Red Light Therapy vs. Tanning Beds: Key Differences & Benefits

Red light therapy and tanning beds are both popular treatments, but they serve very different purposes.

While red light therapy focuses on skin healing and pain relief, tanning beds are often used for tanning and boosting vitamin D.

Understanding their benefits, differences, and risks can help you make an informed decision. Let's dive into the details!

• Red light helps your skin feel better, not look tanned: Red light therapy uses gentle red or near-infrared light that goes deep into your skin. It helps with healing, reduces inflammation, and boosts collagen. But it doesn’t change your skin color or give you a tan.

• Tanning beds change your skin color, not its health: Tanning beds use UV rays to make your skin darker by increasing melanin. This is your body’s way of protecting itself from the sun, but it doesn’t help your skin heal or improve its condition.

• Red light works inside the skin, tanning beds stay on the surface: Red light therapy reaches deeper layers of your skin to repair and refresh it. Tanning beds only affect the top layer , giving it a tan without any health benefits underneath.

• One is made for healing, the other is made for looks: The purpose behind red light therapy is to improve skin health from the inside. Tanning beds are built to change how your skin looks by making it darker, they’re all about appearance.

• Red light gives benefits, tanning beds give color: At the end of the day, red light therapy supports your skin’s health , while tanning beds are just a way to get a tan . One is about making your skin better, the other is about making it browner.

• Red light uses a safe part of the light spectrum: Red light therapy works with light between 620 to 750 nanometers , which is gentle, visible, and doesn’t harm your skin.

• Tanning beds use stronger, invisible light that can harm skin: Tanning beds emit UV light between 280 to 400 nanometers , which is invisible to the eye and much more intense on the skin.

• How the light affects your skin depends on its wavelength: Because of the type of light used, red light therapy helps heal the skin , while tanning beds can cause skin damage and long-term problems .

• Red light therapy is meant to repair your skin, not change its color: The purpose of red light therapy is to help your skin heal naturally and boost collagen, which makes the skin look healthier over time, not darker.

• It’s used to calm down skin problems like acne and wrinkles: This therapy is known to reduce inflammation , which helps clear up common skin issues like breakouts, scars, and fine lines.

• Tanning beds are designed only to make your skin look darker: Tanning beds use UV light to give your skin a tanned look by increasing melanin. That’s their only job, they don’t help your skin get healthier.

• Tanning affects only the top layer of your skin and stops there: The tan from a tanning bed stays on the surface and doesn’t go deeper. There are no added skin benefits besides a temporary change in color.

• One is for healing, the other is just for looks: In short, red light therapy helps your skin heal and improve over time, while tanning beds simply change how your skin looks without helping it get healthier.

• Tanning beds raise your chances of getting skin cancer: Using tanning beds exposes your skin to harmful UV rays, which sharply increases your risk of developing skin cancer.

• UV light harms your skin at the DNA level: The UV radiation from tanning beds damages the DNA in your skin cells, which can lead to dangerous changes that cause cancer over time.

• Starting tanning young makes the risk even worse: People who begin using tanning beds early in life face a much higher chance of getting skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.

• Tanning before age 35 pushes melanoma risk way up: If you use tanning beds before the age of 35, your chances of developing melanoma can jump by as much as 75% .

• Getting a tan from UV light always means skin damage: According to skin experts like Dr. Rachel Abbott , tanning beds damage your skin even if it looks healthy on the outside, because the damage starts deep in the cells.

• Red light therapy doesn’t carry the same cancer risk: Unlike tanning beds, red light therapy doesn’t use UV rays and doesn’t increase the risk of skin cancer, making it a much safer option.

• Red light therapy is usually safe if you’ve had skin cancer: Even people with a history of skin cancer can often use red light therapy safely, but it’s smart to ask a doctor before starting.

• Tanning beds make your skin age faster than normal: UV rays from tanning beds break down the skin’s building blocks like collagen and elastin. This causes wrinkles, loose skin, and age spots much earlier than they would naturally appear.

• Red light therapy helps your skin stay young and firm: Instead of harming your skin like UV tanning, red light therapy helps it produce more collagen. This keeps your skin tighter, smoother, and reduces visible signs of aging.

• Using the right skincare with red light makes aging signs fade even more: When you combine red light therapy with serums that have ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, or vitamin C, the results are even better, your skin gets more hydrated, firmer, and looks fresher and brighter.

