{"id":5465,"date":"2024-01-03T21:08:28","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T02:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therapeuticbeams.com\/?p=5465"},"modified":"2024-01-03T21:16:15","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T02:16:15","slug":"scars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.therapeuticbeams.com\/red-light-therapy\/scars","title":{"rendered":"Red Light Therapy For Scars: Healing Your Skin From Within"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You might be wondering whether red light therapy can help to reduce scars. Red light therapy has been proven to assist with plenty of skin injuries – including different kinds of scars and blemishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ve looked into all the research and scientific studies to learn how red light therapy (RLT) may reduce the appearance of scars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article will look at how RLT can benefit you in terms of limiting scarring and getting rid of existing scars, as well as how you can use red light therapy at home with amazing results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Light Therapy Benefits For Scars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you’re not familiar with how RLT works, here’s a quick breakdown:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red light therapy, also called low-level light therapy (LLLT), is a non-invasive, pain-free, and natural treatment that uses different wavelengths (usually red and near-infrared light) to stimulate your cells, improving cellular function and boosting cellular energy. This heals your body, reducing pain and inflammation [1<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does this mean for scars?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laser and LED therapies have been shown to aesthetically treat scars, a process called photorejuvenation. It promotes the formation of collagen and new tissues, creating new, healthy skin [1<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Illustration<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Let’s look at how RLT can be used to treat different kinds of scars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Atrophic Scars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Atrophic scars are scars in<\/em> the skin. Common examples of these kinds of scars are acne or chickenpox scars. They cause the skin to have an uneven appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red light therapy may be used for treating acne and other atrophic scars. A clinical trial involving 20 patients found low-level laser therapy to result in \u201cobjective and subjective improvements in acne scarring\u201d [2<\/a>]. This is backed by another study that found LLLT to be \u201csafe and effective for the treatment of acne scarring\u201d [3<\/a>]. It\u2019s thought that the treatment normalizes collagen production, which can help \u201craise\u201d the scar to the skin’s “normal” level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red light can also be used to improve skin texture, thanks to its ability to increase fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and collagen synthesis in your skin [4<\/a>]. By boosting FGF, your body can repair skin damage more effectively, minimizing the appearance of scars.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Hypertrophic Scars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hypertrophic scars are raised scars that form due to an overactive healing process, stemming from too much collagen production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are different kinds of raised scars that can benefit from red and near-infrared light treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contracture Scars<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Contracture scars are most commonly the result of burn injuries. A burn scar forms when collagen forms across the entire burned area, resulting in a tight scar that can reduce movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one clinical study, 89% of patients reported visible improvements in their burns scars after using 670 nm low-level laser [5<\/a>]. It is most effective if the red light is applied to the scar during the proliferative phase, i.e. when new skin is still being \u201crebuilt\u201d over the wound [6<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keloid Scars<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A keloid scar is another type of thick, raised scar. It can occur after almost any skin injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One study looking at the impact of low-level laser therapy on hypertrophic scars in children found that, after three months of treatment, there was a significant decrease in the scar’s appearance. Researchers concluded red light therapy to be a safe treatment for raised scars [7<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red light treatments can also inhibit keloid fibroblast proliferation [8<\/a>]. This can help reduce the excess collagen produced, minimizing the appearance of keloid scars.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Surgical Scars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Surgical incisions often leave fine, white scars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red light-emitting diode (LED) therapy can soften the scar tissue while promoting healthy skin development within the deeper skin layers. After enough time, the scar cells may be replaced by healthy cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One study investigated the effects of RLT (640 nm) on patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). After red light treatments, patients reported less pain and bleeding, fewer re-opened wounds, and an overall faster recovery time. This also means faster wound closure and less scarring [9<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Patient<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Stretch Marks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stretch marks are a form of scarring that occurs when the skin is rapidly stretched, resulting in tears in the dermis layer. This damage to the skin’s collagen and elastin fibers initially appears as reddish or purplish lines and may look indented. Over time, stretch marks can fade to a lighter color, resembling more traditional scars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While they don’t pose any medical risk, they are often a cosmetic concern. Using red light therapy for stretch marks<\/a> can reduce their appearance, although completely removing them is difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Close-up<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

How Does Red Light Therapy Work For Scars?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that RLT is very promising for the treatment of scars, as proven by several clinical trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond minimizing the appearance of a scar, RLT uses wavelengths of light (usually 630 to 850 nm) to penetrate the skin and tissue, stimulating healing within your cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s how RLT works to prevent and treat scars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduces Inflammation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Inflammation is a healthy short-term effect of wound healing, but chronic inflammation can slow healing and increase the amount of scarring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As red light penetrates the skin cells, it boosts cellular energy production by stimulating the mitochondria within your cells to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) – the \u201cenergy currency\u201d of our cells. This increase in energy allows cells to start repairing and regenerating [1<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, this can reduce the size and depth of scars as healthy, normal skin is formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increases Blood Flow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One great way to speed up your skin’s healing process is by increasing blood flow to the injured area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RLT improves blood circulation by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n