Enhancing Skin Growth Part 5: Light Therapy
In the previous parts of this series, we have looked at how skin expansion works, along with different ways that it could possibly be sped up. Collagen production, blood flow, growth factors, and stem cells all play an important role in skin expansion. We also looked at some different nutrients that can each increase some of these factors, but what if I told you there was one way to address all of these factors at once, and it is the most studied and researched way to do so?
Light Therapy
One of the most recent major developments in skin health and dermatology has been light therapy. In fact, most dermatologist now offer light therapy or sell at home light therapy devices, and for good reason. There is a large body of research on Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) for skin health, including benefits such as: increased in production collagen, fibroblast growth factors, proliferation of fibroblasts, vascular perfusion, altering platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), increased transforming growth factor (TGF-β1), Increased stem cell activity, reduced scar tissue, faster wound healing, reduced hyperpigmentation, and decreased inflammation.(1,2) Although there isn’t any specific research on light therapy for skin expansion, light therapy seems to address most, if not all of the major mechanisms of action involved in skin expansion. This suggest that light therapy could have a significant effect on increasing the speed of foreskin restoration.
How Light Therapy Works
There is still some debate as to how exactly light therapy works, but there is a general consensus on the main mechanism of action. The mitochondria inside the cells have chromophores that can absorb photons. When these chromophores absorb photons, it stimulates the mitochondria to create more ATP.(1) ATP is what all cells use for energy, which is why it has such a broad mechanism of action on many components of skin health. Different wavelengths of light seem to have slightly different effects, but red, infrared, and yellow light have the most benefits for skin health and rejuvenation.(3) Different wavelengths also have different ranges of penetration, with red and infrared having the deepest penetration through the skin.
Dartos Muscle
In part 3, we looked at the importance of the dartos fascia in restoration. The dartos fascia is made up of mostly collagen and smooth muscle cells. Light therapy should benefit collagen production in the dartos just as it does in the skin. There is no concrete evidence that light therapy can increase proliferation of smooth muscle, but there is research showing it increases proliferation of skeletal muscle cells.(4) Remember though that the main mechanism of action for light therapy is that it increases cellular energy. Light therapy is going to give cells more energy to do what they are already doing, so it is plausible that it is going to make expansion of the dartos fascia during restoration more efficient.
Light versus Laser and Safety
When looking at the safety of light therapy, it is important to first understand the difference between a light and a laser. With a laser, all of the photons are coherent and focused in one direction. This makes lasers much more powerful, and also potentially dangerous. In medical settings, lasers are typically used for treating specific areas of the body. Lower powered “cold” lasers can be used for skin rejuvenation, while high powered lasers can be used to burn off diseased parts of skin. Although you can buy low power cold lasers for home use, dosage and time can be a bit tricky to determine for someone who is not an expert. For general skin health and restoration, I would not recommend lasers.
Ordinary LED lights have photons that emit in random directions, making them much safer to use. Typical LED lights with low wattage that are sold for skin health have a much higher safety profile than lasers, but are still effective. They can be used daily without the risk of any side effects. Non-laser LED light therapy has also been tested for safety for genital use, and has even been shown to have benefits like increased testosterone and sperm quality.(5)
I recommend true light products for restoration for several reasons. First, their lights have the right power level for safe use, and a built in 20 minute timer. Second, they have the correct wavelengths of light that are applicable to restoration. You can also choose which wavelength you want to use if you want to experiment the find out what works best.
How to use Light Therapy for Restoration
The dose of light you receive is a matter of the wattage or power of the device, and the distance you are from the light source. Home light therapy devices will typically have a fixed amount of power, and a recommendation of how far the device should be from the skin. For restoration, frequencies in the red and near infrared range are most likely to help and will penetrate through the epidermis, dermis, and dartos fascia. Research on yellow light is newer but also potentially more promising. While yellow light doesn’t penetrate as far as red and infrared, it should go far enough to reach all three layers of the foreskin.
For a typical home use light therapy device such as truelight, it does not actually take a lot of time per day to see benefits. The typical recommendation is 20 minutes per day, but as little as 5 minutes, a few days per week is enough to make an impact. Light is also somewhat hormetic, meaning that more is not better and can actually be too stressful, though it is difficult to cause any major issues with a non-laser home device. Based on the overall research on light therapy, at this point in time it is the most promising therapy to increase the speed of foreskin restoration that is widely available to the public.
References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4126803/
2. http://photobiology.info/Sawhney.html
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4479368/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3635110/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5992952/
Image: Chic Bee, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons