The body’s ability to detoxify is essential for wellbeing, and it depends on the health of multiple organs and tissues. When something happens to these organs, oxidative stress may result in adrenal fatigue or metabolic syndrome. These two conditions are very closely related and have similar symptoms. Developing one of these two conditions may lead to the other. However, finding ways to improve your detoxification can be difficult. One way to increase your skin’s detox function could be red light therapy, according to research.
Many people are not aware that the skin is the largest organ in the body and a major player in the detoxification process. But there is a catch: its effectiveness depends on your lifestyle and temperature range. Research increasingly indicates that red light therapy could be of immense help with regards to supporting your skin’s detox ability.
Red light therapy is a technique whereby low-level wavelengths of light are used to address issues such as scars, wounds, or wrinkles, for example. Its first use was for growing plants for food in space during the 1990s. Since then, however, its application for use in the medical and beauty fields have shown that it has more potential uses than just helping plants grow.
Other terms commonly used for red light therapy include: 
In the beauty field, red light therapy is used to reduce wrinkles, cellulite, and stretch marks, and renew collagen and elastin. In the medical field, it may be used to reduce psoriasis, the side-effects of chemotherapy, slow-healing wounds, and many other issues.
All living beings need a chemical compound known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in order to supply the cellular energy needed for survival. We rely on natural sunlight to help our bodies make this compound. For the most part, the red infrared spectrum in natural sunlight fulfills this role. It does this by stimulating our cells’ mitochondria. They take this light energy, nutrients from food, and oxygen, and turn it into energy that our bodies need to function by means of cellular respiration.
By utilizing red light therapy, you are essentially giving your body the ability to make more ATP and thus perform at a more optimal level. Because it works at a cellular level, many possible benefits may be identified.
Numerous studies on the ability of red light therapy to aid in weight loss show positive results. For instance, it is believed that red light therapy affects the cells that store fat by causing the lipids to disperse and get flushed out of your system. It may also affect your hunger levels, resulting in your brain telling your body it needs less food. This it does by modulating leptin and ghrelin hormone levels.
Red light therapy may also affect the amount of cellulite you carry around. A study done on women doing treadmill exercises had one group also undergo red light therapy. The group who did the exercise along with the therapy showed that this approach was much more effective in cellulite reduction than only exercising.
Red light therapy may enhance the function of your lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system is a system made up of tissues and organs that flush out toxins and other waste materials from your body. Lymph, the fluid that is transported by the lymphatic system, contains white blood cells that fight off infection. By enhancing lymph drainage, red light therapy may result in reduced swelling and inflammation which, in turn, has a positive effect on arthritis and other inflammatory health conditions.
In addition to its positive action on your lymphatic system, research indicates that red light therapy could result in an increase in immune cell populations in your body.
Oxidative stress is associated with the aging process, cell injury, joint pain, and inflammation. Red light therapy, however, may be of aid in antioxidant production and thus help address the health issues associated with oxidative stress.
Studies indicate that, when certain areas of your skin are exposed to red light therapy, an increase in blood circulation in that area is noticed. This suggests the tissue in that area is receiving a higher blood supply, and therefore it is getting more oxygen and nutrients needed for the healing process. At the same time, more toxins may be removed from the area.
Your skin is one of your body’s detoxifying mechanisms where toxins are mostly removed by sweating. Many people find that their skin is quite inactive in this regard. This may result in a buildup of uric acid and other toxins under your sin, reducing your skin’s elasticity. Wrinkles and blemishes may result.
In addition, your detoxification organs may need to work harder to ensure proper detoxification takes place. Conversely, when your other detoxification organs cannot take up the slack, more pressure is put on your skin’s detoxification abilities. You may then notice more puffiness in your face, clogged pores, blemishes, or poor skin tone and color.
The added heat and increased blood circulation in areas receiving red light therapy may help allow certain toxins to escape through the skin.
Your body’s natural circadian rhythm determines your waking and sleeping patterns. These patterns are largely determined by melatonin levels. Many people suffering from a disrupted sleep pattern have a melatonin imbalance. In addition to this, artificial lighting during the evenings could decrease your brain’s ability to produce melatonin. Research, however, indicates that red light therapy increases natural melatonin output. This means it may be of benefit to those with lower melatonin levels and sleeping issues.
One of the telltale signs of aging is a reduction in collagen production, which makes up 70 percent of your skin’s protein. Its main functions include giving your skin tissues their connective ability, ensuring skin firmness and elasticity, and boosting hair strength. As you get older, however, collagen production decreases and the outer layer of your skin becomes thinner while losing its elasticity. Wrinkles start appearing.
Red light therapy, however, while not being able to stop the aging process, may help slow it down. Research indicates it may promote and restore cellular function while at the same time stimulating collagen production.
Because red light therapy works at a cellular level where it boosts the production of ATP, you may have more energy, better circulation, and a faster rate of cellular repair. This suggests it could improve overall physical performance. You may also become less easily fatigued, and muscle recovery after exercise may be speeded up.
A lot of things can wreak havoc on your skin, from free radicals and sun damage, to makeup and even pollution. Ensuring your skin’s detox mechanisms work well may help reduce the damage caused by these factors.
The various components of your NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response, which is your body’s overall stress defense mechanism. It is largely governed by the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, and in conjunction with your detoxification circuit, it is key in flushing toxins from your body. It describes how multiple organs and systems work together to ensure the internal homeostasis needed for optimal health.
One of the main functions of the NEM is managing stressors. In doing so, it tries to get rid of any unwanted toxins that may result during times of stress. This is where the detoxification system and its organ systems come into play, flushing these toxins out of the body. These various processes are automatic. You do not even know they are happening.
At times, however, the detox system goes into a state of dysfunction. When this happens, a number of symptoms may appear that could potentially become debilitating.
Symptoms associated with a detox dysfunction include, amongst many others:
The body typically eliminates toxins through the liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, skin, and lymphatic system. With a detox dysfunction, there is a buildup of various toxins in the body that the body’s natural detox processes are unable to deal with.
Causes of toxin buildup include, amongst others:
These toxins, in the long run, could place a heavy burden on your body, especially if you already suffer from adrenal fatigue or other chronic health conditions. Recovering from detoxification circuit dysfunction may be a long process that takes into account your body’s current detoxification ability, your immune state, your general constitution, and its antioxidant reserves. Looking after your body in general, and its detoxification ability, is thus of great importance for your long-term overall health.
The best way to stop your body from going into a state of detoxification dysfunction is to support your natural detoxification processes. Here are some tips to do so:
Red light therapy, however, may also be considered as one of the tools in your detoxification arsenal. Working via the top layers of your skin, red light therapy has the ability to promote detoxification via your skin, blood (that gets cleaned in your liver), and lymphatic system.
Besides its benefits for the detox process, red light therapy has numerous other health benefits. Its ability to increase collagen production is just one of these. Collagen production is reduced with age. When you undergo red light therapy, however, collagen production in your skin is stimulated. As a result, your skin regains a more youthful look with less sagging and wrinkles.
Red light therapy may be a useful tool with regards to your skin’s detoxification process because of its ability to stimulate your skin and increase blood flow to that area. It also works at a cellular level, stimulating ATP production and cellular repair. However, it should not be seen as a stand-alone tool. Rather, it should be used in conjunction with other methods to ensure a fully functional detoxification system.
As you mature, your skin loses its ability to make collagen. Its tone deteriorates, and wrinkles start forming. According to research, red light therapy has many health benefits including improved skin tone and collagen production. It may indeed make your skin look younger.
