How long does light therapy take to show results?
Written by
David Nelson
Reviewed by
Prof. Graham Pierce, Ph.D.The timeframe for light therapy benefits differs greatly in application. For wound healing, an improvement is often seen after 2-4 weeks of treatment. Hair regrowth generally requires 3-6 months of regular treatments. Skin rejuvenation benefits are seen after 8-12 weeks.
Wound Healing
- Initial Improvement: Noticeable within 2-4 weeks
- Protocol: Daily 10-minute sessions
- Factors Affecting Speed: Wound depth and location
Cognitive Enhancement
- Initial Improvement: Subtle changes after 4 weeks
- Protocol: Daily 6-minute transcranial sessions
- Peak Benefits: Require 12+ weeks of consistency
Pain Management
- Initial Improvement: Reduced stiffness in 1-2 weeks
- Protocol: 15-minute sessions 5x/week
- Sustainable Relief: Needs ongoing maintenance
Consistency is important in all holistic practices. Daily sessions facilitate cellular-level change. Missing treatments conspire against visible progress. Clients need to treat their sessions as they would their medications, tracking them on calendars, which bolsters their discipline and separates successful results from disappointment.
Several factors will influence your individual timeline. The quality of devices will very much affect the results. FDA-cleared devices emit the correct wavelengths of light and the appropriate intensity levels. Your own state of health will determine the level of cellular response. In chronic problems, these results may be slower. Age and lifestyle will also affect the variations noticed.
Regarding regrowth, the anagen phase (active growth), visible changes are experienced. As hair grows slowly, patience is needed. I recommend a monthly photo to see gradual improvements. Most clients will notice increased shedding before there are noticeable signs of thickening.
Skin improvements occur after the completion of collagen production cycles. Early textural changes may be experienced ahead of when wrinkles begin to diminish. Combining light therapy with high-quality skincare can expedite the results of skin improvement. Maintaining the routine in the morning will correspond with natural wake and cell recovery cycles.
Don't assume that light therapy provides miraculous and overnight results. Cells regenerate based on biological time. However, if no changes are observed within the anticipated timeframe, you should seek professional advice. I work with clients to adjust their protocols if no progress is made.
Read the full article: 8 Light Therapy Benefits Explained Simply
