‘It seems like sorcery’: is light therapy truly capable of improving your skin, whitening your teeth, and strengthening your joints?

Light therapy is clearly enjoying a surge in popularity. You can now buy glowing gadgets for everything from skin conditions and wrinkles to muscle pain and periodontal issues, recently introduced is a dental hygiene device equipped with tiny red LEDs, described by its makers as “a major advance for domestic dental hygiene.” Worldwide, the industry reached $1 billion in 2024 and is forecast to expand to $1.8 billion by 2035. You can even go and sit in an infrared sauna, that employ light waves rather than traditional heat sources, the infrared radiation heats your body itself. As claimed by enthusiasts, it feels similar to a full-body light therapy session, enhancing collagen production, soothing sore muscles, reducing swelling and long-term ailments as well as supporting brain health.

The Science and Skepticism

“It appears somewhat mystical,” observes a Durham University professor, a scientist who has studied phototherapy extensively. Of course, we know light influences biological functions. Sunlight enables vitamin D production, essential for skeletal strength, immune function, and muscular health. Sunlight regulates our circadian rhythms, as well, triggering the release of neurochemicals and hormones while we are awake, and signaling the body to slow down for nighttime. Sunlight-imitating lamps are standard treatment for winter mood disorders to combat seasonal emotional slumps. Undoubtedly, light plays a vital role in human health.

Various Phototherapy Approaches

While Sad lamps tend to use a mixture of light frequencies from the blue end of the spectrum, the majority of phototherapy tools use red or near-infrared wavelengths. In serious clinical research, including research on infrared’s impact on neural cells, determining the precise frequency is essential. Photons represent electromagnetic waves, spanning from low-energy radio waves to high-energy gamma radiation. Phototherapy, or light therapy utilizes intermediate light frequencies, the highest energy of those being invisible ultraviolet, followed by visible light encompassing rainbow colors and infrared light visible through night vision technology.

Dermatologists have utilized UV therapy for extensive periods to manage persistent skin disorders including eczema and psoriasis. It modulates intracellular immune mechanisms, “and dampens down inflammation,” says a skin specialist. “Considerable data validates phototherapy.” UVA penetrates skin more deeply than UVB, whereas the LEDs we see on consumer light-therapy devices (typically emitting red, infrared or blue wavelengths) “generally affect surface layers.”

Safety Protocols and Medical Guidance

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. “It’s supervised by a healthcare professional, so the dosage is monitored,” says Ho. Essentially, the devices are tuned by qualified personnel, “to guarantee appropriate wavelength emission – unlike in tanning salons, where oversight might be limited, and we don’t really know what wavelengths are being used.”

Commercial Products and Research Limitations

Colored light diodes, he explains, “aren’t really used in the medical sense, though they might benefit some issues.” Red LEDs, it is proposed, help boost blood circulation, oxygen absorption and skin cell regeneration, and promote collagen synthesis – a primary objective in youth preservation. “Studies are available,” states the dermatologist. “Although it’s not strong.” Regardless, amid the sea of devices now available, “we don’t know whether or not the lights emitted are reflective of the research that has been done. Appropriate exposure periods aren’t established, proper positioning requirements, if benefits outweigh potential risks. Numerous concerns persist.”

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 – despite the fact that, explains the specialist, “it’s commonly used in cosmetic clinics.” Some of his patients use it as part of their routine, he observes, however for consumer products, “we just tell them to try it carefully and to make sure it has been assessed for safety. If it’s not medically certified, the regulation is a bit grey.”

Cutting-Edge Studies and Biological Processes

Meanwhile, in innovative scientific domains, scientists have been studying cerebral tissue, discovering multiple mechanisms for infrared’s cellular benefits. “Nearly every test with precise light frequencies demonstrated advantageous outcomes,” he reports. Multiple claimed advantages have created skepticism toward light treatment – that results appear unrealistic. But his research has thoroughly changed his mind in that respect.

Chazot mostly works on developing drug treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, though twenty years earlier, a GP who was developing an antiviral light treatment for cold sores sought his expertise as a biologist. “He designed tools for biological testing,” he recalls. “I was pretty sceptical. This particular frequency was around 1070 nanometers, that nobody believed did anything biological.”

Its beneficial characteristic, however, was that it travelled through water easily, allowing substantial bodily penetration.

Cellular Energy and Neurological Benefits

Additional research indicated infrared affected cellular mitochondria. These organelles generate cellular energy, generating energy for them to function. “Every cell in your body has mitochondria, even within brain tissue,” says Chazot, who prioritized neurological investigations. “Research confirms improved brain blood flow with phototherapy, which is consistently beneficial.”

Using 1070nm wavelength, energy organelles generate minimal reactive oxygen compounds. At controlled levels these compounds, explains the expert, “triggers guardian proteins that maintain organelle health, 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, swelling control, and waste removal – autophagy representing cellular waste disposal.

Current Research Status and Professional Opinions

The last time Chazot checked the literature on using the 1070 wavelength on human dementia patients, he says, several hundred individuals participated in various investigations, including his own initial clinical trials in the US