerns thickening and scarring.
The researchers used a randomised, mock-controlled, single-blind trial to test its safety and effectiveness. Participants also started a week after surgery, receiving LED-RL therapy at their incision sites - three times per week for three weeks. Researchers measured the results at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment.
The study found that there were no significant differences in scar pliability between the treatment and control groups. However, higher dosages found more success, and produced scars that were more pliable and less hard compared to those left untreated.
Some patients did experience mild side effects such as blistering (2 cases) and swelling (1 case), but eventually faded without any complications.
Keloids are thick raised scars that aren't harmful to your physical health, but may be of cosmetic or aesthetic concern. While modern science has yet to determine the cause of keloid scars, most researchers seem to agree that it's a result of uncontrolled collagen growth.
Though the effects of RLT on keloid scars aren't that well-researched, a 2015 study explored its impact (also shown as LED-RL) on the growth and survival of lab-grown keloid scars.
Researchers exposed in-vitro keloid fibroblasts to LED-RL at different energy doses and measured their growth and survival using a dye test. Results highlighted RLT to be quite effective in reducing keloid fibroblasts depending on their energy dosage, which produced much better results when compared to untreated cells.
Acne scars form when your body starts to heal the skin where you had a breakout. Usually, the skin recovers around 7-10 without any scarring.
However, forcefully popping, squeezing, or scratching deep-rooted acne can increase inflammation, which can lead to scarring. Now, if your body tends to produce too little or too much collagen, this may result in pitted scars or raised scars.
Thankfully, results from a 2015 study suggest that RLT (shown as photodynamic therapy or PDT) may improve mild to moderate acne inflammation and scarring, and pairing this treatment with topical retinoids may improve outcomes.
However, more studies are needed before we form a definitive stance as the researchers also discovered that PDT caused severe short-term, but self-resolving side effects.
While red light therapy devices as a stand-alone option to prevent acne scars, we find that it’s better to treat it as a supplementary treatment.
Pairing this with good hygiene practices and a proper diet devoid of sugars, processed food, and inflammation-inducing foods such as red meat will help you achieve better results.
Additionally, we found that combining blue light with red light therapy devices can reduce moderate acne lesions, which could contribute to successfully preventing scars.
With that said, prevention is better than the cure. While RLT devices can effectively treat acne scars, they can also be used to prevent them from forming in the first place by reducing breakouts.
Rojo's collection of cutting-edge red light therapy devices helps you get rid of scars, prevent them from forming, and rejuvenate your skin in the comfort of your own home.
Whether you're a casual user looking for relaxation or a health enthusiast with a busy lifestyle, you can experience the benefits of red light therapy with only 10 minutes of your time. Contact us today to get started.
