FAQs

Red light therapy is a technology that has both cosmetic and healing effects. The word ‘healing’ is defined as ‘the natural process by which the body repairs itself.’ That is exactly what happens when the body is exposed to red light or Collagen wavelengths.

Red light in wavelengths between 630-660 nm (nanometers) has the ability to penetrate deep into the layers of the skin, energizing fibroblast cells that make collagen and elastin production. This is how the skin repairs damage and rejuvenates the skin’s overall appearance. The visible benefits from red light therapy such as reduced wrinkles and firmer skin may seem like just a cosmetic enhancement, but it actually is the result of the body healing itself. Red light therapy targets and treats the entire face and body because the treatment is done in a full-sized bed similar to a tanning bed.

Because red light wavelengths increases collagen production, this type of red light is also called Collagen light.

Fibroblast cells are found in the dermis layer of the skin and are responsible for fabricating collagen. During sun exposure, stress, and through the normal ageing processes, fibroblasts cells slow their collagen production. As ageing continues, the quality of collagen is lessened, wrinkling becomes deeper and skin looses it’s firmness. Red light therapy has other healing uses that are extensive and outside the scope of this article.

Based on research, red light sessions improve skin tone and texture, reduce pigmentation spots, help to reduce pore size, encourage vibrant and healthy looking skin, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. The red light also stimulates blood circulation and repairs elastin fibres in the tissue to help keeping the skin firm. Furthermore, red light sessions increase oxygenation and detoxification of the skin. Overall you will look and feel younger and healthier!

NASA first developed this technology to grow plants in space, then later to treat wounds in space. Today Red Light Therapy is being used throughout the medical field to heal patients, and used in salons around the world to rejuvenate the skin. NASA’s ongoing research on using Red Light therapy to help cancer patients states, ‘This technology does not cause any harm, no side effects.’ Red light therapy is safe and pain free; in fact, clients come away feeling good after a session.

We recommend users to first undergo the initial program to achieve the best results. After completion of the initial program, following the maintenance program will be sufficient to remain keeping the skin young and healthy and maintain all other benefits. For more information, please have a look at the section ‘session program.’

Your skin is just as individual as you are and therefore everyone’s skin reacts differently. This is mainly dependent on your age, your lifestyle, your diet, etcetera. There are immediate changes to the skin such as cleaner, brighter and tighter feeling skin. On the longer term lines, fine wrinkles age spots and sunspots will diminish. For the complete result overview, please have a look at the section ‘Benefits of Collagen.’

The results depend upon the length of therapy and the original conditions of the skin being treated. If maintenance program sessions are discontinued, natural expression lines will gradually return over the course of time. The initial program can always be started again when you are in this stage.

Red light therapy is one of the few methods that gently and harmlessly reduces the signs of ageing. The lamps are free from UV light. Phototherapy has no reported side effects, nor any reported damage to the eyes or the body. It is pain free and completely harmless. No healing or downtime is involved.

The red light therapy sessions are harmless and it is suitable for all skin types. People with low blood pressure or who are pregnant, suffer from epilepsy or increased light sensitivity, or are on medication that causes increased light sensitivity (e.g. antibiotics or St. John’s Wort) should, however, refrain from the therapy.

For the best results, your skin should be thoroughly washed and cleansed, prior to enjoying a red light therapy session. In this way the light will not be blocked by any particles which can reflect the red light. It is not necessary to use a lotion, but it is preferable to keep your skin smooth.

The skin that you wish to be treated should be fully exposed to the light.

That depends on the individual, some people may experience a dry eye sensation.

No not at all. You will not get a tan from Red Light Therapy, nor does it expose you to damaging UV rays. Red light is purely for healing.

The connective tissue of our skin consists, in part, of the protein fibres collagen and elastin. Collagen supports our skin, and elastin gives it its elasticity. Special cells, called fibroblasts, continuously produce these proteins to keep our skin firm and supple. This is a rejuvenation process that the body regulates automatically until we reach our mid-20s. As we grow older the cell activity decreases, causing the skin to lose its elasticity and become ‘looser’, resulting in lines and wrinkles.

The concept is designed to visibly improve the skin through the use of pure light. ‘Collagen light’ falls within the colour spectrum of visible light and is yellow, orange and/or red. It consists of the wavelengths just below those of infrared light, running from around 600 to 760 nm. This specially tailored light penetrates the skin to a depth of 10 millimetres, causing the fibroblasts to grow and divide. The production of collagen and elastin are stimulated, which ultimately leads to improved, suppler skin.

In recent years many studies have been conducted into the effect of specially tailored light on the skin and its impact. A number of scientific studies that substantiate the effects of specially tailored light are listed below.

