Out of all the current treatments for eczema and psoriasis, red light therapy appears to be the most promising one, especially if you want to treat these skin conditions naturally.
Red light therapy is showing great promise as a scientifically-backed, effective, and safe natural treatment that you can use at home anytime you need it, for as long as you need it.
In this post, you’ll find why red light therapy is superior to the UV light therapy commonly used to treat eczema and psoriasis, and the best light therapy home devices you can use in 2024.
(This post may contain affiliate links, at no extra cost to you)
Overview
- Is the Common UV Light Therapy Treatment Any Good?
- Is Red Light Therapy Good for Eczema & Psoriasis?
- How to Use Red Light Therapy for Skin Problems
- The Best Red Light Therapy Devices for Eczema/Psoriasis
- Red Light Therapy for Eczema Before and After
- Step Into the Light: Red Light Therapy for Skin Conditions
Is the Common UV Light Therapy Treatment Any Good?
UV light therapy, known as narrowband ultraviolet treatment, is an option for adults and older children who haven’t had success with typical treatments like creams and medications.
It works by reaching deep into the skin, calming inflammation, and relieving itching.
Although UV light therapy can be helpful, it requires a commitment to several weeks of treatment, usually 2-3 times a week.
Keep in mind, some people might feel a bit like they have a sunburn afterward.
Using UV light therapy too much can harm skin cells, speed up aging, and even increase the risk of skin cancer. Research studies have shown this.
Another thing to consider is that UV light therapy needs a medicine called psoralen to work better. Psoralen soaks up the UV light and improves the results. Just be aware that some people may feel queasy after taking it.
The good news is that red light therapy has emerged as a safer and more effective option for the phototherapy treatment of eczema and psoriasis.
Imagine it as a gentle yet powerful healing light. Red light therapy can ease symptoms and promote healing without the risks associated with UV light therapy.
Overusing this treatment may also lead to skin cell damage, skin aging, and skin cancer (study).
Also, UV light therapy requires the use of psoralen – a medication that absorbs UV light and improves the results. Some people feel nausea after taking this drug.
Now, red light therapy has emerged as a better and safer phototherapy treatment for eczema and psoriasis.
RELATED: The Proven Red Light Therapy Skin Benefits
Next, it’s time for the Proof.
Is Red Light Therapy Good for Eczema & Psoriasis?
When compared with UV light therapy, red light therapy (630nm – 700nm) penetrates deeper into the skin, promotes blood circulation, and promotes healing of the skin – without any pain, side effects, or risks.
It is proven effective for eczema, psoriasis, acne scars, and rosacea and is very popular as a natural anti-aging tool due to its ability to boost collagen production and improve skin tone and texture.
How Does it Work?
Red light therapy increases the production of ATP from the cell mitochondria, which results in more “energetic” skin cells that can now function optimally, regenerate and heal. New capillaries can form and more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the skin.
ATP also reduces inflammation that can lead to the main symptom of psoriasis: abnormally rapid replication of skin cells.
Also, low-level laser therapy activates the lymphatic system (that removes waste from the body) and stimulates DNA/RNA synthesis.
Since light therapy helps to restore normal cell function, this means that the rate of growth will normalize and you’ll experience fewer and less intense flares, along with reduced redness, itching, flaking, and other symptoms.
UV light therapy, in comparison, does not penetrate the skin deep enough to increase ATP production or “waking up” the lymphatic system.
How to Use Red Light Therapy for Skin Problems
All types of Psoriasis and Eczema require 3-4 red light therapy treatments per week, but you can save a lot of money on dermatologist treatments by purchasing the right red light therapy home device to treat these skin conditions – for as long as you need it.
👉 According to studies, the best treatment protocol is at least two 20-minute sessions over 4-5 weeks, with 48 hours between sessions.
The treatment time for eczema or psoriasis depends on the strength of your home device, and we’ll get to that right below.
And that’s not all:
A red light therapy home device can also be used for wrinkles and fine lines reduction (I have a LED face mask that I use), acne treatment, improving skin tone, reducing age spots, improving skin firmness, cellulite, stretch marks, and even for muscle and joint pain relief.
Now it’s time to show you the best options you have, and how to use them:
The Best Red Light Therapy Devices for Eczema/Psoriasis
.Here are the best home devices, powerful enough to soothe, heal, and prevent flare-ups:
1. Red Light Therapy Wrap
A red light therapy wrap is a convenient, comfortable, and easy way to deliver those healing red light rays – which allows direct contact with your skin.
