Red Light Therapy

I have been using a bit red light therapy already. I have been following a company called Bon Charge for a while now. I use a few of their products. Including a magnetic bracelet and a red-light wand I use on my face. As well as some EMF blocking stickers for my electronics.

When I moved into my new house I bought a red-light therapy sauna. I have also got myself a red-light mask and a belt. Now as much as I have all these items, I don’t necessarily use them consistently. Especially the sauna. There are so many healing benefits in this kind of therapy.

Red light therapy has emerged at the intersection of modern science and an older intuition. Aggressive medical interventions that attempt to override the body, red light therapy works by offering cells a signal they already recognise. It is non-invasive, subtle, and cumulative, operating less like a command and more like an invitation for the body to return to balance.

At its core, red light therapy uses specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light, typically in the range of 630 to 660 nanometres for red light and 810 to 880 nanometres for near-infrared. These wavelengths penetrate the skin and underlying tissues without causing damage, unlike ultraviolet light. Instead of heating or burning tissue, they interact directly with cellular structures, particularly the mitochondria, which function as the energy generators of the cell.

When mitochondria absorb red and near-infrared light, several biological effects begin. One of the most significant is the increased production of ATP, the molecule that fuels nearly all cellular processes. At the same time, blood flow improves, oxygen delivery increases, and inflammatory signalling is reduced. In this way, red light therapy supports repair, regeneration, and resilience at a cellular level rather than simply masking symptoms.

These effects have led to its use across a wide range of applications, from muscle recovery and joint pain to wound healing and skin health. Collagen production can be stimulated, connective tissue repair supported, and recovery from physical stress enhanced. However, one of the most compelling and still-evolving areas of interest is how red-light therapy interacts with the nervous system, particularly in the context of chronic stress and trauma.

Stress and trauma do not reside only in the mind. They leave physiological imprints throughout the body, especially within the autonomic nervous system. When a person experiences prolonged stress or traumatic events, the nervous system can become biased toward survival states. This often looks like chronic sympathetic activation, characterised by hypervigilance, tension, inflammation, and difficulty resting, or alternatively a dorsal vagal collapse marked by exhaustion, numbness, and withdrawal. In both cases, the body expends enormous energy simply maintaining these states.

Red light therapy appears to support nervous system regulation by addressing the biological cost of these stress responses. By improving mitochondrial efficiency and ATP availability, it gives cells more energy to perform basic maintenance and repair. This matters because a nervous system stuck in survival mode is metabolically expensive. When energy is scarce, the body prioritises defence over healing. By restoring cellular energy availability, red light therapy may help create the internal conditions necessary for the nervous system to shift out of chronic threat responses.

Red and near-infrared light have been shown to influence inflammation, which is closely linked to both stress and trauma. Chronic psychological stress is associated with elevated inflammatory markers, and inflammation itself feeds back into the nervous system, reinforcing anxiety, pain sensitivity, and fatigue. By reducing inflammatory signalling and improving circulation, red light therapy may help interrupt this feedback loop, supporting a calmer internal environment in which regulation becomes more accessible.

There is growing interest in how red-light therapy may influence vagal tone and parasympathetic activity. While it is not a standalone trauma treatment, many people report feeling calmer, more grounded, or more settled after sessions. This may be partly due to the therapy’s non-invasive nature. It does not demand effort, interpretation, or emotional processing. For individuals with trauma histories, this can be significant. The body receives support without being asked to relive, explain, or confront past experiences. In this sense, red light therapy can act as a bottom-up intervention, working through physiology rather than cognition.

Red light therapy does not force regulation. It does not calm the nervous system in the way a sedative might. Instead, it supports the biological foundations of self-regulation. This distinction matters. Trauma-informed approaches recognise that safety cannot be imposed on the nervous system; it must be experienced. By improving cellular energy, circulation, and inflammatory balance, red light therapy may help the body feel resourced enough to move toward regulation on its own terms.

Another benefit is helping with hormonal imbalances. Emerging research also suggests that red and near-infrared light may support melatonin regulation when used at appropriate times, indirectly improving sleep quality and circadian signalling, which in turn stabilises insulin, cortisol rhythms, and reproductive hormones. In this way, red light therapy acts less like a hormonal switch and more like a systems-level support, helping the body remember its natural timing, feedback loops, and capacity for balance.

The subjective experience of red-light therapy often reflects this gentle quality. Sessions are typically described as warm but not hot, relaxing without being sedating. Some people feel subtly energised; others notice improved sleep when sessions are timed earlier in the day. There is no downtime, no recovery period, and no sense of being worked on. This makes it particularly appealing for individuals who already feel overwhelmed by high-intensity interventions.

I will continue to do my red-light therapy know all the benefits it offers me. Calming, healing and meditative. I found doing a meditation while in my sauna for 20 mins enhances the benefits, along with some crystals in the sauna. I am all about the healing and if I can do it without the use of medication, all the better.