• Tanning dries your skin, but red light therapy keeps it soft and healthy: Tanning beds strip your skin of moisture, making it dry and tired-looking. Red light therapy does the opposite, it hydrates, repairs, and brings back a healthy glow.

• Red light therapy sessions take more time than tanning beds: A typical red light therapy session lasts 10 to 20 minutes , which is longer than a tanning bed session that usually takes just 5 to 10 minutes .

• You can use red light therapy more often than tanning beds: Because red light therapy is gentle on the skin , it can be used several times a week . On the other hand, tanning beds use UV rays , so it’s safer to limit them to once or twice a week .

• Red light therapy takes longer to show results but lasts longer: It might take about three weeks of regular red light therapy to see visible changes, but the skin improvements last longer and are healthier over time compared to the faster but short-term effects of tanning.

• Red light helps your cells make more energy: Red light therapy works by activating the mitochondria inside your cells. These tiny parts act like energy factories and start producing more ATP, the fuel your cells need to repair themselves and work better.

• This kind of light helps your body heal without hurting it: Red light uses visible light that doesn’t include UV rays, so it doesn’t damage your skin or DNA. Instead of harming your body like UV light can, red light supports healing and reduces inflammation.

• UV light in tanning beds makes your skin darker by producing pigment: Tanning beds work by sending out UV rays that tell special skin cells (called melanocytes) to make more melanin, which gives your skin a tan.

• The light from tanning beds can damage your skin over time: Unlike red light, UV rays from tanning beds can harm your skin’s DNA, increase the risk of skin aging, and even lead to skin cancer. That’s why red light is seen as a much safer option.

• Red light therapy is officially seen as low-risk by the FDA: The FDA puts red light therapy devices in the Class II low-risk category , meaning they are considered safe for general use. Many are cleared for both at-home and professional use.

• These light devices get approved by comparing them to older safe devices: Red light therapy devices usually go through the 510(k) clearance process , where they must prove they are similar to already-approved devices. This makes the FDA approval quicker but still reliable.

• Tanning beds are treated as more dangerous by the FDA: Because of health risks like skin damage and cancer, tanning beds fall into higher risk classes (Class II or III) and are tightly regulated, especially when used by minors.

• Many countries have strict rules to protect people from tanning bed risks: Outside the U.S., governments have placed heavy restrictions on tanning bed ads and often require salons to give clear health warnings. These laws vary but show a global effort to limit harm.

• Tanning beds have no medical approval or health benefits: The FDA does not recognize tanning beds for any medical purpose . They’re only used for cosmetic tanning and offer no approved therapeutic value like red light therapy does.

• Red light goes deep into your skin to help it heal and glow: It reaches deep skin layers to boost collagen, the protein that keeps your skin firm, smooth, and naturally radiant.

• With regular use, your fine lines and rough skin start to fade: Over time, red light therapy helps reduce fine lines, smooth out rough patches, and may even help with cellulite .

• Your skin starts looking fresher and younger in just weeks: Many people notice a youthful glow and tighter skin within a few weeks of starting red light sessions.

• It slows down the aging process by working from inside your skin: By improving cell repair and elasticity, this therapy supports your skin from within, making signs of aging less visible.

• It gives you smoother skin without pain or recovery time: Compared to harsh treatments like microneedling or strong creams, red light therapy is gentle and doesn't cause irritation or downtime.

• You get firmer, healthier skin without unwanted side effects: It firms and smooths the skin effectively without the redness or peeling that other methods often cause.

• It helps fade dark spots and gives you a more even skin tone: By boosting skin cell regeneration, red light can reduce sunspots and hyperpigmentation over time.

• It may also lift your mood and give you more energy: Some users report feeling better and more energized, especially those who struggle with low mood in winter months.

• Early studies say it might also help protect your vision: New research suggests red light could support eye health, especially for people dealing with age-related vision problems.

• Red light therapy helps reduce pain by improving blood flow: Red light therapy works by boosting circulation, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to sore or injured areas, this helps reduce pain and supports healing.

• It eases muscle tightness and gives relief from long-term aches: If your muscles feel tight after exercise or you're living with pain from conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia, red light therapy can relax the muscles and ease the ongoing discomfort.

• People with arthritis feel less joint pain and stiffness: Red light therapy is a gentle, natural way to reduce swelling and stiffness in the joints, helping people with arthritis move more comfortably.

