Red Light vs Others
The #1 Laser Trusted By Professional Athletes, Teams, Trainers, & Doctors Across The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and UFC.
Trusted for over 100,000 sessions across 7 clinics in CA & CO
The Complete Comparison
What People Think Red Light Is vs. What It Actually Is
The confusion around “red light therapy” has created a market flooded with devices that range from barely functional to genuinely therapeutic. Understanding the differences isn’t just academic – it’s the difference between spending money on a glorified nightlight versus investing in real cellular repair.
Here’s the breakdown:
Low-powered red LEDs (typically 630-660 nm) designed for surface-level effects. Includes LED panels, masks, and wands.
- Improve skin quality
- Mild collagen effects
- Superficial circulation
- Relaxation
- No meaningful penetration (only a few millimeters)
- Cannot reach muscle, tendon, ligament, or joint tissue
- No medical power density
- Cannot treat injury, inflammation, or deep pain
Class II or Class III lasers (often 5 mW-500 mW total power). Low Level Laser Therapy from an earlier generation.
- Small dose of light
- Shallow penetration (less than 1 cm)
- Modest stimulation of surface tissues
- Historically used for mild inflammation
- Cannot reach deep structures
- Requires many sessions
- Too low-powered to trigger meaningful tissue change
- Considered outdated compared to modern regenerative lasers
A medical-grade, high-power infrared laser (usually 15-60+ watts) using wavelengths (e.g., 810-1064 nm) designed for deep penetration.
- Reaches up to 4-7 inches into tissue
- Activates mitochondrial function (ATP production)
- Reduces inflammation
- Improves circulation
- Accelerates tissue repair
- Resolves pain at the source
- Shortens recovery timelines
It’s delivering a therapeutic dose at depth, not just light on the surface.
The Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | At-Home LED | Cold Laser (LLLT) | HILT (Healios) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Output | Low (5-100 mW) | Low to Moderate (5-500 mW) | High (15,000-60,000+ mW) |
| Penetration Depth | 1-3 mm (surface only) | 5-10 mm (less than 1 cm) | 4-7 inches (10-18 cm) |
| Wavelength | 630-660 nm (red) | 630-850 nm (red/near-infrared) | 810-1064 nm (infrared) |
| Target Tissue | Skin surface | Superficial tissue | Muscle, tendon, ligament, joint, fascia |
| Treatment Time | 10-20 minutes daily | 15-30 minutes, multiple sessions | 5-15 minutes per session |
| Sessions Needed | Ongoing (maintenance) | 10-20+ sessions | 3-8 sessions typically |
| Primary Use | Cosmetic/skin care | Mild inflammation, surface wounds | Injury recovery, pain resolution, tissue regeneration |
| Clinical Classification | Consumer device | Class II/III Medical Device | Class IV Medical Device |
| Cost Per Session | $0 (one-time purchase $100-$500) | $50-$150 | $150-$300 (but fewer sessions needed) |
The Power Difference
60,000 mW
A high-intensity laser can deliver up to 60,000 milliwatts of therapeutic power – that’s 120 to 12,000 times more powerful than typical at-home devices.
This isn’t just “brighter light.” It’s a completely different category of therapeutic intervention.
Why Most Alternatives Fall Short – And Why Healios Rises Above
Here’s the honest breakdown: Most treatment options people try before discovering high-intensity laser therapy are working at the wrong depth, with the wrong power, for the wrong duration.
Common Alternatives and Their Limitations:
Physical Therapy
What it does well: Movement patterns, strength, stability, function
What it doesn’t do: Cannot directly accelerate cellular repair or reduce inflammation at the tissue level. Works on compensation, not regeneration.
Massage Therapy
What it does well: Temporary relief, muscle relaxation, blood flow
What it doesn’t do: Cannot reach deep injured tissue. Effects are temporary. Does not trigger mitochondrial repair.
Steroid Injections
What it does well: Rapid inflammation suppression
What it doesn’t do: Does not heal tissue. May weaken tendons over time. Temporary symptom masking, not repair.
Pain Medication
What it does well: Symptom management
What it doesn’t do: Zero regenerative capacity. Masks pain while underlying damage persists or worsens.
Ice and Heat
What it does well: Temporary comfort, surface-level circulation changes
What it doesn’t do: No cellular repair. No mitochondrial activation. Purely palliative.
Chiropractic Care
What it does well: Joint mobility, alignment, nervous system function
What it doesn’t do: Does not regenerate damaged tissue. Addresses mechanical dysfunction, not cellular injury.
The Healios Difference
We Don’t Dilute. We Don’t Scatter. We Don’t Rely on Outdated Technology.
Healios delivers a wavelength and power combination designed to reach the deep structures that actually need to heal – muscle, tendon, ligaments, fascia, and joints.
This is not “red light.”
This is regenerative laser medicine.
Not superficial photons.
But engineered biology that activates cellular repair at depth.
How HILT Actually Works at the Cellular Level
- Photon Absorption: Infrared light (810-1064 nm) penetrates 4-7 inches through tissue without significant scattering
- Mitochondrial Activation: Photons are absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondria, triggering ATP (cellular energy) production
- Increased Cellular Energy: Cells with more ATP can perform repair functions: collagen synthesis, tissue remodeling, inflammation resolution
- Nitric Oxide Release: Improves microcirculation, bringing oxygen and nutrients to injured tissue while removing metabolic waste
- Inflammation Modulation: Reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines while maintaining necessary immune response for healing
- Accelerated Repair: Fibroblast activity increases, producing new collagen to rebuild damaged tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue
Clinical Applications Where HILT Excels
Musculoskeletal Injuries
- Rotator cuff tears
- Tennis/golfer’s elbow
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Plantar fasciitis
- Knee injuries (meniscus, ligaments)
- Lower back pain
Chronic Conditions
- Arthritis (osteoarthritis)
- Chronic tendinitis
- Nerve pain/neuropathy
- Post-surgical recovery
- Sports injuries
- Degenerative joint disease
The Bottom Line
If you’re treating skin – at-home LED panels might suffice.
If you’re treating superficial surface issues – cold laser might help.
If you’re treating real injury, chronic pain, or structural damage – you need high-intensity laser therapy.
The Healios Standard
We don’t chase trends. We don’t sell you diluted technology wrapped in wellness language.
We deliver medical-grade regenerative laser therapy backed by physics, powered by biology, and proven by outcomes.
This is not superficial photons scattered at the skin.
This is engineered biology activating cellular repair at depth.
Not red light.
Regenerative laser medicine.