🔗 Share this article

Light therapy is definitely experiencing a surge in popularity. There are now available glowing gadgets targeting issues like dermatological concerns and fine lines along with muscle pain and gum disease, the latest being a dental hygiene device outfitted with tiny red LEDs, described by its makers as “a significant discovery for domestic dental hygiene.” Worldwide, the market was worth $1bn in 2024 and is projected to grow to $1.8bn by 2035. You can even go and sit in an infrared sauna, that employ light waves rather than traditional heat sources, your body is warmed directly by infrared light. Based on supporter testimonials, it feels similar to a full-body light therapy session, stimulating skin elasticity, easing muscle tension, reducing swelling and chronic health conditions as well as supporting brain health.

Research and Reservations

“It feels almost magical,” observes a Durham University professor, professor in neuroscience at Durham University and a convert to the value of light therapy. Naturally, some of light’s effects on our bodies are well established. Sunlight enables vitamin D production, crucial for strong bones, immune defense, and tissue repair. Light exposure controls our sleep-wake cycles, as well, activating brain chemicals and hormonal responses in daylight, and preparing the body for rest as darkness falls. Daylight-simulating devices frequently help individuals with seasonal depression to boost low mood in winter. So there’s no doubt we need light energy to function well.

Different Light Modalities

Whereas seasonal affective disorder devices typically employ blue-range light, most other light therapy devices deploy red or infrared light. In rigorous scientific studies, including research on infrared’s impact on neural cells, finding the right frequency is key. Photons represent electromagnetic waves, spanning from low-energy radio waves to the highest-energy (gamma waves). Light-based treatment employs mid-spectrum wavelengths, including invisible ultraviolet radiation, then visible light (all the colours we see in a rainbow) and infrared light visible through night vision technology.

Dermatologists have utilized UV therapy for extensive periods for addressing long-term dermatological issues like vitiligo. It works on the immune system within cells, “and dampens down inflammation,” says a dermatology expert. “Substantial research supports light therapy.” UVA reaches deeper skin layers compared to UVB, whereas the LEDs we see on consumer light-therapy devices (typically emitting red, infrared or blue wavelengths) “tend to be a bit more superficial.”

Risk Assessment and Professional Supervision

Potential UVB consequences, like erythema or pigmentation, are understood but clinical devices employ restricted wavelength ranges – indicating limited wavelength spectrum – which decreases danger. “It’s supervised by a healthcare professional, so the dosage is monitored,” notes the specialist. Essentially, the devices are tuned by qualified personnel, “to ensure that the wavelength that’s being delivered is fit for purpose – unlike in tanning salons, where regulations may be lax, and wavelength accuracy isn’t verified.”

Home Devices and Scientific Uncertainty

Colored light diodes, he notes, “don’t have strong medical applications, but they may help with certain conditions.” Red light devices, some suggest, help boost blood circulation, oxygen absorption and dermal rejuvenation, and activate collagen formation – a key aspiration in anti-ageing effects. “Research exists,” comments the expert. “However, it’s limited.” Nevertheless, given the plethora of available tools, “we’re uncertain whether commercial devices replicate research conditions. Optimal treatment times are unknown, how close the lights should be to the skin, whether or not that will increase the risk versus the benefit. Numerous concerns persist.”

Targeted Uses and Expert Opinions

Initial blue-light devices addressed acne bacteria, bacteria linked to pimples. The evidence for its efficacy isn’t strong enough for it to be routinely prescribed by doctors – despite the fact that, explains the specialist, “it’s commonly used in cosmetic clinics.” Individuals include it in their skincare practices, he observes, though when purchasing home devices, “we just tell them to try it carefully and to make sure it has been assessed for safety. Without proper medical classification, standards are somewhat unclear.”

Innovative Investigations and Molecular Effects

At the same time, in a far-flung field of pioneering medical science, scientists have been studying cerebral tissue, discovering multiple mechanisms for infrared’s cellular benefits. “Pretty much everything I did with the light at that particular wavelength was positive and protective,” he says. The numerous reported benefits have generated doubt regarding phototherapy – that results appear unrealistic. Yet, experimental evidence has transformed his viewpoint.

Chazot mostly works on developing drug treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, though twenty years earlier, a doctor developing photonic antiviral treatment consulted his scientific background. “He created some devices so that we could work with them with cells and with fruit flies,” he explains. “I was quite suspicious. It was an unusual wavelength of about 1070 nanometres, which most thought had no biological effect.”

The advantage it possessed, though, was its efficient water penetration, allowing substantial bodily penetration.

Mitochondrial Impact and Cognitive Support

Growing data suggested infrared influenced energy-producing organelles. Mitochondria produce ATP for cell function, generating energy for them to function. “Mitochondria exist throughout the body, including the brain,” says Chazot, who, as a neuroscientist, decided to focus the research on brain cells. “Research confirms improved brain blood flow with phototherapy, which is consistently beneficial.”

Using 1070nm wavelength, energy organelles generate minimal reactive oxygen compounds. In low doses this substance, explains the expert, “triggers guardian proteins that maintain organelle health, preserve cell function and eliminate damaged proteins.”

These processes show potential for neurological conditions: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cellular cleanup – self-digestion mechanisms eliminating harmful elements.

Ongoing Study Progress and Specialist Evaluations

Upon examining current studies on light therapy for dementia, he says, several hundred individuals participated in various investigations, including his own initial clinical trials in the US