What to Know About Red Light Therapy

If your feed is full of slightly scary glowing red masks, you’re not imagining it. Red light therapy has officially crossed over from influencer curiosity to mainstream wellness—but this isn’t just aesthetic theater. The treatment has research-backed benefits, with dermatologists, estheticians and medical professionals increasingly incorporating it into care plans. 

And it’s not just masks. Red light is now showing up in workouts and saunas—at local studios like HOTWORX, Restore Hyper Wellness, GLOW Fitness and Beem.

At HOTWORX, members cycle through 15- and 30-minute sessions inside saunas, combining heat, infrared light and movement. The pitch: faster heart-rate elevation, boosted calorie burn and optimized everyday performance in less time. Confirming the appeal, one Raleighite regular tells RM it accelerated her weight-loss journey.  

Still, not all red light therapy is created equal—and results vary based on consistency, device quality and what you’re targeting. To break down the noise, we tapped local nurse practitioner Bozena Narula of Amelia Medspa to get the 411 on the essentials—and the top benefits worth your time.

What It Can Do

• Skin health: Boosts collagen and elastic production for firmer, more even-toned skin
• Hair growth: Increases blood flow to follicles, supporting thicker, denser hair
• Inflammation + healing: Helps reduce swelling and supports recovery from surgeries and procedures, injuries, muscle strain, and chronic conditions like arthritis
• Fine-lines + texture: Softens wrinkles and rids fine lines, acne scars and rosacea
• Recovery: Speeds cellular repair, regeneration and circulation—ideal for post-workout recovery, post-extraction healing and wound care

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