[Is far infrared not equal to red light therapy? ! 】Understand the truth about far infrared therapy in 1 minute

Far infrared therapy is simply heat therapy. As the name suggests, it is to apply a hot water bottle, heating pad, electric heating felt, etc. to the affected area to transfer heat energy to the muscles through skin contact through heat conduction. The difference between far infrared therapy and hot compress therapy is that far infrared radiation has a healing effect without contacting the skin, which is called "non-invasive treatment". If the patient has an open wound such as a broken skin, far infrared therapy can be used. It can heal the wound without touching the wound. The effect is not much different from applying heat to the skin using a regular hot water bottle or electric heating blanket.

Far infrared therapy uses the principle of infrared radiation heat transfer to transfer heat through electromagnetic waves. In terms of treatment, the effects of infrared and heat therapy are similar. Both of them achieve a healing effect by creating a thermal effect on the superficial layer of the skin, improving blood circulation locally and thus relaxing tense muscles.

What is red light therapy?

Red light therapy is a type of light therapy that uses photobiomodulation to transmit specific wavelengths of light deep into the skin's tissues to stimulate the mitochondria, the "power generators" of the cells. Mitochondria provide cellular energy through adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which has a wide range of benefits to the human body, such as anti-inflammation, pain relief, skin improvement, enhanced athletic ability, improved sleep quality, stimulation of hair growth, promotion of wound healing, improved eye health, etc. Scientists even believe that red light therapy can extend life. In a 2015 study, researchers tested the effectiveness of red light therapy on fruit flies and found that when fruit flies were exposed to red light, they had reduced inflammation, improved ATP, increased mobility, and increased average lifespan.
〈Extended reading: [A complete guide to red light therapy]｜Principles, effects, side effects, instructions for use, and answers to common questions〉

Near Infrared (NIR) Light Therapy
Near-infrared (NIR) belongs to the infrared spectrum with a wavelength range of 700nm – 1100nm. It is worth mentioning that both near infrared and far infrared are invisible, so they are invisible to the naked eye during treatment.

As mentioned before, red light therapy and far infrared therapy are both natural therapies that use infrared therapy. However, according to research, far infrared rays can only penetrate the skin to a depth of about 0.8mm-1mm, and their energy will be completely absorbed in the shallow layer of the skin. In contrast, the energy from red light therapy is able to penetrate all layers of the skin, even through tough connective tissue such as the previously mentioned bones such as the knee, and near infrared has a penetration power approximately 5,000 times greater than far infrared. Although "near infrared" and "far infrared" are only one letter apart, they cannot be compared.

The difference between far infrared therapy and red light therapy
Far Infrared vs Near Infrared
Red light therapy and far infrared therapy are completely different in principle, treatment method and efficacy. 

Red light therapy Far infrared therapy
Treatment Methods Photobiomodulation Thermal Effect
Principle Transmitting light wavelengths to provide mitochondria with cellular energy and activate cells Transmitting heat through radiation with electromagnetic waves
Penetration: Able to penetrate the skin directly to the muscles. Superficial layer of skin
Scientifically proven efficacy Anti-inflammatory
Relieve pain
Improve skin
lose weight
Improve muscle recovery and athletic ability
Enhances immunity
Improve sleep quality
Stimulate hair growth and reduce hair loss
Wound healing
Lighten scars
Eye Health
Improve degenerative brain diseases
Enhance sexual ability and fertility
Promote blood circulation and relieve pain
Improve blood circulation
Sweat
Safety Very safe, almost no side effects Overuse may cause burns, redness, swelling, and itching
Non-invasive treatment Non-invasive Non-invasive
From the above, we can see that red light therapy is better and safer in most cases. Therefore, more and more medical institutions and beauty salons around the world are switching to red light therapy devices instead of far infrared therapy devices.
〈Extended reading: [The advantages of red light therapy are revealed]｜In-depth analysis of the 14 major benefits of red light therapy〉

The Healer Np Pro series is the most advanced sixth-generation red light therapy device and the only series with 5 red light wavelengths. Combining the advantages of 5 wavelengths of 630nm, 660nm, 810nm, 830nm and 850nm, and equipped with the first dimming sleep mode, users can get stronger and faster results.
〈Extended reading: What red light wavelength is the best for red light therapy? 〉

With a Healer red light therapy device, you can enjoy all the benefits of red light therapy at home, including pain relief, reduced inflammation, promoted wound healing and improved skin quality, while saving a lot of money on physical therapy, massage and beauty salons. The irradiance (a unit used to measure the intensity of light) is also higher than that of similar red light therapy devices, and the treatment effect is more ideal. Each red light therapy device of Health Optimise is strictly controlled, and its wavelength and irradiance are verified multiple times. It also has the US FDA safety certification, which is most suitable for customers who have high requirements for health and quality.

Heat therapy is also a very healthy natural therapy. If you want to buy a far-infrared lamp but are worried about radiation issues, you can choose a far-infrared lamp with a lower EMF, or use a hot water bottle and electric heating blanket.