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Phototherapy is definitely experiencing a moment. You can now buy glowing gadgets targeting issues like complexion problems and aging signs as well as sore muscles and periodontal issues, recently introduced is an oral care tool equipped with small red light diodes, marketed by the company as “a major advance in at-home oral care.” Worldwide, the market was worth $1bn in 2024 and is projected to grow to $1.8bn by 2035. Options include full-body infrared sauna sessions, where instead of hot coals (real or electric) heating the air, the thermal energy targets your tissues immediately. According to its devotees, it feels similar to a full-body light therapy session, boosting skin collagen, relaxing muscles, reducing swelling and persistent medical issues and potentially guarding against cognitive decline.

Research and Reservations

“It feels almost magical,” notes a Durham University professor, who has researched light therapy for two decades. Naturally, we know light influences biological functions. Sunlight enables vitamin D production, needed for bone health, immunity, muscles and more. Light exposure controls our sleep-wake cycles, too, 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 boost low mood in winter. So there’s no doubt we need light energy to function well.

Types of Light Therapy

Whereas seasonal affective disorder devices typically employ blue-range light, consumer light therapy products mostly feature red and infrared emissions. During advanced medical investigations, including research on infrared’s impact on neural cells, determining the precise frequency is essential. Photons represent electromagnetic waves, which runs the spectrum from the lowest-energy, longest wavelengths (radio waves) to high-energy gamma radiation. Light-based treatment employs mid-spectrum wavelengths, the highest energy of those being invisible ultraviolet, then the visible spectrum we perceive as colors and infrared light visible through night vision technology.

Ultraviolet treatment has been employed by skin specialists for decades for addressing long-term dermatological issues like vitiligo. It modulates intracellular immune mechanisms, “and reduces inflammatory processes,” says Dr Bernard Ho. “Considerable data validates phototherapy.” UVA reaches deeper skin layers compared to UVB, while the LEDs in consumer devices (typically emitting red, infrared or blue wavelengths) “tend to be a bit more superficial.”

Safety Considerations and Medical Oversight

The side-effects of UVB exposure, such as burning or tanning, are recognized but medical equipment uses controlled narrow-band delivery – signifying focused frequency bands – that reduces potential hazards. “Therapy is overseen by qualified practitioners, thus exposure is controlled,” explains the dermatologist. Essentially, the lightbulbs are calibrated by medical technicians, “to confirm suitable light frequency output – different from beauty salons, where oversight might be limited, and emission spectra aren’t confirmed.”

Consumer Devices and Evidence Gaps

Red and blue LEDs, he explains, “aren’t typically employed clinically, though they might benefit some issues.” Red wavelength therapy, proponents claim, help boost blood circulation, oxygen absorption and cell renewal in the skin, and promote collagen synthesis – a key aspiration in anti-ageing effects. “Research exists,” says Ho. “Although it’s not strong.” Nevertheless, given the plethora of available tools, “we’re uncertain whether commercial devices replicate research conditions. Appropriate exposure periods aren’t established, ideal distance from skin surface, if benefits outweigh potential risks. Many uncertainties remain.”

Targeted Uses and Expert Opinions

One of the earliest blue-light products targeted Cutibacterium acnes, microorganisms connected to breakouts. Research support isn’t sufficient for standard medical recommendation – although, explains the specialist, “it’s frequently employed in beauty centers.” Individuals include it in their skincare practices, he observes, though when purchasing home devices, “we advise cautious experimentation and safety verification. If it’s not medically certified, oversight remains ambiguous.”

Cutting-Edge Studies and Biological Processes

At the same time, in innovative scientific domains, Chazot has been experimenting with brain 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 reports. Multiple claimed advantages have created skepticism toward light treatment – that it’s too good to be true. However, scientific investigation has altered his perspective.

The scientist mainly develops medications for neurological conditions, though twenty years earlier, a doctor developing photonic antiviral treatment consulted his scientific background. “He developed equipment for cellular and insect experiments,” he recalls. “I was pretty sceptical. It was an unusual wavelength of about 1070 nanometres, that many assumed was biologically inert.”

The advantage it possessed, however, was that it travelled through water easily, meaning it could penetrate the body more deeply.

Cellular Energy and Neurological Benefits

Growing data suggested infrared influenced energy-producing organelles. These organelles generate cellular energy, creating power for cellular operations. “Mitochondria exist throughout the body, particularly in neural cells,” explains the neuroscientist, who prioritized neurological investigations. “It has been shown that in humans this light therapy increases blood flow into the brain, which is always very good.”

With 1070 treatment, cellular power plants create limited oxidative molecules. In low doses this substance, says Chazot, “activates protective proteins that safeguard mitochondria, look after your cells and also deal with the unwanted proteins.”

All of these mechanisms appear promising for treating a brain disease: free radical neutralization, anti-inflammatory, and waste removal – autophagy being the process the cell uses to clear unwanted damaging proteins.

Current Research Status and Professional Opinions

Upon examining current studies on light therapy for dementia, he says, several hundred individuals participated in various investigations, incorporating his preliminary American studies