Financial statistics and data suggests that how a person appears on the outside matters a lot to humans. With the global cosmetic surgery market valued at close to 60 billion in 2025, and with a projected growth to 83 billion by the year 2034, there is simply no denying that humans are altering their physical appearance at a strikingly high level.(1) Unfortunately, cosmetic surgery, despite many advancements, comes with risks. Not only can it be a high risk for health in the short term, the long term results of many procedures are still unknown, and finally aesthetic surgery is not cheap. So, is there a way to non-invasively improve physical appearance and enhance health at the same time? Perhaps infrared light and saunas may be just the answer.
Alongside the uptake in cosmetic surgery, research suggests that infrared light in general has also experienced a strong uptake as a tool in aesthetic medicine. From infrared saunas, lamps, lasers, and blankets, infrared light devices are found throughout slimming facilities, dermatology clinics, and spas. Many individuals are turning to infrared light for the purposes of beautification as a complimentary treatment to plastic surgery or in lieu of it. The use of infrared light for aesthetic purposes comes with less risks, and for many conditions may simply be more effective.
Infrared light interacts with the cellular composition of the body to stimulate the actual aliveness and health of each individual cell. Rather than addressing the body as a mechanic would a car and simply replacing parts for other differently shaped parts, the use of infrared light to improve cellular composition relies on the fact the body is a living organism. Infrared light stimulates the living tissues of the body to enhance their function and ultimately improve the overall appearance of the individual users without inserting non-organic matter into the body.
Whenever non-biological material is introduced into the body’s biosphere, risk factors increase. While cosmetic surgery may be excellent for those who have invested into it financially, it may not be the healthiest investment for longevity. If you are looking to improve your physical appearance, consider the research on how infrared light is being used in aesthetic medicine to improve appearance and also healthspan.
Whether infrared light is used as an adjunct therapy for beautification of the body or as a replacement therapy, you can find out here how infrared light interacts with human biology and how it is being used in the fields of aesthetic medicine. Furthermore, find out how you can use infrared light from home to attain your ideal body mass index, improve the quality of your skin, as well as how to tone and sculpt your body’s subcutaneous tissue.
The History of Infrared Light as a Phototherapy
All of light energy can be found naturally in the sun’s radiant electromagnetic spectrum. Whether an individual chooses to work with light energy to affect their biology is really quite redundant as it is happening daily by virtue of being alive on planet earth. In more recent history scientists and researchers have found ways to harness the healthy aspects of the sun’s radiance into artificial devices to improve health and wellness.
Infrared light sits proudly on the light spectrum just beyond the visible color red and is invisible to the human eye, but can be felt as heat. Infrared light is both absorbed and emitted by people. For example, with night sight goggles humans can be detected by the infrared heat that they emit from their bodies. (2)
Infrared light is most prominent in the sun’s radiance early in the day and as the sun is setting in the sky. Infrared light can also be harnessed artificially. It was first discovered as a frequency in 1880 by a scientist known as William Herschel. Herschel conducted an experiment that measured the temperature of color light. He found that just beyond the color red that could be seen with the eye was an increase in thermal temperature, and it was at this moment that he discovered infrared light. (2)
Later in the same century Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, most famous for his cereal, was the first known person to use infrared light as a therapy. In his incandescent light bath, which became world famous among the elites of Europe and beyond, he used infrared light bulbs to heal a wide array of maladies. (3)
It wasn’t until the mid 1960s when scientists from NASA circled back to Kellogg’s vision to use infrared light as a phototherapy. So, the use of infrared light as a medicinal therapy is not as recent as it may at first appear, in fact this technology is roughly 150 years old. (3)
As the 2000s advanced the use of infrared light in saunas increased dramatically. This form of heat was found to be more effective at heating the internal core temperature of its users when compared to other styles of saunas. Furthermore, infrared laser technology continues to evolve, and both intensities of infrared light have moved into regular practice in the world of aesthetic medicine.
So, why use infrared technology as a beautification tool? Find out how infrared light interacts with the cells of the body. With this understanding it starts to make sense why so many would turn to this light frequency to improve their appearance.
