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Archives For August 2017

Light Therapy : Switching From Tanning Beds to Red Light Therapy!

Tanning beds are commonly associated with anti-aging and skin rejuvenation. However, when it comes to long term effects, tanning beds are not the way to go! While they may help clear some acne, promote energy, and makes you feel tan and young, they also promote skin cancer, wrinkles and fine lines. Red light therapy can help you with anti-aging and skin rejuvenation in a harm-free and natural way that actually reduces wrinkles and fine lines, treats acne, promotes energy and vibrant skin, and so much more! Plus, red light therapy can treat chronic pain and symptoms related to it! Red Light Therapy may be the new magical elixir…except this actually works.

Red Light Therapy For Cosmetic Purposes…

Red Light Therapy devices can be used to help slow down our natural cosmetic aging. Treatment can reduce fine lines and wrinkles while also tightening and firming the skin. Proper treatment can ridf age spots and hyper pigmentation, which usually occurs on the face, neck, and hands. There’s no need for face lifts when you can go the natural route. Red Light Therapy can also diminish blemishes and red spots, along with acne. Thought you could never get rid of those blackheads around your nose? Or those zits that keep showing up around your chin? How about those scars that acne left you with? Regularly scheduled treatment can help you say goodbye to those.

Red Light Therapy For Severe Conditions…

Medications always come with a large slew of side effects and everyone reacts differently. Red Light Therapy has proven to have few to no side affects while effectively treating serious conditions that people struggle with every day.

Proper light treatment can be used to treat skin problems you thought you would never get to say adios to. For example, burns and scars. Over time, Red Light Therapy can treat your skin and bring it back to its once undamaged self. It can also help with more serious conditions such as Rosacea, Eczema, Athlete’s Foot, Psoriasis, and more. If you are currently taking medication for any of these conditions or similar ones, it may be worth discussing Red Light Therapy with your doctor and finding a better option for your body.

Red Light Therapy For Pain…

It probably goes without asking, but who wants to take pain killers every day? They’re dangerous and make your stomach a wreck. An even better question: who can lead a happy life when living with chronic pain? The answer is no one.

Red Light Therapy is very commonly used for pain relief. It’s used in doctor’s offices all over. Athletes swear by it, chiropractor’s praise it, and it’ll be hard to find someone with a negative opinion on the matter. It’s gentle, drug-free, non-invasive, and 100% awesome. In most cases, it has proven extremely effective in reducing pains and aches. In some cases, Red Light Therapy has actually totally eliminated aches and pains.

Red Light Therapy can treat herniated and bulging disks, muscle related back pain, osteoarthritis, pulled and strained muscles, Fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, inflammation, bone fractures, chips, and sprains, nerve injuries, neck pain, neck stiffness, and more.

Forms Of Red Light Therapy…

Red Light Therapy can be used in a few different forms. The first decision that needs to be made is whether treatment is preferred at home or not. This answer can rely on the severity of the condition, budget, or what is being treated on the body.

If possible, it will be easier and more cost effective to perform light therapy treatments at home. Doctor’s office light therapy sessions can be expensive as well as difficult to work into a daily schedule. If Red Light Therapy treatments are done at home, you can do them at your own convenience, have a one-time cost, and be performed as many times as deemed necessary. There are hand held devices that are great for treating acne. There are also pads and wraps that are great for muscle and joint relief. If space isn’t an issue, there are large panels that can be used to treat a vast area on the body.

Tanning salons have recently undergone major criticism, making them frowned upon and practically irrelevant in the past few years. The salons have caught up with the times and many of them have been replacing the bulbs in their tanning beds with proper Red Light Therapy bulbs. If you are looking for an all over body treatment, this may be a good option for you. It won’t be very cost effective, but lying on a bed once a week for a set amount of time could help reduce body acne, cellulite, wrinkles, etc. It can also help with aching muscles, severe conditions such as Fibromyalgia, arthritis, and more.

How It Works…

According to JustLuxe, a lifestyle and wellness website…

“Red light easily penetrates the skin, boosts circulation and brings more blood and nutrients to the area. It also stimulates vital collagen and elastin production. Collagen helps plump the skin, while elastin firms the skin. The red light is energizing and repairing damaged cells, stimulating collagen and elastin and giving the skin back its youthful look. Home devices for skin rejuvenation typically use visible red light at a wavelength of 660nm – That penetrates tissue to a depth of about 8-10 mm – Making it more beneficial for treating problems close to the surface of the skin.” (JustLuxe.com)

As for chronic pain and muscle and joint relief, infrared light is always used. This form of light penetrates deeper into the body and repairs cell components. The light also increases the production of endorphins. This blocks the chemicals that transmit pain. If you’re using an at-home treatment, the infrared light typically penetrates the skin at 880 nanometers at a depth of 30-40 millimeters. Devices or beds in doctors’ offices will likely be stronger because they can be more controlled.

