Far Infrared and Skin Health

By Jenna Greenfield, MD

Skin. It is the largest organ in the body, and of course, the most visible. We know that smooth, glowing, healthy skin screams health and beauty, and many people go to great lengths and expense to achieve this. Healthy skin is also crucial for our overall health. It protects us from bacteria, microbes, allergens and irritants, it regulates our body temperature, maintains our hydration state, helps rid us of toxins through sweat, and allows us to interact with the world through touch. We take it for granted at times but no one can forget it is there when it is itchy, painful, or wounded. Let’s look at the science of infrared and skin.

Near Infrared vs Far Infrared and Skin

The effects of far infrared (FIR) and near infrared (NIR) have both been studied on skin. Infrared is a wide band of (invisible) light, NIR is the shorter wavelengths closer to the visible spectrum, and FIR is the longer wavelengths. Near infrared has been shown to only be beneficial in very precise doses. When exposed to too much, it does more harm than good. We go into much more detail and cite all references in our article on Near Infrared Sauna Dangers.

Far infrared, on the other hand, has been studied and used in saunas, in homes and medical offices, for decades. Dozens of studies on FIR saunas have shown that FIR has no negative effects on the skin or any other systems, and in fact has benefits in virtually all areas of health. High Tech Health only uses technology that has been thoroughly researched and tested, and proven to be safe and beneficial.

Skin Health, Microcirculation, and Collagen Synthesis

As the largest organ in the body, the health of our skin is dependent on the largest network of blood vessels to supply nutrients and remove wastes. The term “microcirculation” refers to all of the small blood vessels that supply the skin with blood: venules, capillaries, and arterioles. Blood supplies the skin with oxygen, fuel, and nutrients, and rids it of toxins, carbon dioxide, and waste products. Decreased blood supply to the skin results in decreased health and decreased ability to make and repair new skin proteins. Protein synthesis is essential for repair of damaged skin, and for making structural proteins to maintain normal skin structure, such as collagen. Collagen is a buzz word in the beauty industry, as it is important for maintaining skin elasticity. Decreased collagen production results in skin sagging and wrinkles, and lower ability to heal. Collagen production decreases with age. The degree to which it decreases depends in part on environmental factors such as UV exposure, and the amount and quality of nutrients it is supplied with via the microcirculation.

Far Infrared Prevents and Reverses Photoaging

We all now know the ultraviolet light from the sun accelerates skin aging, a process known as “photoaging.” It does this in part by causing increased collagen breakdown. UVB increases the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-9, along with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other proinflammatory signal molecules, resulting in the degradation of collagen proteins.

Far infrared has been shown to suppress and even reverse skin photoaging caused by UVB light! It does this by inhibiting MMPs and decreasing collagen degradation, resulting in less collagen loss and less skin damage. FIR treatment increased secretion of type I collagen and significantly reversed UVB type I collagen loss (1).

Interestingly (and concerningly), near infrared has been shown to actually increase the levels of MMPs, and potentiate UV damage in the skin and photoaging (2,3).

More details can be found in our article Near Infrared Sauna Dangers.

Far Infrared Promotes Wound Healing and Skin Repair

Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in skin, and its synthesis is needed to maintain normal skin structure, as well as to repair and heal wounds. It is not surprising then, that far infrared would promote faster healing. This has been studied on full thickness skin burns in rats, and shown to be true. Wounds treated with far infrared healed significantly faster and more completely than did control wounds (4). Other studies have found biochemical mechanisms that are involved in this, the signaling molecule Notch1, as well as inhibition of inflammasome NLRP3 (5,6).

FIR increases the skin’s microcirculation

In addition to avoiding UV light, any means by which we can support the skin’s microcirculation will help keep our skin in optimal shape and health as we age. Poor skin circulation may cause the following:

Redness
Venous insufficiency, varicose veins
Venous insufficiency, varicose veins
Rosacea
Coldness
Hair loss
Nerve dysfunction, pins and needles or numbness
Hair loss
Poor wound healing
Poor skin turgor/elasticity, aging
Decreased collagen production

Far infrared has been shown to increase the skin’s microcirculation (8)! It does this at least in part by stimulating the release of nitric oxide (NO) from the endothelial cells of our blood vessels, which in addition to promoting new blood vessel growth, is a molecule crucial for cardiovascular health.

There seems to be no end to the benefits of the wavelengths of youth… call one of our sauna experts now to learn more!

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