Light that cells respond to.
Red and near-infrared light has been studied for more than fifty years. Here is what it is, what scientists call it, and where the research came from.
What it is
Specific wavelengths of visible red light (around 630 to 660 nm) and invisible near-infrared light (around 810 to 850 nm and beyond), delivered at low intensity. It is not a heat lamp and it does not use ultraviolet. ARK Graystone panels carry nine wavelengths so a practice can choose how each session runs.
The scientific name
Researchers call it photobiomodulation, or PBM. Photo means light, bio means living tissue, and modulation means to adjust. You will also see it called low-level light therapy. Your clients will mostly just say red light.
From a lab in Budapest to the treatment room.
- 1967
Hungarian physician Endre Mester, at Semmelweis University in Budapest, was experimenting with a low-power laser when he noticed that the light seemed to change how living cells behaved. Photobiomodulation research began there.
- 1990s
Researchers supported by NASA were testing LED lighting for growing plants in space and found the same kind of light also affected human cells. That opened the door to the LED panels used today.
- Today
Laboratories around the world study how cells respond to red and near-infrared light, with particular attention to the mitochondria, the part of the cell that produces energy.
What it is studied for
Scientists study red and near-infrared light for cellular performance and wellness, including in longevity research.
Why it works as a service
A session is short, comfortable and easy to explain, which makes it simple to add beside the services your practice already offers. That is why clinics, med spas, chiropractors and gyms are adding it.