This article examines the success of Red Light Therapy when used by men and women who have a skin condition called DSAP. The research was conducted from 1) a survey that was taken by 34 people with DSAP after using red light therapy and 2) About 12 months of anecdotal data from a DSAP Private Forum.

Red light therapy, photobiomodulation or low level laser therapy are all terms that mean the same thing: using light therapy through lasers emitting infrared light for tissue repair, hair loss prevention, to ease joint pain and much more.

Initially red light therapy (RLT) was studied by NASA for would healing, but since then it’s been used to treat a whole host of skin conditions, including DSAP. The red light stimulates tissue recovery through increased blood flow and collagen stimulation. For more information on how and why RLT works, just search the web, there is a lot of information about this topic.

Where to get treatment

There are two ways to go about treatment. 1) You can go to a dermatologist, salon or gym that has a Red Light Therapy machine and conduct your sessions there. You sit in or under the red lights for about 10-20 minutes a few times a week. The Red Lights are usually bigger so you’re able to cover a larger surface area.

Or 2) you can purchase your own Red Light and conduct your sessions at home. The main benefit here is that you can do this while you’re watching TV or working at your computer. The draw back is the home units are normally smaller, so you don’t cover as much surface area (of your body) in one go. In other words, you might only be able to treat one body part at a time, so 20 minutes on your right arm, 20 minutes on your left arm and so on.

There are some larger more powerful at home units like Red Rush or Platinum LED.

Both of these brands are very reputable, use the strongest lights available and ship out of the USA.

The advantage of a larger unit is that it reduces the amount of time spent on treatment. If you can cover most of your body in 10 or 20  minutes that’s much better than going body part by body part. So it really depends how many areas you have that need treatment.

Who Took the Suvey + Results

34 people with DSAP, who are all members of the DSAP Private Forum  and have been undergoing Red Light Therapy.

HIGHLIGHTS

Based on reading through all of the surveys, and at least a year’s worth of self reported  results and observations on the Private Forum, here are some highlights, nuggets of wisdom and consistent findings.

• RLT is not a cure, it is a very effective, non-invasive management tool to keep the spots under control. What the RLT is doing is fading the scars. It is not removing the lesions
• Results vary! Some people see results right away, and some don’t. Some people see a more improvement on their legs and some see a bigger improvement on their arms. So just because your neighbor had good results won’t mean you will
• It doesn’t matter if you use a home unit or use a gym or salons machine as to the success of the treatment ie: People who use a RLT at a gym don’t have a higher incidence of success.
• Consistency is most important. This is one thing everyone agrees on. If you start this you’re in it for the long haul. There is no quick fix. One respondent said it best, “You’re wasting your time without a commitment to consistency.”
• There are no negative side effects. In fact, there are many reported positive side effects. (read on for what they are)
• Most people use RLT 3-5 times per week for about 12-20 minutes per area.

How successful has RLT been?

32% of respondents said that RLT has been successful or very successful which is relatively high when it comes to DSAP Treatments. This has a much higher success most other treatments.

How Long Does it Take to See Results?

Over 80% of respondents said that it takes 4 weeks or longer to see any results and many claim that if you aren’t going to dedicate to multiple sessions per week for many months that it’s not worth investing in a machine or getting started at a salon.

Before & After Photos of People with DSAP Who Have Used Red Light Therapy 

(Photo credit: the wonderful (annonymous) women in the DSAP Private Forum)

RLT Home Brands vs. RLT at a Salon / Gym

The main difference in the RLT delivery method is whether or not it’s conducted at home or at a salon. My hypothesis before starting this research was that people who go to a salon would have better results, due to a bigger more powerful unit with better coverage, but based on this study I don’t think we can make that conclusion.

90% of at home RLT users say they were very satisfied, satisfied or somewhat satisfied vs. 85% for salon units.

1. Home Units Broken Down by Brand

REVIEW OF BRANDS

a. Red Rush by Red Therapy

This was by far the best unit because it’s able to treat bigger surface area of your body at one time, and is more powerful, so you don’t need to spend as much time each day using it. So it depends on how many areas you need to treat. If it’s just one, then a smaller unit might be fine, but if you want to treat fronts and backs of legs and arms plus torso or any combination, this is the way to go.

1. 660nm RED light for skin rejuvenation and surface smoothing
2. 850nm NEAR-INFRARED light for tissues, joints, and muscles

SPECS:

• Power: 360 Watts – Voltage: 100-240V (Works Worldwide)
• LEDs: 120 x 3W LEDs (60 x 660nm / 60 x 850nm)
• Treatment Area: up to 24″ x 60″
• Treatment Time Per Area: 7-10 Minutes
• Irradiance:
  • >250 mw/cm² max
  • 100.5 mw/cm² at 6″ – deep tissue
  • 47 mw/cm² at 18″ – energy
  • 15 mw/cm² at 36″ – skin
• EMF: 0.0uT at 6″
• Size: 10.6″ Wide x 16.3″ Tall x 2.6″ Thick – Weight: 13lbs
• Cooling Fans: 2
• Lifetime: 50,000 Hours

b. ABI 12W Deep Red 660nm LED Bloom Booster

Amazon 4.5 out of 5 stars    75 customer reviews

Amazon 4.5 out of 5 stars    75 customer reviews

• This is one of the least expensive units at $18.95.
• Only 14% of the respondents used this one. It does not appear that lower price equals lower quality as people were generally satisifed
• This was originally used for warming plants and is now marketed for skin care.
• It’s a very sturdy and durable unit, according to reviews.
• TIP: Buy multiple units (since the price is right) and have them going all at once so the whole process can be completed in 20 minutes as opposed to using one unit on each body part.

