Light therapy, also called phototherapy, is a procedure that can treat various mental health problems. It’s mainly known for its ability to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a type of depression. SAD is similar to regular depression, except it starts and ends the same time annually. So, if the patient starts experiencing depression during summer and ends in winter, they’re most likely to experience it again next summer.
Apart from SAD and other mental health problems, light therapy can also lead to myriads of benefits, such as better slip, improved skin, and even hair growth. If this is too short of an explanation for you, here’s a great post to read as it goes in-depth about this.
Regardless, considering its benefits, it probably didn’t take too long for you to convince yourself to try light therapy. But before that, it might be best to find out as much about the procedure as possible, hence this guide.
Listed below are five ways you can make the most out of light therapy.
- Choose The Right Light Box
If you’re planning on going through light therapy, you most likely intend to buy a light therapy box or lightbox. If so, make sure you pick the right product.
For starters, check if the lightbox was clinically tested. You can do so by simply looking into its specifications online. Secondly, ensure that it uses the right kind of light. If you didn’t know, light therapy involves different types of lights for different purposes. There’s a specific type of artificial light for skin problems and a different one for mental health problems.
Depending on your purpose, you can choose from blue light, red light, full-spectrum, or white lights. Selecting a suitable lightbox is incredibly important since it would have a lot to do with the succeeding tips. Adjust The Intensity Accordingly
Apart from the varying light colors, it’s also worth noting that light therapy isn’t necessarily limited to a certain intensity. For your reference, a lightbox can produce different amounts of light, and this is measured as lux.
The ideal lux for treating SAD is 10,000 lux. But if you only intend to have a glow-up, you might want to tone it down a bit.
- Position The Light Box Properly
In addition to the intensity, you also have to worry about the lightbox’s position. Ideally, you want the light to hit your face at a distance of around 16 to 24 inches. Just like with the previous tip, this is for patients with SAD. Otherwise, consider positioning the lightbox farther.
Also, you have to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for this because your skin might be more sensitive than others. On that note, you can try experimenting with the intensity and distance. If you experience redness, then the light is most likely too much or too close. But if you’re not feeling the heat from the light at all, then it’s most likely too far or too dim.
Do note that when experimenting with these things, make sure you still follow proper safety measures.
- Use Light Therapy Consistently
You now know the perfect distance and intensity for achieving the optimal results of light therapy. What’s left is to deal with how often you need to expose yourself to this procedure.
Again, there’s no universal formula for this. But if you’re like most people, you should be able to make the most out of light therapy by having a 15-minute session, three to five times a week. You should continue this routine for several months.
As usual, depending on the initial results, you can adjust this as well. Depending on how your skin reacted on your first try, you can either shorten the duration to 10 minutes or lengthen it to 20 minutes.
Remember that you won’t have any control over any of these three factors if you don’t own a lightbox, which further emphasizes the significance of the first tip.
- Incorporate Other Treatment Plans
Remember that light therapy wasn’t designed to be a standalone treatment procedure for your problems. If you only want to add a glow to your skin, then maybe using it alone is enough, but if you’re planning to treat mental problems, considering incorporating other treatment plans.
For example, you can take antidepressants regularly or undergo psychotherapy. Regardless, make sure you inform and consult your doctor before adding other treatment procedures to the mix.
Wrapping Up
The public holds light therapy in high regard. Although it’s indeed popular and effective, it’s essential to understand that it’s not always going to be effective. This applies to both applications–be it for skin problems or mental problems. Regardless, since a lightbox is by no means cheap, you have to make sure you know what you’re dealing with first.