Red light therapy, or low-level laser therapy (LLLT), is a well-known method for reducing pain and inflammation and stimulating healing and tissue regeneration. Consumers have even used the treatment to aid in thyroid regulation, reduce insulin resistance, and improve sleep.
Key takeaways:
Red light therapy for weight loss has shown in numerous studies that it has successful fat-burning effects and can reduce cellulite, even in targeted areas.
While red light therapy has been proven effective in aiding in weight loss, pairing it with a healthy diet and active lifestyle is essential.
Red light and near-infrared treatments are entirely natural for any individual to use with very minimal chance of risk.
In more recent years, red-light therapy has become increasingly popular for its weight-loss effects. Studies have shown that LLLT positively affects fat and cellulite reduction and improves blood lipid profile. This non-invasive treatment can achieve body-sculpting results many seek out, and is often favored over other procedures that may pose more risk and require downtime and recovery.
How does red light therapy work for weight loss?
During a red light therapy session, non-thermal irradiance lasers or LED lights expose and penetrate cells and tissue to low red and near-infrared (NIR) levels. In this process, the lights target the fat in the cells underneath the skin to minimize fat while increasing collagen production. This results in fat reduction, smoother skin, and improved elasticity, effectively reducing cellulite.
Benefits of red light therapy for weight loss
Red light therapy is known for relieving pain, reducing inflammation, boosting immune function, and other healing properties. Still, researchers are finding it also carries several weight loss benefits.
ody shaping
With a wide variety of equipment (and sizes) offered, LLLT makes it easy for those who treat target areas to do so successfully. For example, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 67 volunteers aged 18–65 with a BMI between 25 and 30 were treated with a non-invasive laser (or placebo treatment) three times per week for two weeks.
While reduction measurements were initially taken separately (-0.98 in. in the waist, -1.05 in. across the hips, and -0.85 in. and -0.65 in. across the right and left thighs), researchers combined the total inches of circumference measurements from beginning to end of the two-week treatment.
Results showed participants in the treatment group had an overall reduction in total circumference of -3.51 inches compared with the control subjects, which revealed a -0.684 inch reduction. The results suggest low-level laser therapy can effectively reduce overall circumference measurements of specifically treated regions.
Another study focusing solely on the waistline included forty participants who underwent 30-minute treatments twice-weekly for four weeks, totaling eight treatments. At the end of the eight treatments, participants experienced a significant reduction of about one inch in their waist measurements.
While these results occurred without participants needing to make dietary and lifestyle changes, it’s still recommended and will be more effective together than doing either alone.
Reduces belly fat
As red light therapy becomes increasingly popular for weight loss, individuals are turning to it as a solution for excess belly fat (one of the most popular target areas) when other strategies like diet and exercise may not produce the results you’re looking for.
Several studies found when infrared light with a wavelength of 635–680 nm is applied to the subcutaneous fat layer, the wavelengths are converted into cellular energy that boosts circulation and increases the metabolism of fat cells.
In a 2011 double-blind, randomized study published in the Journal of Obesity Surgery, 40 participants experienced a statistically significant reduction in their waist size after two 30-minute red light therapy treatments per week for four weeks. Each treatment resulted in approximately 0.4–0.5 cm loss for a total of 2.15 cm.
