Men: if you’re experiencing any type of noticeable physical change, your body could be telling you something is wrong. It’s nothing to be ashamed of; not everyone is at their best 100% of the time. Sometimes we need to take a step back and realize we have to take some time out of our busy schedules to regenerate our body and energy.
Men deal with many types of issues; however, when it comes to health, many tend to ignore it until it’s absolutely necessary. While we push our health to the side, we forget small changes are our body’s way of telling us something’s wrong.
Hair loss, the decline in libido, and decreased muscle mass happen to men of all ages; you don’t have to be over 60 to be struggling with these issues. While genetics do play a big role in any issue, there’s also the unspoken stress that comes with living in the 21st Century. You’d be lying if you were to say you’ve escaped the stressful world we live in—and if you have, well, you wouldn’t be reading this article!
We exhaust our bodies in our day-to-day life, which is why it can feel like we’re overwhelmed and stressed. However, there are ways to have a speedy recovery, higher libido, and prevent various signs of aging. This is where you can look into different types of light therapy.
Light therapy comes in many colors and forms: panels, lamps, masks, you name it. Light therapy devices consist of exposure to filtered light with an intensity of up to 10,000 lux emitted through specific colors. To give you a better idea of light therapy intensity, in comparison, the average light intensity in a room is 500 lux.
Since light enters into the cells, changing their ATP and rejuvenating them, you have accelerated cellular recovery with light therapy. Health benefits of LED light therapy include cellular turnover, which will result in a healthier and better functioning organism long-term. With new, healthier cells, your body is rejuvenated—a natural process that’s quickened via light therapy.
“Is light therapy good for skin?” Yes! It helps heal, and just like within your body, you can see effects on the skin. It brings the new and healthier layer of skin to the surface via cellular turnover. So not only will you reap long-lasting benefits, you'll achieve them quickly. In the same way it benefits with your inner health, and outer, it can benefit with these main issues men face.
For libido, light therapy increases testosterone in men, evoking the luteinizing hormone, which creates testosterone.
Data also shows how light therapy can help with hair loss. The light stimulates hair growth and repair, stimulating the release of nitric oxide. It takes consistent treatments; however, with every light therapy treatment, you’ll see the benefits.
If you’re an active man, you want to make the most out of your workouts. Not only do you want to receive the benefits of being active, but you want to push yourself and get the most out of your workouts. Light therapy can help significantly with muscle recovery. The ATP release, or the fuel of our cells, is what keeps our cells functioning. Through cellular activation, it releases your muscles, helping them relax, increasing the strength and power for the same exercise. This means it makes your workout more effective while aiming to have your muscles recover.
The beauty is there are at-home light therapy devices that can help you with all your male needs, and, we also offer in-clinic devices as well as private labeling options. Kayian's light therapy devices are MDA-certified and FDA-approved, so whether you’re looking to increase libido, improve muscle recovery, or stimulate hair growth, our at-home devices give you the privacy and freedom to do so confidently and safely.
If you’re one of the 35 million men or 21 million women in the United States who are losing their hair, you know how hard it can be to slow down getting bald. Creams, pills, and other treatments are often touted as solutions, but even if they do work, they come with side effects. Meanwhile, hair loss takes a tremendous mental toll. Among the most common effects are diminished self-esteem and confidence, as you notice others wearing hairstyles you couldn’t possibly pull off. And while some people rock the bald look, it’s not for every guy suffering from male pattern baldness and it’s rarely an option for women.
If this sounds like you, red light therapy is worth a look. Red light therapy for hair loss is backed by research, is completely natural, and can slow–or in some cases, reverse–hair loss without disruptive side effects. If you’re curious how this is possible, what the most relevant studies say, and–more importantly–if it will work, this article is for you. From cellular growth to the proper how-to steps, read on to uncover how red light can help you get your hair back.
According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, almost half of men show noticeable hair loss by reading middle age. Surprisingly, the numbers are even higher among women: by the age of 60, nearly 80 percent of women show noticeable hair loss.