User feedback

• My arms are much smoother, and the redness has gone way down! RLT is the only thing that has improved my spots! Helped with biopsy scars too!
• I quit for fall/winter for 4 months and noticed that my spots got slightly worse, but nowhere near as bad as they were before red light therapy!

c. Pulsaderm Red LED – Light Therapy Technology – FDA Cleared

At the time of writing, this unit was no longer available on Amazon.

d. Huini Brand LED Color Photon Therapy

This unit is similar to the Omega, #1 above. It sells on Amazon for about $280.00 and from what I can tell the units ship from the United States, unlike the Omega, that are shipped from China.

Although only 1 person in the survey tried this one (with good results), it looks like a solid unit and covers a significant surface area.

e. Trophy Skin RejuvaliteMD Anti Aging Red LED Light Therapy Beauty Device

Amazon: 3.5 out of 5 stars    76 customer reviews

Only one person tried this unit, and it was successful. At $249 this wouldn’t be my choice as the coverage area is simply too small. It would take too long to get to all of the DSAP-y areas on my body.

f. NORLANYA RED Light Photon Therapy Machine 660nm, Rechargeable

At about $60, this unit would be perfect for those who have spots in a concentrated area, like the face or hands. It was designed for people wanting to reduce wrinkles, so it is the perfect size for facial coverage. But the coverage area of this unit is probably too small for anyone with DSAP

g. Platinum LED

This unit is of the highest quality available and NOT at the most expensive price. Check it out.

CONSISTENCY & COMFORT

The keys to success is establishing a routine. If you can’t commit to it, then wait until you can. If you can involve RLT into your routine you are more likely to stay consistent. Maybe you do it when you’re drinking coffee and watching the morning news, or working on your computer.

In order to be comfortable during her sessions, this person set up a serene area in her home where she can meditate, contemplate, watch TV or any other activity that allows the time to pass while keeping the mind active and productive. It also helps that all she has to do is walk in and it’s set up. No assembly required.

2. Salon & Gym Use

Many people in the survey and the DSAP Private Forum go to Planet Fitness where Red Light Therapy is part of the membership. (I am not sure if this is the case with every single Planet Fitness or just select gyms).

When I called to find out gym membership, it was very affordable at $25. So, if you are going there anyway to work out, and you can pop in for a RLT session, this is probably the way to go. If however, you have a busy schedule and can’t make it in there 3-5 times per week, then one of the home units would be more convenient so you could fit RLT’ing into other activities, like TV watching, coffee drinking, or, relaxing with a glass of wine.

Here are some comments from respondents who go to Planet Fitness or other gyms or salons:

• While my legs are about the same my arms seem to fine almost clear do different body parts react differently.
• I started using red light at a salon. Very good results after a few months so have now purchased a model to be used at home. Need to be consistent for it to work.
• I started doing RLT at a tanning salon. That’s when I saw the best results. I then switched over to the Omega light that most of our page members seem to have and have not had good results. Now I’m doing both. I only THINK I may be seeing results from this. Yes, they seem a bit fainter; but none of them have gone away. I’ve been doing this since July.
• It really improved my eczema. No outbreaks.
• It makes scratches and cuts heal faster. My skin looks better than it has in years.
• This is an amazing treatment which really works. It is a treatment which has to be continued on a consistent basis or the spots return and or new ones appear.
• The key is consistency. I joined Planet Fitness and went 2-3 times per week for 12 minute RLT sessions. I took a break for a couple months and my spots came back. So, it’s important to continue as much as possible.

Red light therapy Side Benefits

In addition to helping fade DSAP spots, you can expect some other pleasant benefits like:

• Pain relief for arthritis, and athletic recovery
• an improvement in your facial complexion
• fading of acne scars
• regrowth of hair (yes, you can use the laser on your head to get thicker hair).

Of course there are specialized products for each of these. A couple of which I thought were pretty neat

Wrinkle Reduction

This could be used to boost your collagen for a more youthful appearance, or if that doesn’t work, you could always use it on Halloween, it would make a great Michael Myers mask, don’t you think? 🙂

Hair Loss Prevention

According to WebMD over 40% of women have visibly thinning hair by the time they are age 40. So, this next product would be beneficial for for men and women. It’ll set you back about $600, but if it really works who wouldn’t pay that to have flowing locks again. The results look promising! 4.0 out of 5 stars    560 customer reviews

If your hair doesn’t grow back you could always use it as a helmet when you go bikeriding, skateboarding or snowboarding!

CREDIT GOES TO…

Thanks to all of the wonderful men and women in the DSAP Private Forum who over the last year have provided the content for this entire article.

If you  have had different experiences with Red Light Therapy please leave your story in the comments. And please post pictures if you have them!