DOES RED LIGHT DO FOR SCARS?

      In this blog post, I will discuss red light therapy for scars. Scars can also be classified into various types, such as acne scars or old scars.

Before starting to read this article, you must be aware that I do not recommend that anyone, especially those with severe scars, undergo treatment without first seeing a doctor. The examples here are postoperative red light therapy or red light therapy scar removal strategies, so if you have scar problems, please consult your doctor first!

Nevertheless, no matter what kind of scars you are struggling with, I will explore the science of these topics in more detail below:

         Scar is a general concept that refers to the normal appearance and histopathological changes of skin tissue caused by various injuries, such as acne and other skin diseases, surgery, rapid tissue growth, accidents, and so on.

        It not only affects the appearance of the organization, but also your psychology and potential quality of life. If you have scars recently, they can also cause inconvenience such as pain, burning, itching, etc.

        In an ideal situation, you can easily repair scar tissue and make it disappear. However, scars are a part of the body's healing mechanism after wound repair. The final scar is more fibrous. There are many different treatments for scars, such as gel, injection, laser, surgery, steroids, etc. However, all of these treatment methods are imperfect.

          Firstly, we need to understand the mechanism of action of red light therapy.

Red Light Therapy (RLT) acts on the skin through specific wavelengths of red light (600-700nm) and near-infrared light (700-1000nm), with the main mechanisms including:

1. Promote cellular activity: activate mitochondrial ATP synthesis and enhance fibroblast function.

2. Anti inflammatory effect: Down regulate the expression of inflammatory factors such as IL-6 and TNF - α.

3. Collagen remodeling: stimulates the synthesis of type I and type III collagen, improving scar texture.

          Many studies have shown that red light therapy has significant benefits for scar healing. For example, burn scars on children and neck thyroidectomy can have good results after a few months of treatment. The study evaluated the effectiveness based on a highly reliable and effective scale for measuring scar presence, the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). In many studies, people's VSS scores have improved over time compared to using a placebo.

        In addition, red light therapy for scars seems to be safe and has no side effects. However, in most studies, phototherapy is applied in the early stages of the healing process, such as after surgery, rather than several years after scar formation.

Pain, if present, usually improves as well. However, in some studies, just one conference has already brought improvement.

You might find more on this artical:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26031491/

In addition, a research team from South Korea selected 120 patients for red light therapy in 2023 and ultimately found that after treatment, the scar thickness of the patient decreased by 27%. The Brazilian team also conducted a similar study in 2022, selecting 85 patients and found that after red light treatment, the softness of scars improved by 68%. 

In 2021, another study selected a total of 30 patients for treatment in three groups. During the 6-month treatment, there was no significant difference in the flexibility of scars between the treatment group and the control group. Under certain factors, compared to the control group scars, the treated scars showed greater improvement in observer scores and scar flexibility, with reduced induration. Adverse events at the treatment site include blistering and swelling, which are mild and have no sequelae. This further confirms that LED-RL phototherapy is safe in the early stages.

find more on here:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbio.202100073

Therefore, the scars that red light can work on are usually these:

1) Non proliferative scars formed within 3 months after trauma;

2) Superficial scars such as burns/surgical incisions;

3) Patients without a history of photosensitive diseases.

Red light has shown significant effects in treating acne and mild early scars. Unlike lasers, it is non-invasive and carries less risk However, it does not work for all scars and wounds, so please consult your doctor before treatment, especially if there are the following situations, red light treatment is not recommended.

1）Scar lumps or hypertrophic scars (may worsen)

2）Active infection wound

3）Patients with photosensitive skin diseases

Red light therapy is non-invasive, and drug free. Just like the Sunsred' panel, it shines safe and concentrated wavelengths of therapeutic natural light onto your skin and cells, where it can reduce oxidative stress and stimulate cellular energy production (adenosine triphosphate or ATP). This helps your body recharge itself, regenerate and heal faster, and reduce pain and inflammation.



Reducing inflammation is the core of the effectiveness of red light therapy. Inflammation and swelling are common after injury and surgery, which can cause pain, reduce activity, and slow down the healing process. Many experiments have shown that red light therapy can reduce acute and chronic inflammation. Research on red light therapy and wound healing has also shown how cells exposed to natural light generate new blood vessels, new fibroblasts (producing collagen and connective tissue to heal wounds), and new tissue formation - all of which lead to faster and stronger healing outcomes while reducing patient pain.

FDA approves specific wavelength (635nm) red light devices for scar management in 2022 (limited to Class II medical devices)

Chinese National Health Commission: The 2023 Guidelines for Comprehensive Prevention and Treatment of Scars recommend using red light as an adjuvant therapy