So, why do we lose hair? Briefly, losing hair helps us making room for new growth. A typical human will have up to 100,000 hairs on their head, and it’s only normal to lose 50–100 every day. After that, that causes get more complicated.
A few of the most common causes include:
Genetics
The most common cause of hair loss is hereditary hair loss or androgenetic alopecia. Male pattern baldness is characterized by M-shaped hair loss that begins at the temples and a bald spot in the back. It can begin as early as puberty or later in life. Female pattern baldness generally manifests as thinning on the head's top and crown, widening the center part but not affecting the front hairline.
Stress
Both acute and chronic stress contribute to hair loss in men and women. In acute stress, hair loss is often tied to a specific cause such as a sudden loss of a loved one, an accident, illness, or surgery; this hair loss may be temporary. Chronic stress, including job stress, relationship stress, and financial stress, also appears to accelerate hair loss.
Poor Nutrition
Specifically, inadequate protein intake affects hair follicles and contributes to hair loss. While over 40 million Americans are malnourished due to poverty, easy accessibility of junk food means that while many Americans get enough calories in their diets, they do not necessarily get the nutrition they need.
Given the side effects, cost, limited success, and ongoing hassles of these common hair restoration treatments, it makes sense to look at an alternative that is painless, non-invasive, has no side effects, and can actually enhance your health in a variety of different ways at the same time. Red light therapy is that option. Also red light therapy can help improve various other conditions, including joint pain from arthritis, sun damage, and nerve damage, to name a few. In fact, it can even treat one of the root causes of hair loss: thyroid problems.
Red light therapy is a phototherapy that uses specific wavelengths of light to reduce inflammation, accelerate healing, and promote a healthy skin tone. Red light is part of the visible light spectrum (not to be confused with infrared light or ultraviolet light, invisible to the human eye) and is bioactive in humans. This means that our bodies respond to it beneficially in much the same way that plants respond to sunlight: by creating more energy at the cellular level.
Red light (also called low-level light therapy or LLLT) for hair loss was discovered somewhat by accident in the 1960s when mice were given chemotherapy. The chemotherapy-induced hair loss, but when the mice were irradiated with red light, the fur grew back thicker than before. Modern red light therapy works similarly, using high-power LEDs to saturate your body with wavelengths of therapeutic light. It typically uses visible light in various colors, but the red and infrared ranges are best for a wide variety of conditions, including hair loss. While sunlight provides a complete spectrum of wavelengths (including red light), it also contains harmful UVA and UVB wavelengths. Using the red light frequency alone has no side effects, such as burning or skin damage.
Red light is especially effective at treating hair loss; specifically, light in the 620nm (nanometer) to 660nm wavelengths work best. It works by increasing blood flow in the scalp; this stimulates the metabolism in hair follicles, resulting in more hair production.
You lose hair during hair loss but not the follicles–the tube-like formations that anchor hair to the skin. At the base of each follicle is the hair bulb (the whole thing looks somewhat like a tall vase). At the bulbous part of the vase are the papilla and the matrix; this is where hair begins to grow. We see as “hair” mostly a protein called keratin that makes up the hair shaft. When the hair follicles and the papilla and matrix cells are not functioning properly, they cannot support hair growth,, causing it to slow or cease altogether.
Red light penetrates the skin to the base of the hair follicles, stimulating the cells, papilla,, and matrix to produce more energy, which results in these cells replicating more successfully. This replication leads to new hair growth from these previously-dormant follicles. Red light also:
Stimulates Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) production, a coenzyme responsible for fueling cellular structures. Increases in ATP cause individual cells within the hair follicle to increase their activity, including the rate at which they replicate. Restoring the energy of the hair follicles' cellular structures means the papilla creates more keratin, which results in hair growth.
Increases collagen production. Hair is primarily made up of a protein called keratin. While collagen — another type of protein — isn’t present in hair, it acts as an antioxidant to fight damage caused by free radicals (compounds that develop in the body during stress, environmental pollutants, poor nutrition, etc.). Free radicals damage hair follicles, which contributes to their inability to grow hair. Increased collagen means less oxidative damage, which can lead to increased hair growth.
