Joovv, Red Light Therapy Review – Does red and near-infrared light work for older adults?

Background

I’m a user of the New Joovv Quad Red Light Therapy.

My research took me down the rabbit hole with thousands of international studies, from over the last 30+ years, backing up the claims of Red and NIR light therapy. Dr. Michael Hamblin, Ph.D. Associate Professor at the Harvard School of Medicine, is on the advisory board for the Joovv light.

And…Dr. Michael Hamblin is one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of light therapy with over 300 published studies on photobiomodulation. Initially, we bought the Joovv Max based on these studies. I used this for over 50 days straight.

When Joovv rolled out their new Joovv modular system I bought this and restarted my Joovv red light therapy.

This review will include my own experiences, results, and what I’ve learned.  Additionally, I’ll include a small section on hints and tips.

Mr. Product Reviews and I became interested in Red and Near Infrared (NIR) Light Therapy because of its claims of:

• Rejuvenating, smoothing, and plumping the skin…on the entire body.
• Healing nerve damage & nerve pain.
• Fading stretch marks.
• Increased circulation
• Healing the organs, with a special interest in the kidneys.
• Enhancing brain function.
• Regrowing Hair and preventing future hair loss.
• Increasing sex hormones.
• Healing damaged bone, tendon, and muscle.
• Anti-inflammatory property that promotes weight loss, especially around the belly.
• Improving the retinas and as a possible pathway to the brain thru the eyes.
• Increasing recovery time from physical activity and enhancing athletic performance…even though none of us are serious athletes.
• Medical-Grade.
• FDA cleared.

These are all significant issues and their solution, in one piece of equipment would be simply amazing.

I started out this experiment with quite a laundry list of hoped-for outcomes. If our results even close to those reported in the thousands of studies backing up red light therapy, our investment of time and money would prove well to be very smart.

DISCLAIMER: In posting this review, know that I’m not a doctor or medical provider, I’m not endorsing the Joovv Red Light as a substitute for seeking medical treatment, and I don’t work for Joovv. My opinions are the result of my own experience and results using the new Joovv Quad Unit with red and NIR light in use at all times.

What is Red Light Therapy?

You can download my presentation from slideshare below:

Mounting Joovv Light

We mounted it on a wall by first finding a stud and drilling a hole and anchoring a molly bolt to hang it from so the wall can safely bear the weight the Joovv light in place. This weighs quite a bit; it’s over 45 lbs. There are rubber knobs on the back to keep the Joovv away from the wall so the fans can keep the light cool while operating.

Joovv Quad Red Light Therapy Review – Does it Work for Middle-Aged/Older Adults?

Usage

I use the Joovv Quad Red and NIR  for 10 minutes on the front and 10 minutes on the back. Time allowing, I also include both sides of my body at 10 minutes each. I stand 6 inches away from the surface. Almost immediately I notice a very subtle vibrating sensation inside my skin and body. It’s a very alive feeling. It isn’t alarming or dramatic and is in fact, quite a pleasant feeling.

Red and NIR light therapy is energy-driven at the cellular level, so it stands to reason that this energy, and its absorption by the chromophores in the mitochondria of my cells, is producing this sensation.

Incidentally, I’m very sensitive to energies. My acupuncturist always feels gratified when I can tell her where the energy is moving after she places the needles…since she rarely gets this kind of feedback. If you’re like me you will probably feel this subtle energy, too. Even if you don’t feel this sensation, I hardly think it matters for the outcome. Again, it’s very subtle and very pleasant.

In one of his video interviews by Dr. Mercola, Dr. Michael Hamblin mentions that red and NIR lights heat up a bit.  I would agree with this. I felt some heat, but it wasn’t excessive. It felt like a warm bath of around 102º F. By comparison to the far infrared lights, which are used in physical therapy, this heat is nominal and won’t hurt you since the Red and Near Infrared light frequency is not really thermal in its action. This heat is from the LED lights and I suppose this is why it has built-in fans.

I’ve been using my Joovv Max for over 35 days this time around and I’ve been very diligent with getting my daily use into my morning routine.

Are you light sensitive?

If you’re like me and you’re sensitive, make sure to use your Joovv before noon.

Despite the literature that circadian rhythms can be reset by the red light, I found I had insomnia if I used the Joovv light beyond noon. I didn’t have any other trouble, but sleep deprivation obviously has its own issues.

Mr. Product Reviews and I noticed many of the same things reported in the literature and a few different things based on our individual health. Red and Near Infrared light therapy create a mass signally event that can last for up to several weeks after a single exposure. With controlled timing and daily use, the results compound a build. If it so happens you end up skipping a day, or even a few days, is not too critical. Resume your routine and get back to daily as soon as you can…assuming you are using this for individual optimized health.

