Blue Light Therapy: What Is It and How Does It Work?

Light plays a major role in regulating our natural sleep-wake rhythm. Exposure to sunlight during the day helps us feel energised and alert, while darkness in the night signals to our bodies that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep.

However, in today’s world, we often spend a lot of time indoors under artificial light, which can disrupt our natural melatonin production. This disruption can lead to feelings of low energy, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping.

This is where blue light therapy steps in to improve alertness, focus, and mood and reset the body’s internal biological clock.

In this article, we’ll explore blue light therapy, its definition, how it works, and its benefits.

What is blue light therapy?

Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. It has the shortest wavelength and highest energy and vibrates within the 380-500 nanometer range.

Blue light therapy is a therapeutic approach that exposes the body to lights vibrating within this 380-500-nanometer range to treat a wide range of health conditions.

The conditions that can be treated are not limited to physical ailments alone but also encompass a variety of psychological conditions. For example, exposure to blue light can help treat winter blues and realign your body's internal clock .

Blue light therapy can be implemented using devices such as the Luminette 3 Light Therapy Glasses and the Drive Light Therapy Lamp .

How blue light therapy works?

About one-third of all visible light is considered blue light. Sunlight is the principal source of blue light. Artificial sources include fluorescent light, LED TVs, computer monitors, smartphones, and tablet screens.

With blue light seeming to be all around us, how does it work when applied for therapy?

Blue light can be therapeutically applied in two main ways: on your skin and your eyes.

Let's discuss each briefly!

a. Blue light and our eyes

When blue light hits the eye, it hits light-sensitive cells. Research shows that this signals the suppression of melatonin production (a.k.a. The sleep hormone), promoting greater alertness, focus, and productivity.

While this can be beneficial for alertness and focus during the day, exposure to blue light in the evening can disrupt normal sleep patterns, making it more difficult to fall and stay asleep.

Nevertheless, when strategically applied therapeutically, blue light can help reset your body's biological clock as your sleep-wake cycle realigns, and levels of sleep/wake hormones like melatonin rebalance accordingly.

b. Blue light and the skin

While blue light can be strategically used to promote alertness and focus and realign your body's biological clock, it can also help clear acne on acne-prone skin and treat sun damage and non-melanoma skin cancers.

When light is exposed to the skin, it activates proteins that contain light-sensitive molecules, increasing mitochondrial activity. This, in turn, increases oxidative stress .

Skin cells respond by releasing molecules that manage inflammation and control cell growth. Targeting specific areas with blue light can improve some skin conditions, such as acne and certain non-cancerous skin growths .

What are the benefits of blue light therapy?

Exposure to blue light provides several important health benefits, including:

• Helps you stay alert : A 2018 study found that exposure to blue light can improve reaction time and alertness when one is not at their optimum performance time of day.

• Boosts memory and cognitive function : In a 2017 study , Participants who underwent a 30-minute "blue light washout" period performed better on verbal memory and memory consolidation tests. Conversely, participants exposed to an "amber light washout" scored lower on these tests.

• Potentially improves seasonal feelings of deep sadness: Blue light therapy has emerged as one of the most popular therapies for seasonal feelings of deep sadness. Researchers  discovered that it is also an effective treatment for non-seasonal feelings of deep sadness, particularly when paired with antidepressant medicines.

• Improves acne: A 2015 study found that blue light destroys acne-causing bacteria and reduces inflammation in acne outbreaks. One crucial note: If you decide to use blue light gadgets at home, be sure they are FDA-approved.

• Helps clear some skin conditions: A 2017 case study and a 2018 review  found that blue light treatment improved actinic keratosis and plaque psoriasis. A 2018 study found that blue light treatment was also beneficial in treating basal cell carcinoma tumours.

What are the disadvantages of blue light therapy?

While blue light therapy is, as a rule, safe and low-risk for most people, it does have some potential drawbacks.

When used for skin treatment, the area treated may become red, swollen, tender, or mildly bruised, mainly if medication has been applied to the skin.

The treated area may peel or crust over, but this is considered normal. Most people's recovery time is within seven days, while the scabbing resolves within three to fourteen days.

If light-sensitive drugs are used for light therapy, as is usually the case, your skin will be very sensitive to light for a few weeks after the procedure.

Try to avoid bright, direct sunlight during this period, though fluorescent lights are fine. If you plan to use sunscreens, they won't be effective because they protect you from UV light and not photosensitivity reactions.

When appropriately used, blue light therapy has no significant long-term side effects. It's much less invasive than surgery, and there's usually little or no scarring after the treated site heals.

Blue light therapy on its own, without the photosensitivity drugs added, is safe and low risk, as mentioned earlier.

Luminette 3 Light Therapy Glasses and the Drive Light Therapy Lamp are excellent examples of natural solutions for anyone in good health who wants to be in better shape and perform better throughout the day.

However, if you have eye problems such as glaucoma, retinitis, retinopathy, or macular degeneration, kindly seek the advice of a healthcare provider. If you are healthy and experience temporary possible side effects like headaches, eye tiredness, and nausea, please follow the advice below:

• Avoid exceeding the recommended daily usage duration.

• Avoid carrying out your session in a dark room.

• In the case of side effects, reduce the light intensity or exposure duration.

• If the problems persist, stop usage for a few days before trying again.

How to use blue light therapy devices

Due to the risks of overexposure, intensive blue light therapy should only be used in hospital settings. However, home devices are safe for treating low levels of jaundice, seasonal deep feelings of sadness , fatigue, and acne.

Handheld blue LED lights are used for skin problems like acne. They should be used in close contact with the skin for short periods, between 3 and 4 minutes in each affected area. However, follow the advice of a specialist.

Most lamps for treating winter blues and adjusting sleeping patterns can be used in the morning for 20 to 60 minutes. They must be placed at arm's length and within the field of vision, and the light should be within the peripheral field of vision.

That said, to harness the benefits of blue light therapy, Luminette offers a convenient solution with the Luminette 3 Light Therapy Glasses and Drive Light Therapy Lamp . Here's how to use them effectively:

• Choose the best time for therapy : To help reset your internal clock, it is recommended that you use the Luminette 3 glasses in the morning or during the desired waking time. You should use them for about 20-30 minutes daily.

• Adjust the intensity : The Luminette 3 glasses have adjustable settings to suit individual preferences. Start with lower intensity and progressively increase as needed.

Continue daily use : Consistency is critical when using Light Therapy. Incorporate the use of Luminette 3 glasses into your daily routine to experience the full benefits of the therapy and use it once a day.