Increases the creation of new capillaries, which improves blood flow to the scalp and brings oxygen and nutrients to hair follicles,, and removes waste that can lead to hair follicle damage. One study linked improved blood flow to the growth of thicker, healthier hair. Barbers have long encouraged men to massage their scalps to increase blood flow, but increasing blood flow using red light is generally more effective.
It’s important to note that while red light therapy is effective for many types of hair loss (especially alopecia or temporary hair loss due to hormonal imbalances or illness), it’s not effective 100% of the time. For example, hair loss due to chemotherapy will continue until the treatment is stopped. The same applies to hair loss due to the side effects of other medications. Also, any hair follicles that have been destroyed due to injury, surgery, burns, or other permanent injuries will not grow back. And remember, please see your doctor if you experience sudden or dramatic hair loss, which can signal a serious underlying condition. Red and Near-Infrared Light: a Potent Combination
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30843235/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29957664/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29797431/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28328705/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25124964/
We’re animals of habit. When it comes to intimacy, it’s a night-time activity. Published findings on The Daily Mail discovered that most people have sex between 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. But what most people don’t realize is that for improved sex, you need the light.
Low libido (sex drive) has been a physical issue for both men and women. In the United States, sexual dysfunction affects 43% of women and 31% of men alone. However, further studies have shown this is a global issue. A study with 5,255 male participants from Croatia, Norway, and Portugal found that 14.4% reported a lack of sexual desire lasting two months or longer.
It’s clear low libido isn’t an issue within one gender; it’s a health concern that both men and women grapple with. For women, one survey at Hackensack University Medical Center, New Jersey, found that 36% of women between 18-to-3-years-old and 65% of women between 46-to-54-years-old reported low sexual desire.
But why are we losing our libido?
A loss of libido is a common issue linked to both the physical and the psychological self. Physical issues linked to low libido include low testosterone, alcohol and drug use, medication, and too little or too much exercise. At the same time, psychological issues can include stress, mental health, depression, and relationship issues.
Where do many of these problems stem from? Well, it certainly doesn’t help that we’re living our lives in overdrive: we’re working more; we’re chronically stressed, and generally living in ways that aren’t natural to our species.
However, where we live also plays a crucial role. Andrea Fagiolini, M.D., said, “In the Northern hemisphere, the body’s testosterone production naturally declines from November through April, and then rises steadily through the spring and summer with a peak in October. You see the effect of this in reproductive rates, with June showing the highest rate of conception.”
Since our body’s testosterone production naturally declines during winter and spring, many people are looking for treatment. As a result, many opt for hormone replacement therapy. It’s a controversial treatment that comes with a heavy dose of side effects, including prostate or breast cancer, sleep apnea, liver toxicity, and cardiovascular events.
Are people supposed to adjust to living with a low libido if they don’t want to undergo a dangerous treatment? Of course not. Luckily, red light therapy has been proven through various clinical studies to improve low libido levels.
At the University of Siena, Italy, scientists tested sexual and psychological responses to bright light. They discovered that regular, early-morning use of light therapy increases testosterone levels and sexual satisfaction.
So how does red light therapy increase testosterone in the body, exactly?
When your body is exposed to bright light, it produces a chemical called luteinizing hormone (LH). The more LH produced in the body leads to a higher testosterone increase, said the lead researcher Andrea Fagionlini, M.D.
Other studies in animals suggested that red light therapy influences Leydig cells — the body’s sperm producers located in the testicles.
“We found fairly significant differences between those who received the active light treatment and the controls,” Fagiolini stated. Dr. Brad Anawalt, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle provides two possible explanations for red light therapy’s effect on testosterone.
