Eczema is one of the common skin conditions, and over 30 million Americans suffer from this condition. (Source)

Sadly, the treatment for eczema is not yet adequately understood, and the recent solutions are not that effective.

But some good news did strike many patients with eczema, as a few of the current clinical results show that red light therapy successfully reduces redness and itchiness.

Furthermore, this therapy has even shown improvement over skin rashes and has been successful in reducing inflammation. This makes it useful in gyms such as Planet Fitness where you can use a Planet Fitness Total Body Enhancement machine after a workout to reduce muscle soreness and aching. The machine works in a similar way to a tanning bed, but instead of using ultraviolet light, it uses infrared instead.

With such advanced machines coming into the picture, skin clinics tend to use such devices, which can help in treating different skin abnormalities. Since, these machines are often made after rigorous testing and trials in the hospitals, using them for skin treatment may not be a concern. You can ensure that your medical professional uses therapeutic devices supplied by a trusted and reputed company like Cryomed (you can have a look at aesthetic devices new zealand). Such machines can assist in treating skin laxity, excessive fat, cellulite, scars, stretch marks, unwanted tattoos, and pigmented lesions

So, here in this article, we’ll know all the positive impacts of how red light therapy can contribute to the treatment of eczema without showing any side effects!

Therefore, read till the end to know it all.

The Truth Regarding Eczema Treatment

Eczema has been one of the significant concerns of many people. Sometimes, psoriasis and eczema can get combined as both are inflammable and can result in itching, which can be very difficult to treat!

Both of these conditions have no primary treatment. Sometimes, patients take prescribed ointments and drugs that don’t show any observable effectiveness and might end up back-firing with unwanted side effects. There are, however, a few eczema relief cream available on the market that might be effective for relieving eczema symptoms and keeping skin that way with simple, daily maintenance.

Recently, researchers have searched for effective medications and treatments and stumbled over the benefits of RLT (Red light therapy) regarding eczema. The findings might be preliminary, but the results are very positive.

These positive outcomes encourage the researchers to carry on with further studies regarding the relationship between eczema and red light therapy!

Eczema and Red Light Therapy

In a human experiment, red light therapy and eczema were being analyzed. A group of researchers selected 81 patients for around a year, measured all their symptoms, and kept records of their progressed treatments. (Source)

The researchers then evaluated the progress before and after the patients went through regular light therapy treatment for 2 minutes sessions each week.

With each of the following short treatments, the researchers discovered drastic improvements in the eczema symptoms, even reduction of the following:

  • Follicular keratosis
  • Erythema
  • Pityriasis
  • Papules

They further noted that there were no side effects during or even after the treatment. Researchers believe that red light therapy might be the ultimate treatment for eczema only for eczema treatment.

Regularity and consistency with the treatment were the keys to improvement, but it was also stated even irregular short treatments also showed significant improvements of the patients with eczema.

Lab Studies Regarding Eczema and Red Light Therapy

In numerous lab studies, red light therapy has been found to be highly beneficial to many eczema patients.

Everything has been thoroughly tested with red light therapy, from advanced immunosuppressive drugs to even casual warm water baths. And in all the cases, the results have just been outstanding.

A study in 2013 carried out several tests to discover the benefits of immunosuppressive drugs and red light therapy (Source). And the following are the things they had found:

  • Reduced inflammation
  • Significant reduction of skin lesions
  • Re-established skin barrier

In a similar kind of study, the same researcher conducted a similar experiment, but the experiment was carried out with causal warm water to examine eczema. RLT, along with a hot bath, also decreased the inflammation. It even reduced the production of skin lesions and also suppressed any allergic reactions.

Although, more studies are still undergoing better to understand the relationship between red light therapy and eczema.

What Procedures Might Patients Go Through During Eczema Light Therapy?

Light therapy uses specialized UV lamps for treating conditions like eczema.

Experts administer these therapies during the therapy sessions. And they continuously keep control of the session time and the intensity as well.

Before the treatment, the experts will apply some moisturizer to the area that will be treated. They will even hand goggles to keep your eyes protected.

You might also need to take some of your clothes off to ensure that UV radiation successfully targets the areas of concern.

Even the treatment might be performed in a comparatively large cabinet where UV bulbs surround you.

Usually, these treatments last for a few or seconds or even several minutes, depending on the situation of your eczema rashes.

Common Risk Factors of Eczema Light Therapy

Red light therapy is considered very safe, and no possible dangers have been reported during the treatment procedure.

Although, it’s better to talk with your dermatologist before you start taking any of these therapies, as there might be specific reactions due to different skin tones.

Even there’s always a possibility for exacerbation, especially if UV light is one of the triggers of your eczema. So, if that is the case, make sure that you tell the expert about this before the treatment procedure, as he’ll then adjust the light intensities so that it treats your condition and doesn’t trigger eczema.

However, other side effects might include:

  • Tender skin
  • Increased itchiness
  • Discoloration or redness post-treatment
  • Dry skin
  • Acne breakouts
  • Brown and white spots
  • Burning sensations
  • Signs of age spots
  • Future cataracts

Although short-term side effects such as discoloration and redness might also get worse after 8 hours of the therapy session, they should completely recover after this time.

Nevertheless, the side effects of this treatment are minimal and will not have any severe or permanent issues.

Bottom Line

Red light therapy has indeed been the solution to many conditions, and eczema is one of them.

Other than red light therapy, no other long-lasting and practical solutions have yet been discovered for eczema.

The risks and side effects regarding red light therapy are minimal as during the sessions, the intensity of the UV is increased gradually! So, no news of severe side effects has been reported yet.

Although, there’s still a chance of experiencing sunburns, discoloration, and redness during the sessions. So, in such cases, always consult with your doctor for better solutions.

I hope this article will now help you know how eczema and red light therapy are connected.

Reference Articles: https://www.degreewellness.com/2020/04/red-light-therapy-for-treating-eczema-and-psoriasis-symptoms/

https://www.healthline.com/health/eczema/phototherapy-for-eczema#bottom-line