Following the conversations here I have restarted use of my IR/Red light panels. It appears to increase my sleeping HR.
Does anyone else get this as a result?
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Did you investigate any further? I was looking at this over the past 6 months or so too but the cost put me off.
I understand the leds are arranged such that they align with the default mode network
I was wondering if you could basically get the same effect via much cheaper NIR light panels placed close enough such that you get the equivalent energy density.
I already have a small infraredi panel which I enjoy the feel of but have no data to suggest its doing anything.
According to MedCram, you can get NIR by going outside: Light - YouTube
Also, there are birds out there & plants. People have done studies saying that being in nature is good for ones health. 
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Unfortunately good sleep is one result I have not benefited from. I should switch my usage to evenings instead of mornings.
I thought I would rummage around on the issue of Infra Red and one thing I have been looking at is penetration of the skull.
I found this paper:
Which basically says about 5% of infra red gets into the skull around 23.6 mm (roughly an Inch).
I bought a carelamps P450 plus a while ago, but had not been using it. I have now started using it again.
Research indicates an increase in ATP and mitochondrial copy number. I would expect that to be accompanied by an increase in cytosolic Acetyl-CoA. Hence it should be another system which increases gene expression (and hence potentially additive in its effects). It will, however, only affect those tissues it can get to.
This article:
Has a look at penetration issues. Realistically, however, it should help with the skin. It may reduce senescence in surface cells, but I would not see it having a direct effect on other issues. There is potentially an indirect effect.
I found this paper on gene expression
See post of PattyG in the thread below, showing pics of her hand.
Panel she uses is Biomax 900 (12 inches across). It is expensive.
It is cheaper to get red lights for plants. But you get pure 630 nm (Amazon), or 660 nm (Walmart). Can’t say it will work as well as her Biomax. She says:
The platinum lights have five frequencies 630, 660, 810, 830 and 850 some are infrared.
I do think the NIR/Red Light therapy has some positive effects. I have, however, noticed that when it switches off and if I am in a really dark room and I close my eyes I can sense some light emitted actually in my retina which is sufficient to kick off a response from the rod cells, but not the cones.
It sort of sparkles in a rather dull manner for about a minute after the machine switches off. It does not surprise me that this happens in the sense that energy would be released by the electron levels (I think mainly in copper) have have been stimulated.
However, I am wearing green glasses to protect from red and infra red, I also am not directly irradiating my eyes and I have a handkerchief placed at the top of the glasses to reduce yet further the ability of the infra red to impact on my eyes. My direction of sight is parallel to the panel.
What this implies is that energy is getting through into my eyes somehow. Arguably it could be absorbed and then released and then reabsorbed by another copper atom’s electrons.
I wonder, however, if anyone else has seen/sensed this. You can only sense it if the room you are in is otherwise very dark.
I think it is in the rods for two reasons. a) No colour, b) very rarely sensed in the centre of the retina normally appears in the area for peripheral vision.
Anyone interested in hair development can see a new hair here. I have been watching this follicle as it creates it over a period of days. I think this one is caused by the NIR/Red Light device. It is now producing a hair. I have quite a few follicles which are developing this way.
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Wish I could give some photos that show how my eyebrows are filling in…. It does take lots of time and patience!
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I use a USB camera which you can get off Amazon in the UK. I find it really important to try to track outcomes to changes in the protocol. That is impossible unless you are able to look at the details on a day to day basis. Obviously things tend not to happen immediately, but often it is possible to see changes within a week or so and it is possible to have a semi continual process of change.
The mechanism for R and NIR therapy is clearly similar in effect to mitophagy (it may even be mitophagy) and this is one of the key things for cellular health. The better the state of the mitochondria the healthier the cells are and hence the healthier the body is.
Another question is what guidance people have on intensity, lengths of sessions and frequency of treatment. I saw some research papers which indicated that it is possible that some R/NIR therapy has a sweet spot where if you do it more times during the day then it is not as effective.
As far as I can see it needs to be at least 3 minutes and probably 10 minutes, but no more than 20 minutes. If using 20 minute sessions 3 a day is better than 7 a day.
The intensity should be low level (around the intensity of the Sun). Pretty well all of the domestic irradiation units are that sort of intensity, but it does need to be somewhere close to the sun’s intensity.
I think that’s around 33mW/cm2.
There were some interesting papers which showed an immediate increase in ATP which then dropped off and another increase in ATP about 6 hours later.
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I do 20 minutes, turning around to get all sides about 4-5 times a week!
Standing 10 inches or so away from lights… my main purpose in using lights is arthritis pain, which is hard to quantify…
Boron 3mg per day also helps with arthritis.
I haven’t tried your experiment in a dark room. Everything looks green to me for a little while when the red lights turn off. This is to be expected.
From the studies I have looked at, red light therapy is safe for the eyes.
I have a pair of extremely dark green safety glasses I was using when I first started, but I no longer use them. I just close my eyes.
Since I have been using full-body red light photodynamic therapy and it has improved my eyesight.
I have intraocular lens transplants and my vision is extraordinary for my age. Over time I have developed some mild astigmatism and the red light therapy has improved this. I don’t know how but it seems to work.
"At the end of that minute, 830 nm was delivered from all 5 panels at an irradiance of 100 mW/cm2 for 10 min in continuous wave mode. The system is LED-based, and the irradiance was below the ANSI values for maximum permissible exposure (MPE). The energy density over the entire near field area (encompassing the entire face and orb
I have tried to determine the safe limits directly from ANSI, but I was unsuccessful so I am quoting another indirect citation. "The ANSI standard says “ANSI values for maximum permissible exposure (MPE). (Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) of skin for 808 and 980 nm wavelengths are 330–350 mW/cm2, with an exposure time of 10–1000 s) set by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) [11].”
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I think you are right that it can (and at times does) improve retinal cells. Although I am experimental I am also cautious when experimenting. Hence I look for potential hazards and what can be done to reduce them. Logically, however, the Red and Infra Red will improve mitochondria in cells in the eyes.
I think there is a limit on total exposure in terms of Joules per cm2 as well as a power limit.
Still if would be interesting if you have the same effect when not irradiating the retina.
Yes, the ANSI exposure time is 1,000 seconds or approx. 17 minutes for the
330–350 mW/cm2 power. I use a 15-minute timer.
I do believe that time limited usage of NIR has benefits. However, about a month ago I aimed it at my low back like a heating pad, and forgot about it and it ended up being 2+ hrs. The next week my back was sore as hell.
This pointa to the hif 1 alpha, nrf2, nf kappa b spectrum being engaged. You left hif and hit either nrf 2 or nfkb probably the latter.
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Yes, you are probably right, my panels have a mix, some which appear red and some are not visible.
FWIW, this came over the wire
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I have access to a Chroma ironforge in SF
Are they safe to use on eyes? Modern Healthspan has a video. I applied the light over my eyes for like 10 seconds (but it feels SUPER-BRIGHT-RED) and it’s unclear if persistent application over time carries risks.
Long Story Short has A LOT on photobiomodulation
Also I think Doris Loh has some content