Since testosterone levels are the highest in the morning, a lack of daylight can reduce morning levels. Dr. Anawalt said, “[So] exposure to bright light might raise testosterone concentrations, leading to improved libido.” He added that “many men, and women, with low libido, suffer from depression. The bright light that mimics sunshine may help alleviate depression. Improved mood results in improved sex drive.”
Red light therapy can increase testosterone levels and reduce some of the causes of low libidos, such as depression, anxiety, and overall fatigue.
Lunas red light therapy panels have many benefits — even on our sex and love lives — which is an integral component to our well-being.
One study randomly divided participants into two separate groups for an 8-week training program. One group received a red light treatment before every training session, while the other group did the same training without the light treatment. They found that the group receiving the light therapy improved muscle growth 50% greater than those with muscle training alone. Pretty amazing, right?
Another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study using red and infrared light on the biceps demonstrated peak and average performance of more than 12% more than the control group. But while this is all very interesting, I’m sure you’re wondering whether Red Light Therapy is worth it and what it can do for YOU. First of all, I’m sure many of you appreciate the science breakdown, but some of you may not be able to follow, so here’s a simple explanation.
Scientists have discovered that our cells show an incredible response to light, but not just any light. Only in the 660–850 nanometer (nm) range which is the so-called red light range. This type of light energy penetrates deep into the skin, muscle, and joint tissue and stimulates ATP production, which you should think of as your body’s way of transporting energy to where it needs to go. More ATP means more efficient energy transfers in layman's terms, which translates to various benefits at a cellular level.
So, by exposing our body to the therapeutic red light, our cells receive this rejuvenating, anti-aging energy boost that enables them to perform every single function at a heightened level and now that you understand the science behind it, let’s a look at the 5 reasons why it might be a good idea for you to invest in this technology.
Sometimes we feel lethargic and out of energy, like our body is constantly running on empty. Then you spend some time outside on a nice hot summer day, and you all of a sudden feel amazing? It’s because our bodies rely on light as a source of energy, helping our glands to regulate adrenaline, testosterone, metabolism, and several other functions, and it has been shown that Red Light Therapy can increase testosterone production, which in turn can increase overall energy levels and even improve peak muscle performance.
After a challenging workout, your body works around the clock to repair and strengthen torn muscle fibers. We know this. We also know that nutrition plays a huge role in providing the body with the resources it needs for this process. But what most of you don’t know is that specific wavelengths of light play a role in this process. By enhancing mitochondrial function, red light has been proven to produce measurable gains in peak strength and reduced recovery times.
Injuries, repetitive motion, or aging, in general, can lead to severe joint pain and tissue damage. But the body’s natural healing response can be greatly accelerated by red and infrared light. Also, relief from pain, faster recovery times, and reduced arthritis symptoms are just a few more of Red Light Therapy's benefits. For bodybuilders, yes, Red Light is also great for reducing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. After all, it’s a type of muscle tissue injury as well.
Red Light Therapy can improve skin clarity, tone, and texture, reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and puffy eyes, help fade scars, acne, and stretch marks, even enhance wound healing and circulation, simply by increasing the production of collagen and elastin.
Remember, collagen is a long-chain amino acid and the most abundant protein in the body. It’s responsible for giving skin its elasticity, hair its strength, and connective tissue its ability to hold everything in place. In fact, the collagen protein makes up 30% of the total protein in the body and 70% of the protein in the skin!
Now while collagen is beneficial to the entire body, it’s most noticeably beneficial to the skin. This is because as we age, the epidermic (or outer layer of skin) thins and loses elasticity in a process known as elastosis. As this happens, we tend to show more aging signs and acquire more wrinkles and stretch marks. But by restoring normal cellular function, because red light stimulates collagen production, red light therapy can help keep your skin looking healthier and younger for LONGER.
You can’t argue that our minds and body are under constant stress because of our busy lives. Well, Red Light Therapy has been proven to calm our physical and mental state by reducing oxidative stress. Now, I cannot personally attest to that, simply because my stress is through the roof, and other times, I get my mind right and relax, but it makes sense. Oxidative stress is not just harmful to our physical health but also our mental state as well.