• It helps your body recover faster after a tough workout: Athletes use red light therapy to speed up muscle repair and reduce soreness after training. It supports quicker recovery so you can get back to activity sooner.

• Using it regularly brings better and longer-lasting relief: Doing red light therapy for 10 to 20 minutes per session on a regular basis helps your body heal faster over time, with less pain and more movement.

• Red light calms down too much inflammation: Your body needs inflammation to heal, but too much of it causes pain. Red light helps your body settle down and stay balanced.

• It gives relief from arthritis and long-term swelling: People with arthritis or constant swelling often feel better because red light reduces the inflammation that causes joint pain.

• It helps injured tissues heal faster by improving blood flow: Red light improves blood circulation and boosts cell repair, which speeds up the healing of muscles, skin, and tissues.

• It protects your nerves by reducing harmful brain inflammation: In conditions like multiple sclerosis, red light at 670nm lowers nerve inflammation and helps protect the brain and nerves from damage.

• It soothes sore muscles after workouts and helps them recover: After exercise, red light reduces muscle inflammation and helps you heal faster, so you're ready for the next workout sooner.

Red light therapy speeds up healing by energizing your cells to repair damaged tissue faster.

It helps wounds close quickly and reduces the chance of scars forming. Whether it's a cut, burn, or sore, red light helps skin rebuild by increasing collagen and encouraging cell turnover.

• Red light gives weak hair roots the energy to grow: Red light therapy helps increase energy and blood flow in your scalp. This boost can wake up weak hair roots and support stronger, healthier hair to grow in areas where it’s thinning.

• Regular use gives your scalp the push it needs: Doing red light sessions for 10–20 minutes, around 3 to 5 times a week, keeps your scalp active. This steady support helps your hair grow better over time.

• Thin areas start looking fuller with time: Many people who stick to the routine notice their hair becoming thicker and denser, especially where it was once sparse or patchy.

• Extra bonus, your eyes might thank you too: Along with helping your hair, red light may improve your eyesight, studies show it can boost color and contrast vision by up to 20% in people over 40.

• Tanning beds help your body make vitamin D, which keeps your bones strong: Tanning beds give off UVB rays that help your skin produce vitamin D. This vitamin is important for keeping your bones healthy and strong.

• Millions of Americans still use tanning beds to get their vitamin D: Even though fewer people are tanning now, about  7.8 million  adults in the U.S. still use tanning beds every year, partly to maintain vitamin D levels and appearance.

• Many teenagers around the world still use tanning beds for light and vitamin D: From 2013 to 2018 , about 6.5% of teenagers globally used tanning beds, showing that young people also turn to indoor tanning, possibly for the same health or appearance reasons.

• Some people say tanning helps their skin look better and more even: Tanning beds may temporarily make skin look clearer by reducing the look of blemishes, scars, or uneven skin tone, which some believe adds to the health glow.

• Getting some UV light from tanning can lift your mood and make you feel good: The UV light from tanning beds can boost serotonin, a chemical in your brain that helps improve your mood and make you feel relaxed and happier.

• A light tan can make your skin look naturally healthier: Tanning beds can give your skin a warm, sun-kissed glow that many people feel makes them look more vibrant and attractive.

• Tanning can hide marks and make your skin look more even: If you have scars, acne marks, or uneven patches, a tan can help blend them in so your skin tone looks smoother and more balanced.

• Some skin problems may look better for a short time after tanning: Conditions like rosacea or vitiligo might look less noticeable for a little while because of the UV light exposure from tanning beds.

• Over time, tanning makes your skin look older, not better: Even though tanning may look good at first, doing it often can lead to wrinkles, dark spots, and rough skin that take away from your appearance later on.

• Tanning beds make you feel better by boosting happy chemicals: Exposure to UV light from tanning beds helps your body release endorphins, natural feel-good chemicals that lift your mood and make you feel more positive.

• More serotonin from UV light can help you stay in a good mood: Using a tanning bed also increases serotonin levels in the brain, which plays a big role in keeping your emotions balanced and boosting your overall happiness.

• The warmth from tanning beds helps you feel calm and relaxed: The cozy warmth and gentle light create a peaceful atmosphere that helps release tension, calm your mind, and reduce daily stress.