A Word From The Experts…

“Penetrating red light is possibly the fundamental anti-stress factor for all organisms. The chronic deficiency of such light is, I think, the best explanation for the deterioration which occurs with aging.” –Ray Peat

“The important biological effects of red light were known even back in the 19th century, yet very few of the biologists seem to know about those findings nowadays. The knowledge of the physiological effects of light is mainly limited to blue light’s effects on circadian rhythm, yet the importance of red and near-infrared light is probably a more important topic for the public health. The general therapeutic usefulness of red light reminds me of the therapeutic uses of thyroid hormone, the topic about which I’ve written before. This connection is actually quite logical, considering that thyroid hormone also increases Cox activity, by increasing the cardiolipin concentration in the mitochondria.[76,77] Time will tell whether various treatments based on red and near-infrared light will gain popularity in the near future. But they should, because the study results are thoroughly so positive.” -Vladmir Heiskanen

Posted on August 30, 2017 In Chronic Pain, Color Light Therapy, Infrared Red Light Therapy, Light Therapy, Pain, Red Light Therapy, Skin Rejuvenation, Skin Treatments

New Light Therapy Device : The Valkee Human Charger LED Headset

Light therapy is new, innovative, harm-free, environmentally friendly and pretty much any other positive adjective you can think of. It is used by people all over the world and we really just can’t get enough of it. So when we find a new device, we just want to tell everyone about it! The Value HumanCharger LED Headset is blowing our minds right now and we can’t wait to tell you all about it. But before we get too deep, let’s get into the details of light therapy so you can really understand how the device works. Let’s dig in!!

Light Therapy:

Light therapy is a natural form of therapy that can treat a wide array of conditions and disorders through the healing power of light. With patience and an open mind, light therapy can change your life. It can be used to treat mental disorders such as seasonal affective disorder, depression, insomnia, bipolar disorder, jet lag, and more. It is also used to treat physical conditions such as acne, skin rejuvenation, scar healing, chronic pain, joint and muscle pain, wound healing, and beyond.

How It Works:

The main concept of light therapy refers to using a form of artificial light, such as a light box or lamp, which mimics natural outdoor light. The use of artificial light affects the brain’s chemicals, such as serotonin, which are linked to mood and sleep. Light therapy also targets the same brain structures that anti-depressants are meant to target. This makes the potential endless for this all natural, drug-free, harm-free, cost-effective therapy!

Light therapy and our biological clock go hand-in-hand. Our body’s biological clock keeps our body rhythms and sleep-wake cycles in sync with the earth’s light-day cycles. Our biological clock, often referred to as our circadian rhythm, is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus, the hormone control center of the brain. Our biology is controlled by four neurotransmitters – dopamine, norepinephrine, glutamate, and GABA. These neurotransmitters are chemicals that enable function within our brain.

When our eyes are exposed to light, this part of our brain is activated and production of melatonin, a sleep hormone, is reduced. Reducing the production of melatonin in our brains allows for a stable increase of seratonin, the hormone that keeps us awake and gives us energy. Exposing our eyes to light also releases a wide array of hormones for other mental functions and affects our body’s temperature.

“Human beings evolved under the day-night cycle. It is the natural time-keeper that sets our biological clocks within our brains and organs throughout the body.”

-Richard Schwartz, MD, associate clinical professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

We are more linked with the earth, the sun, and the moon than people in the medical field lead us to believe. Our brains are extremely susceptible to light, the weather, and the natural cycles of the earth. Strangely, we are programmed to cycle naturally every 24.2 hours. However, because we are so linked to the earth’s rhythms and our exposure to light on a daily basis, our cycle changes. We are so closely linked to the earth that it’s important to understand first and foremost, how our brains work in sync with the world around us.

The Valkee HumanCharger LED Headset:

The HumanCharger by Valkee does exactly what is sounds like. It charges humans! The light therapy device is a small hand held device with ear buds and its main intention is to treat symptoms that arise from seasonal affective disorder, jet lag, insomnia, depression, and other mental disorders. For many people the device has been effective in boosting energy levels, promoting a happier mood, aiding with sleep, promoting focus, and more!

