Hit The Lights

It’s A Little Out Of The Ordinary, But Red-Light Therapy Offers Plenty Of Benefits. Linda Music Tries Out The Country’s First Led Light Bed

- Linda Music

When I first saw a picture of Australia’s first LED light bed – a bed that I would soon be trialling – I have to admit alarm bells stated ringing. After all, we’re taught that not only is red the colour of danger, but it’s also hot. Extremely hot. Indeed, the light bed in the picture glowed with such intensity that it reminded me of a giant hotplate. And I was the one about to be cooked.

As I stared at the picture, I considered why I’d subject myself to this potentially scorching experience for even a second, let alone a full 40-minute treatment. The answer is simple. Despite its colour, the light bed isn’t hot and it promises many benefits.

Red-light therapy (also known as photobiomodulation) uses lasers or LEDs that are said to reduce wrinkles, tighten skin, accelerate healing, improve post-exercise recovery, reduce blood pressure and improve immunity. The LED bed I trialled at Cryo in the Sydney suburb of Rosebery has also been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to relieve muscle, joint and arthritic pain and stiffness.

The benefits sounded amazing, but I couldn’t help but wonder: how can something as simple as red light do all these things? I was eager to find out.

Red-light therapy isn’t new. Used for years by dermatologists and plastic surgeons to treat wrinkles and other skin conditions, it works by sending low-power red-light wavelengths through the skin. This kick-starts the recovery process by stimulating collagen and elastin production, and increasing blood flow.