You may have seen it while scrolling your feed or looking for a spa day.

A Jason-like mask beaming red light on the face resting beneath. Or maybe you saw an ad of a person in a booth, smiling as they bask in crimson brightness.

While red light therapy has been used for decades in the medical field to quicken the wound healing process, it has risen in popularity over the last couple of years as an anti-aging treatment, Dr. Theresa Pacheco, director of the UCHealth Dermatology Clinic at University of Colorado Hospital, wrote in an email.

In Colorado Springs, local wellness centers are embracing the trend.

“More and more people are looking for different wellness therapies outside of traditional Western medicine. They’re looking for preventative care, and that’s kind of piqued people’s interest,” said Ro Janecek, owner of Colorado Salt Cave Wellness Center, which started offering the treatment in combination with salt therapy. It’s been one of their most popular services, Janecek said.

How it works: Red light therapy uses LEDs on exposed skin to emit wavelengths of light in green, red and near-infrared that penetrate skin to stimulate healing. It’s thought to work by targeting the skin on a cellular level, providing energy to the mitochondria, which helps energize the cell.

The treatment can improve skin tightness, skin texture and fine lines, as well as promote hair rejuvenation by activating dormant hair follicles, Pacheco said. At Janecek’s wellness center, red light therapy users include everyone from cancer patients looking to alleviate skin concerns caused by chemo to individuals trying to reduce inflammation for pain management.

“A lot of people are looking for skin health,” Janecek said. “People will say, ‘Yeah, I noticed my skin is firmer. It feels tighter.’ Different comments like that are pretty common. … Because of the near infrared light spectrum, it gives off a little bit of that warmth. So they are feeling kind of that warmth after.”

In general, it’s a very safe device, Pacheco said. It uses low levels of heat, and the biggest risk is eye damage. That’s why protective glasses are important to wear while exposed to red light.

Pacheco says the ideal treatment with red light therapy is exposure three times a week. As for cost, the Colorado Salt Cave Wellness Center charges $25 for 15 minutes in the vitality booth and $40 for a 40-minute session (the longest option), as well as a $10 Tuesday special for 10 minutes. If you want someone to join you, it’s $5 for an additional person.

While the benefits are clear, why has this therapy recently become so popular? According to Pacheco, any treatment that promises to be anti-aging grows in popularity. It’s also a noninvasive treatment, which can attract people.

“A lot of people in general are like, ‘How can we preserve our skin health, our body in more natural ways,’” Janecek said. “There’s no toxins that are being put into my body. There’s nothing that is harming me, but I’m doing something good that can actually help me in a natural and a safe way, and I think that’s what’s kind of drawing people.”

It’s also a pretty accessible option. There are red light therapy devices that can be used at home, which come in a variety of forms and price points. But Pacheco advises to do some research before making a purchase.

“There are many home devices are out there, but one needs to do their homework to make sure that it is powered appropriately,” Pacheco said. “It might make sense to use an office-based red light device as a trial before investing in a home device.”