The Mechanics and Biology of How Infrared Light Energy as it is Used in Aesthetic Medicine
The human body is composed of roughly 30 trillion cells. Cells make up every aspect of human physiology. Where there are healthy cells there is a healthy body, and where there are unhealthy cells then you will find unhealthy tissues, organs, and eventually a very sick person. Infrared light exposure creates conversation with the molecular level of each cell, as photons are absorbed and transmuted into energy. When the body begins to improve in health at the cellular level it upregulates all aspects of health and physical appearance.
All light moves through space and time as waves, and these frequencies move in shorter or longer wavelengths. Infrared light is considered as long wavelength light, and this more powerful frequency is able to move directly into the soft tissues of the body and alter cellular composition. Due to this capacity infrared light has been harnessed for its medicinal use in the phototherapy process known as photobiomodulation (PBM). Long wavelength light’s ability to move into the soft tissues of the body is described by the authors of the paper entitled ‘Photobiomodulation and the brain: a new paradigm’ (4) published by the National Library of Medicine.
“…red light (600-750 nm) and NIR light (750-1100 nm) have longer wavelengths that penetrate deeply, reaching several centimeters into muscle and other tissues, making them highly suitable for clinical applications targeting deep tissue structures.” (4)
Photobiomodulation occurs when the combination of red and near infrared light are absorbed by cytochrome C that sits inside the membrane surrounding the organelle known as the mitochondria. This energy center that exists inside of every cell of the body is responsible for maintaining homeostasis of cellular metabolism, or the life death cycle of cells. When infrared light is absorbed by the mitochondria a fabulous cascade of biological reactions occur to transform the physical make-up of the body. Aesthetic medicine relies on this interchange to create results for clients looking to ameliorate their physical appearance.
A paper published by Science Direct entitled ‘Use of infrared-based devices in aesthetic medicine and for beauty and wellness treatments’ outlines the many uses of infrared light in beauty centers and slimming facilities across the globe. The authors of this paper describe the relationship between infrared light and human physiology here.
“Infrared (IR) is a type of electromagnetic radiation that has the ability to stimulate living tissues resulting in numerous biological responses. Exposure to IR is perceived as heat and their mechanism of action is related to the absorption of energy by photoacceptor molecules.” (5)
The authors of this paper briefly outline the areas of beauty that infrared light is used to treat.
“Infrared devices and technologies are used for weight loss, cellulite treatment, body remodeling, beauty treatments, and wellness.” (5)
From improved collagen production, to weight loss, and even hair growth on the scalp it seems as if infrared technology is touching nearly every aspect of aesthetic medicine. The primary devices that the above mentioned paper describes clinics as using are:
“…infrared thermal blankets, far-infrared thermal blanket, infrared lipo laser paddles, infrared lamps, far-infrared lamps, infrared saunas, far-infrared saunas, and infrared caps.” (5)
The call to improve physical appearance is strong and infrared light technology answers this call in many ways. Infrared light therapies cannot fully replace invasive plastic surgery, but if it is possible to avoid implanting non-organic material into the body, and instead rely on the body’s own ability to upregulate cellular behavior. Rather than choosing between improving physical appearance and health perhaps consider the power of infrared light to do both at the same time. Find out more specifically how infrared light can be used for aesthetic medicine in areas of skin care, hair growth, and body mass composition below.
What Areas of Beauty Can Infrared Saunas Help With?
- Maintenance of Ideal Weight For Individual Skeletal Structure
- Radiant Skin: Enhanced Peripheral Blood Flow
- Increased Collagen Production
- Detoxification
- Tissue Toning: Subcutaneous Toning to Reduce Cellulite
- Hair Growth on the Scalp
- Wound Healing
It may be possible to avoid some of the higher risk aesthetic surgeries and procedures by turning to the power of infrared light. As high as 65% of people regret having plastic surgery, or are disappointed with the results. (6) Yet, people still continue to turn to aesthetic medicine to alter their appearance. Obviously, infrared light cannot seriously alter the shape of an individual’s nose, for example, or dramatically increase the size of the breasts, but there is a lot that infrared light can do to improve overall appearance. As a bonus exposure to infrared light as experienced in a sauna can also dramatically improve health instead of hindering it.
