How to Prepare Your Skin for Red Light Therapy?

At least an hour before the session, skin should be prepped and free of oils, lotions, and other products. Burns, skin abrasions or lesions, and tattoos are contraindicated. Patients obtaining red light therapy should sign an informed consent prior to treatment. This consent will outline other risks including medications that are contraindicated due to their photosensitive properties. While the research on combining red light therapy with other skin treatments is limited, it's generally considered safe to continue regular skincare routines after a session. During red light therapy treatments, it is good to avoid retinol products. The impact of skin pigmentation on red light therapy is an area that requires further investigation. Early research suggests that individuals with darker skin tones may experience more heat absorption during treatment, as their skin absorbs a greater amount of the light compared to those with lighter complexions. While this warming sensation is generally well-tolerated, it's an important factor to consider when determining optimal treatment. Responsible red light therapy use should include titrating the time of exposure to gauge the individual response, much like how you would do a patch test prior to applying hair products. At Executive Medicine of Texas, because we offer full body red light therapy with near infrared, we start our patient at 7 minutes of red light and titrate them up to 15 minutes.

Cleanse Skin and Stay Hydrated
Start with a clean slate by thoroughly cleansing your skin to remove any makeup, oils, or debris. This allows the red light to penetrate the skin more effectively. Secondly, it's essential to ensure you are properly hydrated.

Drinking plenty of water before and after your therapy can enhance the skin's elasticity and overall health, helping to prevent wrinkles and promoting more effective healing and rejuvenation!