Light therapy devices are one of the remarkable technologies of the modern era. Natural light has amazing benefits on our bodies and minds. However, if you work indoors or live in a place where a sunny day is a rare scenario, getting enough sunlight is often a problem. Now, there is a way to receive sunlight without going outside or even moving to a sunny area. Light therapy boxes can provide you with the benefits at your home’s comfort. Although, not all light therapy devices will provide you with the same benefits. In this article, we are going to discuss the problems associated with low-quality light therapy devices. They may come in cheap, but is that a good option for you? Stay with us to know the answers.
What Light Therapy Does for You?
Before moving to the limitation of low-quality light therapy devices, let’s look at the benefits that light therapy brings for you. Only then can you properly decide if getting a cheap device will fulfill your needs. Imagine living in a cold dark place. It highly affects your mood and mental health. With darkness, our body tends to get tired sooner than when we live in a sunny area. People living in a sunny place stay more cheery and comfortable, where living in a colder place can make them feel more reserved. With the help of the sun, our circadian rhythm kept in perfect regulation. As a result, our metabolism can sync properly and help us fall asleep faster, and increase the quality of sleep.
There is a severe mental health condition referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This condition mainly appears in people in the fall, when there’s less sunlight, and the weather is cold. People diagnosed with this syndrome feel intense depression when the season changes. For some people, this condition can last more than six months in a year and recur whenever the fall appears again. This syndrome has alarmed researchers all over the world and is pretty challenging to deal with. Previously medications and psychotherapy were used to manage this condition, but it was way too hard to deal with. It is because the symptoms of SAD are kind of similar to other types of depression and mental health conditions. Gradually, light therapy was introduced to treat depression and mental health conditions. Surprisingly, light therapy worked wonders in treating SAD and other non-seasonal depression. Additionally, conditions like insomnia, stress could also be treated with the help of light therapy and brought substantial change in the quality of life of those patients.
Moreover, decent quality light therapy has solid merits in physical health. It can induce healing in a damaged body part within a very short time. In addition, it improves blood flow and helps in reducing pain in the body. Many skin conditions can be resolved with the help of light therapy easily. Therefore, skincare industries, fitness industries, haircare industries adopt this technology to provide additional benefits to the consumers.
Light therapy has also shown substantial promise in managing autism spectrum disorder. Many studies have proven that when light therapy is combined with medications and behavior therapy, it can effectively help a child in the spectrum. It can elevate their mood and provide them a better lifestyle.
Your pet can also benefit from light therapy. When light therapy is applied to your pet, they get maximum comfort. This therapy also helps in reducing their muscle pain and cure most of the skin conditions they have. Your older pets can be highly beneficial from this therapy, and their life expectancy also increases from it.
Light therapy is a very newly discovered method and is already serving a lot of benefits. We cannot wait to see what it will offer in the near future.
Price Factors of Light Therapy
There are numerous companies out there in the market that are producing light therapy devices nowadays. These devices can range from 30$ to more than 500$. One can also book a therapy session which ranges from about 25$ to 85$ per session. The bigger the box is, and the more LED light is present in a lightbox, the more expensive it is. Additionally, if the lightbox contains different colored LED lights, the price increases as well. In the case of therapy clinics, all the devices used there are medical grade and operated with the aid of a professional therapist. So, when you book a therapy session, you are also paying for the therapist as well. A lightbox should provide 10,000 lux of light when placed at least 12 inches far from your eye. The more costly the device, the more distance you can keep the device and receive the same lux of the light.
Problems With Low-Quality Light Therapy Devices
For receiving the benefits of light therapy, the lights must be brighter enough to mimic the natural sunlight. Low-quality light therapy devices may not often contain the required brightness. So, the problems it can cause are:
Taking a Long Time
Light therapy is used for gaining benefits within a short time. However, low-quality devices may require more prolonged service to receive your desired benefit. While a high-quality device may require 20-30 minutes exposure, a low-quality device may require more than 90 minutes of exposure. It can mess up your whole morning routine.
Less Effective UV Filter
Every light therapy device requires a UV filter to protect the skin and eyes from damage. 10,000 lux is pretty bright light and can easily cause damage to the retina. Cheaper devices often don’t contain proper screening to prevent damage, while some high-quality devices also come with protective goggles.
Uneven or Less Coverage
As mentioned earlier, the size, light intensity, LED light density increase as the price rises. A cheap device will provide you with less area coverage, and you may need to hold it really close to you to receive the result. However, expensive devices will give you more coverage, a denser LED light setting, and an even distribution of intensity. You can even hang some of those devices in your workspace and receive light therapy while working.
Always remember, you’ll get what you pay for. So if you want to receive the best benefit from your light therapy within a short time, consider investing in a higher-quality device. We are not saying that lower quality or cheaper devices don’t work. However, it may take a long time while possessing certain risks if you use too much. So make the best choices for your wellbeing and live your best life.