From voguearabia.com
By Anjan Sachar
20 minutes of what feels like laying in just the right amount of warmth has its perks
If you have had to battle with a chronic skin condition for a long time, you’ve likely found yourself willing to resort to every solution possible in the hope for a cure, or at least the best symptom management solution. I’ve dealt with psoriasis — an autoimmune skin condition that shows up in the form of redness and scaly patches on your skin — for half my life now. It started with a patch on my scalp for a few years which I managed to contain, and eventually turned into red, scaly patches on the body. It flares up with the regular culprits — pollution, stress, environmental aggressors — and only ever settles with the help of a steroid ointment application. While my scalp patches now only need maintenance, the flare ups on the body come back with a vengeance every time I’ve partied too hard, been too stressed or not slept well enough. And with my erratic lifestyle, all of this happens more often than I’d like.
Red light therapy came into the limelight as a form of inflammation reduction and cellular regeneration. From in-clinic facial treatments to at-home use LED masks, it was everywhere. Then came the red light beds, providing the same benefits but for the entire body. “Red and near infrared light therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses red or near infrared wavelengths, working through a process called photobiomodulation, which means using light to change how skin cells behave,” explains Dr. Shabana Daya, a UK-based integrative aesthetic doctor and a dermatology-trained GP. “This light is absorbed by tiny structures in the skin cells called mitochondria, which boost their ATP or energy production, helping skin cells repair and renew themselves faster.” In the case of psoriasis, the immune system triggers overproduction of skin cells and inflammation, all of which can be calmed in mild to moderate cases with the use of red light therapy. “It can help calm inflammation and help your skin cells work more normally by restoring their energy balance,” says Daya, who is also on the scientific advisory board of wellness tech brand BON CHARGE. “This can slow down the rapid cell growth that causes thick, scaly patches in psoriasis.”
I did my research, spoke to my dermatologist for her nod of approval, and decided that a red light therapy bed session was worth giving a shot to, just in case it can help with psoriasis management without the use of steroids. The pre-session rules: You’re meant to have eaten a proper meal and be well hydrated. It’s essential that you go in with minimal clothing to maximise light exposure so I did so only in my underwear. All metal is to be taken off. The physician at the clinic I visited also checked my blood pressure beforehand.
Once I lay down on the bed, the physician came in to shut the upper half onto me after handing me light blocking eye shades. Disclaimer: Even though this bed chamber does not entirely shut or touch your body from the top, if you are claustrophobic, I’d suggest putting the shades on before it’s shut on you. Even though it’s left open enough and actually isn’t very intimidating, it can feel like it when you watch a full cover come down on you.
Expect to feel a comforting warmth (nothing close to a sauna) for a duration of 20 minutes. It almost feels meditative considering your eyes are covered and neither do you have access to any devices; a welcome change. You do need to be still throughout since there isn’t too much wiggle room but that won’t feel like a struggle — the time runs faster than you’d think, without any discomfort.
Your body will feel a bit warm for a couple of hours once you’re done, and you’re meant to hydrate well after, which is the only post care. Just before I put my clothes back on, I noticed an instant reduction in redness and itchiness around inflamed scaly patches which was a pleasant surprise. When it comes to wellness treatments, they often work from the inside out, meaning you have to either trust the process or feel the difference before you can witness it. Being able to see an immediate visible result was what made me a believer.
I was out of the wellness clinic in under five minutes and went about the rest of my day normally, making this a great lunchtime treatment as well, even when you’re pressed for time. I’ve gone back multiple times ever since and plan to continue to do so.
As is the case with most treatments, you need to sign up for consistent sessions once a week for 4-6 weeks to notice long term results. For psoriasis, you can start with this frequency and then look at it as a management treatment add on with a frequency that works for the severity of your condition.
Unfortunately, red light therapy isn’t an all-encompassing solution for psoriasis, it’s additional support. “In isolation, it can help with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis, as a gentle non drug symptom reducing tool. Red light therapies would be better paired as a complimentary tool for long term management,” explains Daya. Don’t give up on your creams and ointments just yet, especially if you have severe psoriasis, and definitely not without consulting your dermatologist. “Red and near infrared light therapy can help calm inflammation, scaling and redness in psoriasis anywhere where the light will directly reach the psoriatic plaques,” says Daya. “For facial psoriasis this can be used as an adjunct to treatment. For scalp psoriasis it can be used, although efficacy will be reduced due to hair acting as a barrier.”
While a red light therapy bed works on the entire body, a mask using the same has proven to significantly improve facial skin. “Red light also triggers fibroblasts, which are cells in the skin crucial for producing collagen, the protein that gives skin youthful qualities like plumpness and elasticity. With regular use, these wavelengths can stimulate components to maintain and improve skin quality leading to a healthier, more radiant complexion,” explains Daya.
https://www.voguearabia.com/article/red-light-therapy-bed-helps-psoriasis-flare-up
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