Red Light Therapy Before or After Tanning?

Red Light Therapy has become more and more popular among beauty enthusiasts, salons, celebrities, and the general public. While controversial, many find that these treatments relieve pain, improve skin, and soothe sore joints.

Red light therapy is now used in many pain relief and beauty treatments, and it has moved from the salon (or the gym) to the home!

Many tanning salons offer light therapy as part of their services, right next to the tanning beds. Do you use red light therapy before or after tanning?

There’s no correct answer to this, but people typically use light therapy before tanning. However, new technologies allow you to do both at the same time!

In this article, we discuss the interaction between red light therapy and tanning. So read on to get your glow on!

---

What Is Red Light Therapy, Anyway?

Red light therapy is controversial, but becoming incredibly popular. It is also known by other names like low-level light therapy (LLLT), and photonic stimulation.

Despite the FDA’s approval, many scientists argue over the alleged benefits of light therapy.

That said, many people have benefited from using the low-level wavelengths of red light. This helps reduce inflammation. People have also used it to smooth out wrinkles, get rid of acne and hyperpigmentation, and promote healing.

Other amazing benefits of light therapy include:

1. Improving hair growth in people with alopecia

In this article, we’ll learn about the mitochondria in your body, which produce the energy needed for proper cellular function. Improvement is noticed after just 12 weeks of use. Laser caps and laser combs have helped induce hair growth.

2. Increasing oxygen levels in the body’s cells and tissues to boost the immune system

Red light therapy increases blood circulation. It also increases oxygen levels in your red blood cells, and reduces inflammation. Products like the Total Body Enhancement Machine at Planet Fitness are great for this.

3. Preventing herpes cold sores

Cold sores are highly contagious and can be helped with red light therapy.

4. Boosting energy levels

Red light therapy is a therapy method to help grow mitochondria in your body’s cells, which increases your energy levels and stamina.

5. Repairing damage to skin and soft tissue

The wavelengths of red light help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, redness, hyperpigmentation and acne.

It does this by stimulating natural collagen production. This can also help to mend skin damage caused by the sun.

6. Promoting oral hygiene

People who have sensitive teeth and struggle to eat ice cream or drink coffee, for example, find they can benefit from red light therapy.

Using red light therapy, combined with daily brushing and flossing, is even more beneficial.

You can see why many choose to undergo red light therapy. It can range in price anywhere from $25 up to $100 per session. Although this price differentiation depends on the type and area of treatment.

Red light therapy is a non-invasive treatment that works by its lightwaves hitting the skin. It is then absorbed into its outer layers.

Because of its non-invasiveness, it is considered a safe way to repair the damage caused by the natural aging of the body’s tissues.

And very few adverse side effects have been reported (as long as you protect your eyes), only a growing list of many of its benefits.

---

Do You Use Red Light Therapy Before or After Tanning?

There are multiple schools of thought when it comes to the interaction between Red Light Therapy and UV Light/Tanning.

Light Therapy Before Tanning

Most of the time, technicians recommend you have your red light therapy session before your tanning bed visit.

Your red light therapy treatment will boost your circulation. This is because it works on the deeper layers of skin.

This can help the red light to produce more collagen. In effect diminish fine lines and wrinkles and make your skin healthier. It is thought to help produce a better and more even tan.

Light Therapy After Tanning

We know that UV tanning in a tanning bed isn’t really good for you. It can lead to skin cancer, wrinkles, etc. The UV light is much more powerful than a similar amount of sunlight.

For this reason, some advise tanning first, and then using the light therapy device for rejuvenation, in order to undo some of the damage just done by tanning.

Light Therapy and Tanning Together!

Our answer to this question is to recommend you check out a combined red light therapy-tanning bed. Yes, there are some beds built with both light therapy and UV tanning in one bed (or booth), and you get both types of light at the same time.

Not all tanning salons have these beds or booths, and most gyms do not have them. But if you can find a place near you with a combo system, they are definitely worth checking out.

---

At Home Red Light Therapy

If you don’t have access to a red light therapy bed at your tanning salon, then you’ll be pleased to hear there are other options that you can use at home.

The biggest benefit to using red light therapy at home is that if you’re using it to help cure one of the conditions mentioned above.

You’ll be able to do so on a more regular basis, at a more effective cost. The recommended guideline for using red light therapy at home is to time your treatments three to five times a week, for just 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

SolaWave’s 4-in-1 Facial Wand  is an award-winning red light therapy device. It is also a celebrity favorite.

The dermatologist-approved wand is the ultimate anti-aging and skin tightening device. It helps us in many ways. It helps us reduce the appearance of wrinkles, crow’s feet, and fine lines. It also helps with blemishes, dark circles, and puffy eyes, crow’s feet in just two weeks with regular use.

For bigger jobs like healing different parts of the body, can help with many things. It can promote blood circulation, pain relief, and muscle relaxation. It can help with muscles because the light reaches muscle tissue and joints.

Home light therapy can be used to relieve shoulder, back, neck, and nerve pain, and is so safe to use that you can even fall asleep during use.

If you decide to use a device at home, then you can try it both ways, use it before or after heading to your local tanning salon.