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Light-based treatment is definitely experiencing a wave of attention. There are now available glowing gadgets targeting issues like complexion problems and aging signs to aching tissues and periodontal issues, the newest innovation is a toothbrush outfitted with miniature red light sources, described by its makers as “a breakthrough for domestic dental hygiene.” Globally, 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, your body is warmed directly by infrared light. According to its devotees, it’s like bathing in one of those LED-lit beauty masks, boosting skin collagen, soothing sore muscles, reducing swelling and long-term ailments while protecting against dementia.

Understanding the Evidence

“It sounds a bit like witchcraft,” notes Paul Chazot, who has researched light therapy for two decades. Certainly, some of light’s effects on our bodies are well established. Our bodies produce vitamin D through sun exposure, needed for bone health, immunity, muscles and more. Natural light synchronizes our biological clocks, too, stimulating neurotransmitter and hormone production during daytime, and winding down bodily functions for sleep as it fades into night. 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.

Different Light Modalities

While Sad lamps tend to use a mixture of light frequencies from the blue end of the spectrum, consumer light therapy products mostly feature red and infrared emissions. In rigorous scientific studies, including research on infrared’s impact on neural cells, finding the right frequency is key. Light constitutes electromagnetic energy, spanning from low-energy radio waves to high-energy gamma radiation. Therapeutic light application uses wavelengths around the middle of this spectrum, including invisible ultraviolet radiation, followed by visible light encompassing rainbow colors and finally infrared detectable with special equipment.

Dermatologists have utilized UV therapy for extensive periods to treat chronic skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and vitiligo. It modulates intracellular immune mechanisms, “and dampens down inflammation,” notes Dr Bernard Ho. “There’s lots of evidence for phototherapy.” UVA reaches deeper skin layers compared to UVB, in contrast to LEDs in commercial products (which generally deliver red, infrared or blue light) “typically have shallower penetration.”

Safety Protocols and Medical Guidance

UVB radiation effects, such as burning or tanning, are recognized but medical equipment uses controlled narrow-band delivery – meaning smaller wavelengths – which decreases danger. “Treatment is monitored by medical staff, so the dosage is monitored,” notes the specialist. And crucially, 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 it’s a bit unregulated, and we don’t really know what wavelengths are being used.”

Commercial Products and Research Limitations

Red and blue light sources, he says, “aren’t really used in the medical sense, but they may help with certain conditions.” Red LEDs, it is proposed, improve circulatory function, oxygen absorption and dermal rejuvenation, and activate collagen formation – an important goal for anti-aging. “Research exists,” comments the expert. “But it’s not conclusive.” Regardless, given the plethora of available tools, “it’s unclear if device outputs match study parameters. Appropriate exposure periods aren’t established, ideal distance from skin surface, whether or not that will increase the risk versus the benefit. Numerous concerns persist.”

Specific Applications and Professional Perspectives

One of the earliest blue-light products targeted Cutibacterium acnes, microorganisms connected to breakouts. The evidence for its efficacy isn’t strong enough for it to be routinely prescribed by doctors – despite the fact that, notes the dermatologist, “it’s often seen in medical spas or aesthetics practices.” Some of his patients use it as part of their routine, he says, but if they’re buying a device for home use, “we just tell them to try it carefully and to make sure it has been assessed for safety. If it’s not medically certified, standards are somewhat unclear.”

Cutting-Edge Studies and Biological Processes

Meanwhile, in a far-flung field of pioneering medical science, researchers have been testing neural cells, revealing various pathways for light-enhanced cell function. “Nearly every test with precise light frequencies demonstrated advantageous outcomes,” he reports. The numerous reported benefits have generated doubt regarding phototherapy – that claims seem exaggerated. However, scientific investigation has altered his perspective.

The researcher primarily focuses on pharmaceutical solutions for brain disorders, but over 20 years ago, a GP who was developing an antiviral light treatment for cold sores sought his expertise as a biologist. “He created some devices so that we could work with them with cells and with fruit flies,” he says. “I was pretty sceptical. The specific wavelength measured approximately 1070nm, that many assumed was biologically inert.”

Its beneficial characteristic, though, was its efficient water penetration, allowing substantial bodily penetration.

Cellular Energy and Neurological Benefits

Growing data suggested infrared influenced energy-producing organelles. These organelles generate cellular energy, creating power for cellular operations. “All human cells contain mitochondria, including the brain,” 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 always very good.”

With 1070 treatment, mitochondria also produce a small amount of a molecule known as reactive oxygen species. In low doses this substance, 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: antioxidant, inflammation reduction, and waste removal – self-digestion mechanisms eliminating harmful elements.

Present Investigation Status and Expert Assessments

When recently reviewing 1070nm research for cognitive decline, he says, several hundred individuals participated in various investigations, incorporating his preliminary American studies