🔗 Share this article

Phototherapy is definitely experiencing a wave of attention. There are now available illuminated devices for everything from skin conditions and wrinkles to aching tissues and periodontal issues, the latest being an oral care tool equipped with tiny red LEDs, described by its makers as “a significant discovery for domestic dental hygiene.” Worldwide, the industry reached $1 billion in 2024 and is forecast to expand to $1.8 billion by 2035. There are even infrared saunas available, that employ light waves rather than traditional heat sources, the thermal energy targets your tissues immediately. As claimed by enthusiasts, it’s like bathing in one of those LED-lit beauty masks, enhancing collagen production, soothing sore muscles, reducing swelling and persistent medical issues while protecting against dementia.

The Science and Skepticism

“It appears somewhat mystical,” says a neuroscience expert, professor in neuroscience at Durham University and a convert to the value of light therapy. Of course, we know light influences biological functions. Our bodies produce vitamin D through sun exposure, needed for bone health, immunity, muscles and more. 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. Artificial sun lamps are standard treatment for winter mood disorders to combat seasonal emotional slumps. So there’s no doubt we need light energy to function well.

Various Phototherapy Approaches

Although mood lamps generally utilize blue-spectrum frequencies, most other light therapy devices deploy red or infrared light. In rigorous scientific studies, such as Chazot’s investigations into the effects of infrared on brain cells, finding the right frequency is key. Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, spanning from low-energy radio waves to short-wavelength gamma rays. Therapeutic light application employs mid-spectrum wavelengths, with ultraviolet representing the higher energy invisible light, followed by visible light encompassing rainbow colors and then infrared (which we can see with night-vision goggles).

UV light has been used by medical dermatologists for many years to manage persistent skin disorders including eczema and psoriasis. It works on the immune system within cells, “and dampens down inflammation,” explains 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) “generally affect surface layers.”

Safety Considerations and Medical Oversight

Potential UVB consequences, like erythema or pigmentation, are recognized but medical equipment uses controlled narrow-band delivery – meaning smaller wavelengths – which minimises the risks. “Therapy is overseen by qualified practitioners, meaning intensity is regulated,” says Ho. And crucially, the lightbulbs are calibrated by medical technicians, “to guarantee appropriate wavelength emission – as opposed to commercial tanning facilities, where it’s a bit unregulated, and emission spectra aren’t confirmed.”

Consumer Devices and Evidence Gaps

Red and blue LEDs, he says, “don’t have strong medical applications, though they might benefit some issues.” Red wavelength therapy, proponents claim, help boost blood circulation, oxygen utilization and cell renewal in the skin, and activate collagen formation – a key aspiration in anti-ageing effects. “Research exists,” says Ho. “But it’s not conclusive.” Nevertheless, given the plethora of available tools, “it’s unclear if device outputs match study parameters. 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.”

Treatment Areas and Specialist Views

Initial blue-light devices addressed acne bacteria, a microbe associated with acne. The evidence for its efficacy isn’t strong enough for it to be routinely prescribed by doctors – despite the fact that, says Ho, “it’s commonly used in cosmetic clinics.” Certain patients incorporate it into their regimen, he mentions, though when purchasing home devices, “we recommend careful testing and security confirmation. Without proper medical classification, standards are somewhat unclear.”

Advanced Research and Cellular Mechanisms

At the same time, in a far-flung field of pioneering medical science, researchers have been testing neural cells, revealing various pathways for light-enhanced cell function. “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 claims seem exaggerated. Yet, experimental evidence has transformed his viewpoint.

The scientist mainly develops medications for neurological conditions, though twenty years earlier, a physician creating light-based cold sore therapy requested his biological knowledge. “He developed equipment for cellular and insect experiments,” he explains. “I was pretty sceptical. The specific wavelength measured approximately 1070nm, that many assumed was biologically inert.”

What it did have going for it, however, was that it travelled through water easily, allowing substantial bodily penetration.

Mitochondrial Effects and Brain Health

Additional research indicated infrared affected cellular mitochondria. These organelles generate cellular energy, producing fuel for biological processes. “Every cell in your body has mitochondria, even within brain tissue,” says Chazot, who, as a neuroscientist, decided to focus the research on brain cells. “It has been shown that in humans this light therapy increases blood flow into the brain, which is generally advantageous.”

With specific frequency application, mitochondria also produce a small amount of a molecule known as reactive oxygen species. In limited quantities these molecules, explains the expert, “activates protective proteins that safeguard mitochondria, protect cellular integrity and manage defective proteins.”

These processes show potential for neurological conditions: free radical neutralization, swelling control, and cellular cleanup – self-digestion mechanisms eliminating harmful elements.

Ongoing Study Progress and Specialist Evaluations

The last time Chazot checked the literature on using the 1070 wavelength on human dementia patients, he states, approximately 400 participants enrolled in multiple trials, incorporating his preliminary American studies