Why February Is the Best Month to Start Red Light Therapy
Why February Is the Best Month to Start Red Light Therapy
By February, three months of Minnesota winter have taken a measurable toll on your body. Cold outdoor air strips the skin barrier of lipids and moisture. Forced indoor heating pulls out what is left. UV exposure drops to almost nothing, which sounds like a good thing until you realize your cells depend on specific wavelengths of light to function at their best.
The result is something most Twin Cities residents know well: dry skin, low energy, lingering aches, and a general sense that your body is running at 60 percent. Most people chalk it up to winter and wait for spring. But there is a faster way to give your cells what they are missing.
Red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation, delivers specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light directly into your tissue. It is one of the most researched recovery modalities in modern wellness, with clinical evidence spanning skin health, pain reduction, muscle recovery, and cellular energy production. And at Optimum Health in Inver Grove Heights, we deliver it with a full-body NEO Light Bed that treats every inch of your body in under 15 minutes.
Here is what actually happens when red light hits your cells, and why February might be the smartest time to start.
What Red Light Therapy Does at the Cellular Level
Red light therapy works through a mechanism that is surprisingly straightforward. When red (633nm) and near-infrared (810-940nm) wavelengths penetrate your skin, they are absorbed by an enzyme inside your mitochondria called cytochrome c oxidase. This is part of Complex IV in the electron transport chain, the final step in how your cells produce energy.
When cytochrome c oxidase absorbs these photons, it triggers a cascade of cellular responses:
- ATP production increases. Research has measured a 34 percent increase in cellular ATP, the energy currency your cells use for repair, recovery, and regeneration.
- Nitric oxide is released, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissue. Laser Doppler studies have measured a 28 percent increase in microcirculation.
- Reactive oxygen species are reduced, lowering oxidative stress and creating a more favorable environment for cellular repair.
- Collagen gene expression is upregulated. A 2024 review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences confirmed that red light activates the genes responsible for Type I and Type III collagen production.
In simple terms: your cells get more energy, better blood flow, less inflammation, and a stronger signal to rebuild. That is exactly what a body coming out of three months of winter needs.
What the Research Says: Skin, Pain, and Recovery
01 — Skin Health and Collagen
A randomized controlled trial of 136 volunteers found that red and near-infrared light therapy significantly increased intradermal collagen density and reduced fine lines and wrinkles compared to controls. A separate systematic review reported wrinkle reduction of 26 percent after just four weeks of twice-weekly sessions.
For anyone dealing with the dull, dry, barrier-compromised skin that comes with a Minnesota winter, this is relevant. Red light does not just address surface symptoms. It stimulates the production of the structural proteins that give skin its firmness and resilience from the inside out.
02 — Pain Reduction
A 2025 umbrella review of randomized controlled trials analyzed data from nearly 3,000 patients and found that photobiomodulation produced a clinically meaningful reduction in pain. The number needed to treat was four, meaning for every four patients treated, one experienced significant pain relief beyond what would have occurred naturally.
For joint-specific pain, the evidence is equally strong. A double-blind trial of 50 patients with knee osteoarthritis found that red and infrared light groups experienced pain reduction of more than 50 percent, while the placebo group showed no significant change. A larger study of 170 patients with rheumatoid arthritis reported pain attenuation of up to 90 percent.
03 — Muscle Recovery and Athletic Performance
A 2025 meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials found that red and near-infrared light therapy significantly reduced delayed onset muscle soreness after exercise and measurably decreased creatine kinase, a direct marker of muscle damage, in competitive athletes.
One finding stands out in particular. When researchers compared red light therapy directly to cryotherapy for muscle recovery, photobiomodulation produced significantly greater muscle strength recovery. The study also found that cryotherapy may actually reduce the benefits of red light therapy when the two are used together.
Our NEO Light Bed delivers clinical-grade red and near-infrared light to your entire body in under 15 minutes. Private suites. Sessions start at $30.
Book Your Session →Why Full-Body Matters: The NEO Light Bed
Most people who have tried red light therapy have used a handheld device or a small panel. Those tools have their place, but they treat a patch of skin, perhaps the face, a knee, or a shoulder. The limitation is coverage. You are spot-treating a problem rather than delivering a systemic cellular response.
The NEO Light Bed at Optimum Health is a different category of device entirely. It uses 3,636 LEDs across six different wavelengths, delivering up to 120 mW/cm2 of irradiance to every square inch of your body simultaneously. A typical session takes 8 to 12 minutes.
It also offers four distinct treatment modes, each designed for a different goal:
01 — Restore
Red light (633nm) combined with all three infrared frequencies (810nm, 850nm, 940nm). This is the foundational full-body mode, designed to reduce inflammation, accelerate recovery, and stimulate collagen production across the face and body. The mode most people start with.
02 — Pulse
The same wavelengths as Restore, delivered in high-intensity pulsed bursts at variable frequency. The pulsed delivery drives deeper tissue penetration, making this the preferred mode for athletes and anyone focused on post-training recovery.
03 — Calm
Green light combined with invisible infrared frequencies. This mode targets dark spots by inhibiting melanin overproduction and has been studied for its effects on sleep quality and relaxation. Research suggests green light may also reduce migraine severity and light sensitivity.
04 — Cleanse
A combination of red and blue light. The blue light component targets acne, oily skin, and surface impurities. The red light supports deeper cellular repair underneath. This is one of the first whole-body applications of combined red and blue light for body-wide skin clearing.
Why February Is the Right Time
There is a reason this article is not titled "red light therapy is great year-round." It is. But February in Minnesota creates a specific set of conditions that make the case particularly compelling.
By mid-February, your skin barrier has been under siege for three straight months. Collagen turnover has slowed. Inflammation from cold exposure, reduced activity, and indoor air quality is compounding. Energy levels are at their seasonal low. And spring, when most people start thinking about recovery, is still six weeks away.
Starting red light therapy now means your cells get a head start. Collagen production takes time to ramp up. The anti-inflammatory effects build with consistency. By the time spring arrives, you are not starting from zero. You are already weeks into a recovery process that has been running in the background.
At Optimum Health, we see the best results from patients who combine red light therapy with other modalities. A session in the NEO Light Bed pairs well with contrast therapy for circulation, PEMF therapy for deeper tissue repair, or compression therapy for lymphatic drainage. All are available in the same visit, in 100 percent private suites.
Getting Started
A single red light therapy session at Optimum Health is $30 for 15 minutes. For those looking to build a consistent routine, we offer an LED/Red Light membership at $199 per month, which includes up to four sessions per week plus 20 percent off all other services. HSA and FSA are accepted.
If you have never tried red light therapy before, the Ultimate Reset intro offer is a good entry point at $59. It includes sauna, PEMF therapy, compression therapy, and LED red light therapy in one visit, so you can experience the full recovery suite and decide which modalities work best for you.
February is cold, dark, and hard on your body. Your cells do not have to wait until spring to start recovering.