• Light from tanning beds can help your body relax naturally: UV light exposure helps trigger certain hormones that encourage your body to relax, adding to a feeling of comfort and peace.

• Tanning beds can lift your mood but can’t replace therapy: While tanning beds can make you feel better temporarily, they are not a solution for mental health issues and shouldn’t take the place of professional care.

Tanning beds can help improve sleep quality by influencing melatonin production. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle, and exposure to UV light from tanning beds can increase its levels. This can make falling asleep easier and improve the overall quality of rest.

Red light therapy is generally considered much safer than tanning beds. Tanning beds expose your skin to harmful UV rays that can cause skin cancer, premature aging, and eye damage.

light therapy, on the other hand, does not use UV light and is widely recommended for its non-invasive, skin-healing properties, making it a safer option overall.

• Most People Don’t Face Any Serious Risk from Red Light Therapy: Red light therapy is generally safe and doesn’t cause harm for most people when used the right way.

• Some People May Notice Mild Skin Reactions After a Session: It’s common for a few people to have redness, dryness, or a bit of skin irritation shortly after treatment. These effects are temporary.

• Using It Too Much Can Lead to Headaches or Sleep Problems: Doing red light therapy too often or for too long may cause discomfort like headaches, eye strain, trouble sleeping, or feeling irritable.

• Cutting Back on Sessions Often Solves the Problem: If you experience side effects, reducing how often or how long you use the therapy usually makes the symptoms go away.

• People with Sensitive Skin or Health Conditions Should Talk to a Doctor First: If you have photosensitivity or certain health issues, it’s better to check with a healthcare provider before starting red light therapy.

• Tanning beds send dangerous UV rays into your skin: Tanning beds work by blasting your skin with UV radiation, the same harmful rays from the sun. This increases your chances of getting skin cancer and other serious skin problems.

• Tanning makes your skin age much faster: Using tanning beds regularly speeds up the aging process, causing wrinkles and tough, leathery skin much earlier in life.

• Even with goggles, your eyes can still get hurt: Wearing protective goggles doesn’t fully stop UV rays. These rays can still reach your eyes and may lead to problems like cataracts over time.

• Tanning beds can cause rashes and itchy skin: Some people get allergic reactions or skin irritation after using tanning beds, ending up with red, itchy, or bumpy skin.

• Tanning is extra risky if you already have skin problems: If you have any skin condition, like acne, eczema, or past skin damage, tanning can make things worse and lead to serious flare-ups or complications.

• The glow from a tanning bed only stays for a short time: A tan from a tanning bed usually lasts just a few days to about a week before it starts fading away naturally.

• Your skin type and how you care for it decide how long the tan lasts: If you have dry skin or don’t follow a good skincare routine, your tan will fade faster. Things like your skin tone, tanning settings, and aftercare all matter.

• Tanning too much can actually make your tan fade faster: Using tanning beds too often can harm your skin, which leads to quicker peeling and faster fading of your tan.

• Keeping your skin moisturized helps your tan stick around: Using a good moisturizer every day helps your skin stay soft and hold onto the tan longer.

• Tan-extending creams make your tan look better and last longer: Products with ingredients like Aloe Vera and hyaluronic acid keep your skin smooth and hydrated, which helps your tan last.

• Scrubbing your skin before tanning gives better and longer-lasting results: Exfoliating before a tanning session clears off old skin, so the tan can go on evenly and stay put longer.

• Drinking enough water helps your skin hold the tan: Staying hydrated from the inside keeps your skin healthy and slows down how fast it sheds, helping your tan last longer.

• The benefits stay longer when you follow the treatment regularly: With regular red light therapy, improvements like smoother skin and pain relief can last for weeks. Skipping sessions can cause the benefits to fade faster.

• Starting with more sessions gives quicker and better results: Doing red light therapy two to three times a week in the beginning helps your body respond faster and gives noticeable results in the first couple of months.

• Reducing sessions slowly still keeps the benefits coming: After the first few months, you don’t need to go as often. One or two sessions per week is enough to keep the good effects going strong.

• Long-term use makes some changes more permanent: The longer you keep doing red light therapy, the more likely it is that certain benefits, like healthy skin and more energy, stick around even between sessions.

• Stopping the routine can make the improvements go away: If you stop doing red light therapy regularly, the results may slowly disappear. Keeping up with your sessions is important to hold onto the benefits.