The device is small, about the size of an iPod nano. The earbuds actually pump UV free blue-enriched white light into your ear canals. The little LEDs built into the tips of ear buds shine light directly into the canals which promotes the positive effects we mentioned! Crazy, right? No music coming out of these ear buds!

“HumanCharger has a unique and patented mechanism of action which stimulates the photosensitive proteins on the surface of the brain using a calibrated white light that passes through the ear canals. When these photosensitive areas of the brain are activated by HumanCharger, chemical compounds (Serotonin, Dopamine, and Noradrenaline) are released. The outcome: boosted energy levels, uplifted mood, and enhanced performance.”
(The-Gadgeteer.com)

Valkee HumanCharger Jetlag Headset
Amazon for $218.98
(Comes in black or white)

In The Box:

HumanCharger Main Unit
LED set earplugs
Ears tips in multiple sizes
Micro USB charging cable
How to guide

Posted on August 30, 2017 In Devices, Insomnia, Jetlag, Light Therapy, Mental Health, Seasonal Affective Disorder

Best Light Therapy Devices For A College Dorm

August is here, which means school is right around the corner! Sorry if we made you sad with that one. Whether you’re just starting college or you’re going back in the fall, we’re sure you know and understand how teeny tiny college dorm rooms can be. Packing your entire life into a 10 x 10 room is no joke and depending on what kind of light therapy device you use or want to start using, space is something to consider! We have compiled a list of some of our favorite light therapy devices that are perfect for small spaces. Whether you are trying to fight your acne, kick psoriasis’s butt, saying goodbye to rosacea, improve your mood, boost your energy, or anything else you can think of…we’ve got you covered.

Himalayan Salt Lamp:

Amazon for $36.00

Not only are Himalayan salt lamps a beautiful and a wonderful addition to any dorm room…they are also a form of light therapy. A genius, highly effective and scientifically incredible form of light therapy. Think we’re fans?

Natural Living Ideas said it best when sharing with their readers why they love Himalayan salt lamps so much. The website reads, “You don’t know what you’re missing if you’ve never owned a Himalayan salt lamp. It’s like having an open window – a softly glowing natural source of fresh, clean air – on your desk, in your living room, next to the bed, or anywhere you choose to put it.” (naturallivingideas.com)

The lamps have a wide range of benefits and we can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want one! They treat Seasonal Affective Disorder, boost energy, mood, and concentration levels, cleanse and deodorize the air, reduce asthma and allergy symptoms, ease coughing, neutralize electromagnetic radiation, and reduce static electricity in the air. Oh and they’re one of the most environmentally friendly light sources on the market!

Lumie Bodyclock Wake-Up Light:

Amazon for $115.00

This sunrise and sunset simulator mimics the outdoor light and it’s timing with the day. You can set an alarm for the simulator to turn itself on and off in tune with your brain’s internal clock. For example, set the alarm to occur every day at 8 o’clock in the morning. The simulator will begin to mimic the sunrise inside your bedroom. This allows you to feel rested and ready for the day, waking up with the sun. The same goes for sunset. The “sun” can slowly begin to set as your day begins to wind down. It can also be used as just an alarm clock, an FM radio, and many other extra audio options. This product is highly rated and reviewed, having proved over and over to help keep your internal clock in check. The best part? It’s small! It’s perfect for the bedside table in any college dorm room.

Skin Care Options – LA Goodwind PH-1 Facial Massager Portable:

Amazon for $73.99

When it comes to skin care, it’s easy to buy every product, every cream, every device, and every extract on the market. Thanks to light therapy, you really only need one good device and a moisturizer. The LA Goodwind Facial Massager is small and portable and the perfect skin care treatment for any college student! It comes with three different heads — red, blue, and yellow — which makes your options endless! The red photon light will help you moisturize, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, restore elasticity, regenerate skin cells, and over all rejuvenate your skin. The blue photon light will fight acne, fade any scarring, reduce inflammation, kill bacteria in your pores, and lift and firm your skin. The yellow photon light improves dull skin tones, fades dark spots, and leaves your skin bright and pure! We weren’t kidding – your options are endless! The handheld device also includes a charging dock and protective goggles.

Posted on August 30, 2017 In Acne, Light Therapy, Mental Health, Products, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Skin Rejuvenation, Skin Treatments, Small Space, Travel