And I’m a creature of habit.  So, I try to reinforce my good habits…because what I do daily is what I benefit from yearly.

If you are an Olympic-grade athlete in training or have critical health issues related to healing and organ function, be as consistent as you can.

NOTE: While the Joovv Red Light is not a medical device, it delivers very therapeutic support to those with compromised organs or damaged tissues. It’s a vital companion therapy to any medical treatment or personal health regime you have in place. Overall, it will complement any medication or treatment your doctor has prescribed.

Joovv Quad Product Images

Joovv Quad full view

Joovv Quad mid view

Joovv Quad close up view

Joovv Quad control view

Joovv Quad side view

Legacy Joovv Max Product Images

Joovv Max front view

Joovv Max close up view

Joovv Max side view

Joovv Max remote control view

Results

After the first day of use, I noticed that the skin on my face was smoother and plumper like it was when I was younger. My face looks firmer, has a more refined texture, and is smoother overall…even around my eyes.

By the 22nd day of consecutive use, I noticed that the skin of my breasts was, well, firmer.

At first, I thought I was simply retaining water and my breasts were fuller and tighter because of this, but no, it was just that the skin on my breasts is firmer and tighter. Yeah!

I really hadn’t expected this to really be as noticeable this early, but there it was and it has only continued to improve.

Will using the Joovv red light replace breast rejuvenation surgery? No, it will not. Have the old stretch marks on my hips and breasts healed and closed up? No, this will require CO2 Laser treatments to fully seal them back together deep in the dermal layer of the skin.

Is this still helping my breast look better? Yes! You bet it is!!!

I also noticed the skin on my entire body feels really smooth and soft without me having to put on any creams or lotions.

I caught a glimpse of my own leg in a mirror and noticed it looked smoother and firmer, like a younger woman’s leg. I know this is what I wished would happen, but a part of me really didn’t think it would be this noticeable.

Do I have the skin of a 23-year old?

No…or at least…not yet. I’m keeping at this. I anticipate after one year of daily use I will have substantial result based on these initial results.

Getting a good outcome is like using birth control:  Consistency Counts!

If you’re like me, your neck is a real challenge and I’ve noticed with daily use of the Joovv red light it feeling thicker and looks smoother. The basement layer of skin that aging skin detaches from appears to be reattaching. It’s just the beginning of the benefits I’m seeing and I’m very impressed. It literally feels thicker and firmer like it did when I was in my 30s.

Regarding weight loss around the belly, I will say that I have had glimpses of a slimmer, flatter belly.

There are days I used my Joovv light and that day and the next several days I DID NOTICE my belly being flatter, my waist being slimmer and my hip bones more prominent. But then… I’d have some salt in my food and poof…I can’t tell what’s going on.

Yet, based on the results I’m seeing in other areas, I know it’s doing something good. As a stand-alone quick fix for getting rid of belly fat, I could see this being a huge help if you do not experience water retention like I do or you are better at not having salt in your diet. The literature and research back this up.

Can red light therapy treat hair loss or hair thinning?

This is a big concern for a lot of women, men, myself and my husband.  Even as a woman I have thinning on the top of my head. The back and sides are fine.

Prep

1. Getting your existing hair out of the way is key.  If the light can shine on it, the light can stimulate hair growth on it.
2. Start with clean, dry hair.
3. I part it down the middle, all the way to the back and put it up in pigtails on the side of my head…exposing the thinning areas to more direct light.  Where the light hits are where the light stimulates.  (I use non-pulling ties so I don’t inadvertently pull out more hair.)

My System

1. I set my Joovv at both wavelengths, 660 nm, and 850 nm.
2. I will tilt my face down so the top of my head is getting more of the red light right where I’m thinning and I’ll read a book or on my iPad.  It doesn’t have to be full-on and perfectly parallel to the red light wall unit.  I do this 10 minutes daily…every day.

NOTE: By having a daily system of the red light you will optimize all of your other efforts. If you’re taking any Adaptogen, like turmeric with black pepper, or ashwagandha, this will help your body make even better use of it within your scalp.  Again, “It’s like birth control…consistency counts.”

Helpful Tips

Also, consider adding organic peppermint oil to your shampoo for its stimulating benefit. I add 10 ml organic peppermint oil for every 100 ml of my shampoo. This is a ratio of 1:10.  When I use my shampoo I let this peppermint-enhanced shampoo sit on my scalp for several minutes, getting all tingly. The more contact time, the better the stimulation of the scalp and hair follicles. This is a well-known trick and it does help.

I also combine my red light use with nutritional hair growth supplements (Nutrafol). Because the red light works in the mitochondria of the cell, and through other pathways as well, any nutritional support I’m taking is being optimized in my scalp on my skin, as well.