• Zhang Y, Song S, Fong C-C, Tsang C-H, Yang Z, Yang M: cDNA microarray analysis of gene expression profiles in human fibroblast cells irradiated with red light. J. Invest Dermatol., 120:849-857, 2003.
• Karu TI, Pyatibrat LV, Kolyakov SF, Afanasyeva NI: Absorption measurements of a cell monolayer relevant to phototherapy: reduction of cytochrome c oxidase under near IR radiation. J Photochem Photobiol, 81: 98-106, 2005.
• Lubart R, Friedmann H, Lavi R, Longo L, Jacobi J, Baruchin O, Baruchin AM: A reasonable mechanism for visible light-induced skin rejuvenation. Lasers Med Sci, 22:1-3, 2007.
• Lubart R, Lavi R, Friedmann H, Rochkind S.: Photochemistry and photobiology of light absorption by living cells. Photomed Laser Surg, 24:179-185, 2006.
• Gao, X., Xing D.: Molecular mechanisms of cell proliferation induced by low power laser irradiation. J Biomed Sci., 16:1-16 online, 2009.

Collagen is one of the most important proteins in our body. It is found in the second layer of the skin, called the dermis or true skin. This layer gives the skin strength and consists of a dense structure of connective tissue. Collagen can be seen as the protein that forms the basic structure of our skin.

Elastin is a protein that gives the skin its elasticity. It forms a network of fibres, and like collagen is found in the second layer of the skin, called the dermis or true skin. Just 5 to 10% of all skin fibres are elastin, but these are of essential importance in giving the skin its suppleness.

The primary purpose of fibroblasts is the creation of collagen fibres, the non-stretchable fibres that give our tissues their firmness. They also synthesize other elements of the basic substance, or extracellular matrix, in the connective tissue. So connective tissue primarily consists of fibroblasts and is found, among other places, beneath the outer skin. Fibroblasts also play a role in wound healing. They can transform into myofibroblasts, which close the wound. They are responsible for scar tissue, which consists mainly of collagen fibres.

The result achieved with the light treatments depends primarily on your age, lifestyle and the health of your skin. To achieve the best possible result a cumulative series of sessions is required. Research has shown that the following results can be achieved:

• The bed stimulates elastin and collagen production in the skin
• Fine lines and wrinkles fade
• The texture is improved: the skin becomes less oily and feels softer and smoother
• The skin gains a more uniform appearance: age spots fade and your complexion improves
• The bed reduces mild to moderate acne

Acne is a skin disorder in which the sebaceous glands regularly become blocked and/or infected. This results in pimples, blackheads and red blemishes in combination with dry or greasy skin that is oversensitive and easily irritated. Pure visible light at a wave length of 630 nanometres has an anti-inflammatory effect that reduces swelling and fights infections. It stimulates the microcirculation, blood circulation and production of new cells in the skin, which accelerates the healing process and reduces the chance of scarring. The beneficial effect of pure visible light has been clearly demonstrated in clinical studies .

• Cell repair is stimulated, so damaged skin heals more quickly

To achieve the best possible result a cumulative series of sessions is required. We recommend 2-3 sessions a week over a period of 10-12 weeks, with a recovery period of 48 hours between sessions. The length of each session varies depending on which system is used.

The results will be measurable after about one month, and you will see visible results after about three months. This differs from person to person, however, and depends greatly on the skin. After three months it may be assumed that the condition of your skin has reached a level at which the frequency of the sessions can be reduced. You can then switch to ‘maintenance sessions’, once every two weeks.

Type	Session time	Number of sessions per week	Number of weeks
Anti Ageing Rejuvenation Bed	20 minutes	2-3	10-12

• A course of treatment during a continuous 10 to 12 week period
• 2 to 3 sessions per week
• Rest period of 48 hours between sessions
• A maintenance session once every two weeks, after completing a course of treatment

The best possible results are achieved through a complete course of treatment, consisting of a cumulative series of sessions. We recommend 2-3 sessions a week over a period of 10-12 weeks, with a recovery period of 48 hours between sessions. Upon completion of the treatment, a maintenance session once every two weeks, or more often, will enable you to maintain the results.

The length of a session depends on the type of system you use. With the Hapro Seecret^® C75 or C25 a session takes 30 minutes. A Hapro Seecret^® C700, C300, C200 or C180 session takes 20 minutes.

The skin improvement process continues for 10 to 12 weeks following the recommended course of treatment. A maintenance session once every two weeks, or more often, will enable you to maintain the results.

Yes, this is very important. The supplied protective glasses must be worn during every session to protect the eyes against the high intensity of the light.

There are special skin care products available that bolster the beneficial effects of light on the skin. An important ingredient of these products is hyaluron. Hyaluron is a substance that occurs naturally in the body and which, like collagen and elastin, is found in the connective tissue of the skin. It has the ability to hold large quantities of moisture, giving the skin a fresh, smooth appearance. Using a skin care product containing hyaluron in combination with the light treatment will help your body maintain the smoothness, suppleness and moisture of the skin. We recommend Art of Sun skin care products.

Yes, Seecret^® light treatments are completely painless and suitable for every skin type. Through careful study and practical tests we have determined the correct dose of specially tailored light, which forms the basis for our recommended session plan that you can use to obtain the optimum result. All the appliances meet the most stringent safety regulations and have the CE quality mark. Moreover, the appliances are carefully developed in accordance with the latest standards.

Professor Stan Pavel, Associate Professor for Dermatology, former Head of the Phototherapeutic Department and leading researcher of the Dermatology Department of the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, confirms the skin-rejuvenating effect of Seecret^® light treatments.