Red light therapy is widely known for its benefits for skin. It has science-backed positive outcomes for skin health issues like acne, eczema, psoriasis, and signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines.
Additionally, RLT experts continue to explore other possible benefits of red light therapy for skin, including its effective use for sunburn.
So, is red light therapy for sunburn effective?
Science shows it is. In fact, photobiomodulation therapy has both preventative and healing benefits for sunburn. We have the details in the rest of this post.
So, what is sunburn?
Sunburn is an extreme effect of the sun’s UV rays that leaves your skin inflamed and painful. It can also cause other adverse effects like erythema (skin redness), blisters, infection, accelerated skin aging (photoaging), and skin cancer.
Wrinkles, fine lines, reduced skin elasticity, rough dry skin, red veins on the nose, cheeks, and ears, and sunspots (discolored or dark skin spots) are all signs of photoaging.
It’s worth noting that exposure to low or moderate sun rays has benefits for the skin. It helps increase vitamin D production and provides anti-inflammatory benefits for skin conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
It’s the extreme UV exposure that causes sunburn. These rays can be from direct sunlight or artificial sources such as sunlamps and tanning beds and booths.
Ultraviolet rays can have different wavelengths. The UVB wavelengths penetrate the skin superficially and are what causes sunburn. UVA wavelengths penetrate deep into the skin and cause worse sun damage.
Using sunscreen always when outdoors is advised. The FDA recommends a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
Sunburn can clear in a few days with at-home care by cooling the skin, applying a moisturizer, or taking a painkiller when needed.
On that note, research has shown that using the non-invasive red light therapy devices has both preventive and curative benefits for sunburn.
Yes. Science has shown promising results for sunburn treatment with red and near-infrared light therapy.
The benefits include:
In one in vitro study, red light irradiation at 620 to 690 nanometers showed positive results in response to UVB-induced inflammation, DNA damage, skin wounds, and oxidative stress.
Specifically, the researchers irradiated red light on the test human dermal fibroblast cells. The results showed that the genes responsible for the DNA repair process were increased, enhancing skin cell repair and regeneration.
Similarly, another study with 15 participants, two with PLE, irradiated them with 660nm LED red light for 5-10 treatment sessions. The encouraging results showed:
In a third study, irradiating 620-690 red light wavelengths on skin cell culture with UV-induced DNA damage reported a significant reduction in the damage and showed DNA repair.
The observations of this study led to the conclusion that LED red light has a protective potential for UV skin damage. See details on the preventive aspect of RLT for sunburn in the next section.
Some studies have demonstrated that red light therapy has photoprotective benefits. It can prevent sunburn.
An already mentioned in vitro study showed that red light protects skin cells against sunburn-causing UVB rays by regulating gene expression. This enhances oxidation-reduction and balances the inflammatory signaling molecules.
Similarly, the already mentioned study with 15 participants found that using red light therapy at 660nm before sun exposure had a sun protection factor (SPF) effect similar to using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15.
A clinical trial with hairless mice also discovered that irradiating the skin with 670nm light-emitting diodes significantly prompted Fos response, which has antioxidant properties. Researchers also observed enhanced nitric oxide synthase, indicating better blood flow to skin cells.
So, how can you use red light therapy devices, such as a panel, for sunburn treatment?
For best results, follow these tips when using a red light therapy panel to treat sunburn:
Remember that red light therapy devices come with manufacturer guidelines of use, and it’s important to follow them to a T.
Apart from the red light therapy benefits for sunburn we mentioned, LED light therapy has several other benefits, including the following:
Our blog section has articles covering these and other benefits.
Red light therapy has reported benefits for healing and preventing sunburn. That’s thanks to its effectiveness in preventing sunburn, reducing inflammation, healing sunburn blisters, controlling related infections, and speeding up sunburn skin damage healing time.
While red light therapy for sunburn has these and other benefits, it should not replace sunscreen or other skin photoprotection options like using an umbrella or a wide hat.
As a disclaimer, the existing studies either have a limited number of participants or are clinical studies with mice or human skin culture cells. As such, the info in this post should not replace the advice of your healthcare professional or dermatologist.
1. Mayo Clinic: Sunburn.
2. FDA: An Update on Sunscreen Requirements: The Deemed Final Order and the Proposed Order.
3. Pourang A, Tisack A, Ezekwe N, et al. (2022). Effects of visible light on mechanisms of skin photoaging. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed.
4. Kim HS, et al. (2019). Transcriptomic analysis of human dermal fibroblast cells reveals potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of visible red light against damage from ultraviolet B light.
5. Barolet D, Boucher A. (2008). LED Photoprevention: reduced MED response following multiple LED exposures. Lasers Surg Med.
6. Cho EC, et al. (2024). Protective Effect of Red Light-Emitting Diode against UV-B Radiation-Induced Skin Damage in SKH:HR-2 Hairless Mice.
7. Myakishev-Rempel M, (2015). Red Light Modulates Ultraviolet-Induced Gene Expression in the Epidermis of Hairless Mice.
8. Kim, Y.J. et al. (2017). A Protective Mechanism of Visible Red Light in Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts: Enhancement of GADD45A-Mediated DNA Repair Activity.