If you don’t change your bad diet and/or you’re largely sedentary, the Joovv red light won’t be a stand-alone fix for weight loss.

Based on my own experience and the literature backing up this claim, it will help you help yourself.

Red and NIR light is highly anti-inflammatory and this alone is a profound and compelling reason to try it.

I’ve had some recent health and nerve pain issues that kept me confined to my bed for a year and a half. It was awful!

It’s only been in the last 14 months that I’ve been able to get out of bed for sustained periods of time and I still have to watch what I do. My upper body has been especially affected.

I’ve been working my lower body since this was not affected by my recent health and nerve pain issue, and these are the biggest muscle groups of the body. So, in getting back into some form of cautious aerobic exercise, I expected to be sore. I haven’t had any soreness or recovery time needed in between exercise days. I attribute this to things:

• My carefully considered choice of aerobic activity.
• Increased cellular respiration from the Joovv red light.
• The anti-inflammatory effect of Red and NIR light.
• The Increased absorption of the Red and NIR light into the chromophores of the Mitochondrial that have sped up recovery.

I’m also very happy to report that I noticed a more sustained increase in my libido. This indeed does make me very happy. I feel like myself ever again.

Getting the timing just right is important.

You see, photobiomodulation has a biphasic response…which means getting too little or too much will impede your results. And it’s this sweet spot, this Goldilocks region, that delivers the results.

For addressing both the skin and the deeper structures, it’s important to maintain Joovv’s recommended distance of 6″ from the unit for 10 minutes to get the results you are looking for. This light dosage depends upon several factors, namely,

• the light frequency.
• the luminescence. 
• and the power.

I initially made a mistake and it caused my skin to be a bit reddened. It wasn’t exactly a burn, and it didn’t cause any harm, but it ended up being outside of the Goldilocks region of distance and time to get the benefits I want.

Confession:

This is what I initially did wrong:

I used the light on both front and back, I spent 15 minutes standing 6” away. Not too much of a problem here, but then I started getting clever.

In order to target my inner thighs, I sat in a chair for an additional 15 minutes and let the light hit me in these hidden areas…inadvertently getting longer exposure on my face, chest, tummy, and arms. My face became reddened and it did feel a bit like it was burned even though this went away within hours with no signs of actual burning. This was an example of the biphasic response.

I pushing the dosage outside of the Goldilocks region…and rendering the treatment less than effective. I still saw improvement, but not like I did when I was first using the Joovv light correctly.

NOTE: One of the reviews on Amazon about the Joovv light was a couple who live in Germany talking about getting burned and the Joovv light not working for them. I know why they had that experience and it’s all about adhering to the manufacturer recommendations.

Full Disclosure

I’ve been a licensed esthetician for over 30 years, I have a biology degree and I’ve conducted scientific research on whole body regenerative in tunicates at the Romberg Center for Environmental Studies. Tunicates are members of the subphylum Tunicata, belonging to the UroChordata phylum, which is closely related to the phylum Chordata. We humans are members of Phylum Chordata.

Because of these close ties, I was part of the Cohen Lab, that was working hard to learn about their biochemistry, their developmental biology, our common regenerative pathways, and their genetic relationship to other invertebrate and vertebrate animals: Essentially Stem cell research.

So, when I began hearing about the many profound benefits of Photobiomodulation, or Red Light Therapy back in the late 1990s, it sounded like a whole new branch of medicine was being born.

The depth of time Photobiomodulation has been studied in the form we recognize today, has been since the 1960s. In the 1990s, NASA accidentally discovered Red /and NIR’s healing capability.

If you’ve made it this far in my review you are no doubt already well informed about the worldwide scientific contributions to research on Red light therapy or Photobiomodulation. Many, many countries, from Russia to Brazil to the US, have been exploring the applications of Red and NIR light therapy for neurogenesis, Traumatic BrainInjury (TBI), mental health disorders, wound healing, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Research on red and NIR light therapies are already underway for neurohormonal and endocrine functions, beauty, anti-aging, weight loss, wound healing and more. And…extreme optimization for athletic performance.

Other Light Colors?

There are already known therapeutic benefits of other colors on the light spectrum, such as blue, amber, and green. Flashing or pulsing the lights at different rates, referred to Hz, is being explored.

NIR light flashing at 40 Hz of NIR applied through the eyes is currently being investigated for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Joovv light has a 60-day money-back guarantee, a payment program to make it more financially accessible, and fantastic engineering behind it.

You risk nothing and the potential gains are great!

Further Reading

My wife started combining taking NAD+ supplements along with using Joovv red light therapy to maximize her health benefits – read more now!

New Joovv Mini Review for targeted red light treatments