This direct contact requires a less intense device and reduces the cost significantly.
Flexible red light therapy wraps/belts/pads can be used anywhere on your body, including curvy areas (such as the knees, elbows, hands, etc.
👉 We’ve reviewed the best red light therapy wraps of 2024, see all their benefits and uses!
2. Red LED Light Therapy Panel
The most effective red light therapy device for eczema or psoriasis would be a high-strength LED panel.
A red light therapy panel from a reputable company will be powerful enough to be effective, and can also be used for other skin conditions – such as wrinkles, fine lines, scars, and even pain relief.
You can find several trustworthy brands that make LED panels for therapeutic uses.
Through our research, we recommend the ones below:
Revive Light Therapy
Revive light therapy offers several LED panels, differing in size, wavelengths, and purposes.
The most cost-effective device for chronic skin conditions is the Revive DPL IIa, which is a consumer version of the professional dpl panels. It is a bit smaller, slimmer, and has a built-in timer.
👉 The 192 LEDs include the red, infrared, and amber wavelengths – ideal for skin healing and soothing.
See our full Revive DPL IIa Review and model comparison!
Hooga Red Light Therapy
Hooga is an established brand, that makes several professional LED light therapy panels in various sizes.
The 12″ x 8″ model is strong enough and powerful enough to treat large patches of eczema and psoriasis, it requires just 2-12 minutes of treatment (at a safe distance of 12 inches) and the price is reasonable.
👉 The wavelengths are – red at 660nm and near-infrared at 850nm.
The combination of red at 630nm and near-infrared at 850 nm was proven highly effective for psoriasis.
3. Handheld LED Light Therapy
👉 See our full DPL Nuve review.
The third option, which is more suited for small targeted areas, is a handheld red LED light therapy device.
While this option is cheaper, you’ll have to hold the device for several minutes up to twice a day against the problem area to make it work.
Handheld devices contain fewer LEDs and are less powerful than LED panels.
Our best recommendation for 2024 is the Revive dpl Nuve, which has 72 LEDs that emit infrared wavelength (880nm), deep red (660nm), red (630nm), and Amber (530nm).
Another cost-effective handheld device is a red light therapy torch, with 5 wavelengths:
I use the red light therapy device by UTK for a single spot of Psoriasis in my elbow area.
It requires just a few minutes of holding it against the area.
I’m already seeing great results:
Red Light Therapy for Eczema Before and After
When you search in Google Images, you’ll find many pictures of people showing their remarkable results with phototherapy for eczema – in all areas of their body.
Please take a look at them to help you decide whether this is a good choice for you.
Step Into the Light: Red Light Therapy for Skin Conditions
Throughout this article, we’ve delved deep into the science, guiding you step by step on how to harness the healing power of red light therapy within the comfort of your own home.
We’ve shown how it can calm the inflammation, soothe the itch, and even fade those relentless red patches that have become an unwelcome part of your daily existence.
The key to success in reducing itching, redness, flaking, and pain is consistency and the quality of the device.
In this post, we’ve recommended the dpl Nuve, Revive dpl IIa, and the Hooga LED Panels – choose according to your treatment area size, and budget.
If you have any questions, you can ask anything in the comment section below, or write to our email HERE.
To your health and happiness,
Meital
Studies
Hideki Morita, Junro Kohno, Sachiyo Tanaka, Yukio Kitano, Seichiro Sagami. CLINICAL APPLICATION OF GaAlAs 830 nm DIODE LASER FOR ATOPIC DERMATITIS. J-STAGE, Volume 5 (1993) Issue 2
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Does light therapy (phototherapy) help reduce psoriasis symptoms? 2017 May 18.
Avci P, Gupta A, Sadasivam M, et al. Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2013;32(1):41-52.
Zhang P, Wu MX. A clinical review of phototherapy for psoriasis. Lasers Med Sci. 2018;33(1):173-180. doi:10.1007/s10103-017-2360-1
Kleinpenning MM, Otero ME, van Erp PE, Gerritsen MJ, van de Kerkhof PC. Efficacy of blue light vs. red light in the treatment of psoriasis: a double-blind, randomized comparative study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2012 Feb;26(2):219-25. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2011.04039.x. Epub 2011 Mar 24. PMID: 21435024.