Every red light device comes with a recommended session length and frequency, and most people ignore both — either using it once and forgetting, or using it twice a day in the first fortnight and then stopping entirely.
Here is what our manual specifies, and the reasoning behind it.
Ten to thirty minutes, with fifteen as the sweet spot
Our device has a timer that runs from 0 to 30 minutes, and the six presets sit between 10 and 30. Fifteen minutes is where most people land, and it is what we would suggest starting with.
Fifteen is long enough to be worth setting up for and short enough that you will still do it on a Tuesday night in winter when you cannot be bothered. That second part matters more than people expect.
Two or three sessions a week is typical
Daily is also fine. If you use it more than once in a single day, leave at least six hours between sessions.
We are not going to tell you that more is better, because we cannot tell you what any amount will do. What we can say is that the people who get anything out of a routine are the ones still doing it in month three, and the fastest way not to be that person is to start with an ambitious schedule you cannot sustain.
Distance changes the dose more than time does
This is the part most people miss. The amount of light reaching your skin falls away sharply with distance, so holding a device at 5 cm rather than 15 cm makes a much bigger difference than adding five minutes.
Our measured output shows it plainly:
| Distance | Red + near-infrared together |
|---|---|
| 5 cm | 58 mW/cm² |
| 10 cm | 40 mW/cm² |
| 15 cm | 25 mW/cm² |
More than double the intensity at 5 cm compared to 15. Closer is more intense over a smaller area; further is gentler and covers more. Most people settle around 10 cm.
This is also why a brand quoting a single irradiance figure without a distance is telling you almost nothing. We wrote about that in more detail here.
Build it around something you already do
The most reliable way to keep any routine is to attach it to an existing habit rather than trying to find a new slot in the day. After your shower. While the kettle boils. Before you read.
A device that stands on its own helps here, because the session stops being something you have to hold still for and becomes something that happens while you do something else.
What we will not tell you
We will not tell you how long until you notice something, because we do not know, and anyone quoting you a fixed number is guessing. We are a general wellness device — we can tell you the wavelengths, the measured output and how to use the thing safely. We cannot tell you what it will do for you.
Treat it as a routine rather than a treatment, and take the manual’s safety information seriously — particularly the part about keeping your eyes closed.
The Heal For You Light is a general wellness device. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.