The authors of the paper ‘Use of infrared-based devices in aesthetic medicine and for beauty and wellness treatments’ (5) describe an increasing demand to improve physical appearance and also the need for more technologies to effectively and non-invasively answer this call.
“The search for a better and more toned body shape that involves the reduction of fat deposits throughout the body or in specific areas, as well as the reduction of cellulite and, in general, all that orbits around the universe of strategies for weight loss and tissue toning (skin and subcutaneous tissues), it is the need that leads women, and more recently also men, to orient themselves on the solutions proposed by aesthetic medicine, both invasive and non-invasive, to beauty salons and slimming centres or gyms.” (5)
Infrared saunas are a great way to lose excess fat storage without any invasive surgery or GLP-1 drugs. Even if an individual is not in a position to exercise, or cannot afford the cost of GLP-1 medication, or surgery, the use of an infrared sauna can dramatically decrease weight, and help to optimize body mass composition while simultaneously improving insulin sensitivity. It is not due to water weight loss that causes fat loss from an infrared sauna, but rather due to the cardiovascular engagement necessary in order to regulate internal temperature. This process requires significant caloric expenditure as exampled by the authors of the paper from Science Direct mentioned above.
“IR thermal blankets improve blood circulation and the metabolism of the whole body, accelerate the detoxification, trigger the consumption of calories and fat burning.” (5)
Instead of using an infrared thermal blanket it is often much more comfortable to use an infrared sauna where sweat can be easily wiped from the surface of the skin.The regular use of an infrared sauna is an effective way to manage weight without surgery, or adding potentially detrimental medication into the biosphere of the body. Without knowing the long term effects of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, it may be prudent to stick with infrared saunas for reliable weight loss.
A little known fact about infrared light is that it can help reduce cellulite by regulating the cellular make-up of the subcutaneous tissues in the body. So, whether you pay to go to a clinic to receive this treatment or use an infrared sauna from home it is possible to reduce cellulite with exposure to infrared light. (5)
Additionally, the use of an infrared sauna is arguably the most effective way to detoxify the body from chronic and difficult to remove toxins. While this may not directly augment external appearance, a healthy and toxin free body will glow from the inside out.
The heat from a sauna improves peripheral blood flow, which means more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the organ of the skin. So the after sauna glow is not just from sweat, it is a real and measurable phenomenon.
Furthermore, infrared light relies on the phototherapy known as photobiomodulation to improve mitochondrial function. This therapy helps to improve collagen production, heal flesh wounds, and rejuvenate the skin and connective tissues of the body. Instead of injecting literal poisons into the face to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, consider using infrared light instead!
How to Use Infrared Light to Improve Your Overall Physical Appearance
It seems impossible to avoid the strong emphasis that our society places on physical appearance, and the market value of plastic surgery is a demonstration of the high value that we collectively place on external beauty. Many cosmetic procedures rely on risky surgeries or the placement of non-biological, or in-organic material into the body. If you would like to avoid this or help mitigate some of the side effects from these procedures, consider turning to infrared light technology to augment your physical appearance and health.
Ultimately a healthy body will likely be a beautiful body, however many will want more direct results for their physical appearance. The field of aesthetic medicine does continue to grow and improve its technologies, and gratefully the healthy light spectrum of infrared light has found its way in.
You can find the use of red and infrared light in dermatologist offices, in spas, and in body sculpting clinics. Before turning to injectables, consider asking your health care professional about their infrared light technologies.
Infrared saunas can be a great multi-purpose tool to help lose weight, reduce cellulite, and improve overall skin quality. So, if you are not interested in going into a clinic to benefit from infrared light to improve the quality of physical appearance consider using an infrared sauna from home.
Infrared saunas can help you maintain your ideal weight, while upleveling the appearance of your skin. Before feeling pressured to go under the knife consider the healthy option of infrared saunas for many of your beautification needs.
The use of any sauna requires extensive dedication to hydration, so please be sure to make sure that you are consuming plenty of water rich in electrolytes. If you are unsure about the use of infrared sauna for your health needs then please consult with a medical professional.
Sources & Citations:
- https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/cosmetic-surgery-market-102628
- https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8819196/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5448311/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1350449519301756
- https://www.medicalaccidentgroup.co.uk/news/do-you-regret-having-cosmetic-surgery/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6360547/