‘It sounds like witchcraft’: can light therapy really give you better skin, cleaner teeth, stronger joints?

Light therapy is definitely experiencing a surge in popularity. Consumers can purchase glowing gadgets targeting issues like complexion problems and aging signs as well as sore muscles and periodontal issues, the latest being a toothbrush outfitted with small red light diodes, marketed by the company as “a breakthrough for domestic dental hygiene.” 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, that employ light waves rather than traditional heat sources, your body is warmed directly by infrared light. As claimed by enthusiasts, it’s like bathing in one of those LED-lit beauty masks, boosting skin collagen, soothing sore muscles, reducing swelling and long-term ailments as well as supporting brain health.

The Science and Skepticism

“It feels almost magical,” observes a neuroscience expert, a scientist who has studied phototherapy extensively. 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. Light exposure controls our sleep-wake cycles, as well, stimulating neurotransmitter and hormone production during daytime, and preparing the body for rest as darkness falls. Artificial sun lamps are a common remedy for people with seasonal affective disorder (Sad) to elevate spirits during colder months. Undoubtedly, light plays a vital role in human health.

Types of Light Therapy

Although mood lamps generally utilize blue-spectrum frequencies, consumer light therapy products mostly feature red and infrared emissions. During advanced medical investigations, including research on infrared’s impact on neural cells, identifying the optimal wavelength is crucial. Photons represent electromagnetic waves, which runs the spectrum from the lowest-energy, longest wavelengths (radio waves) to the highest-energy (gamma waves). Light-based treatment uses wavelengths around the middle of this spectrum, with ultraviolet representing the higher energy invisible light, then visible light (all the colours we see in a rainbow) and infrared light visible through night vision technology.

Ultraviolet treatment has been employed by skin specialists for decades to manage persistent skin disorders including eczema and psoriasis. It affects cellular immune responses, “and dampens down inflammation,” notes Dr Bernard Ho. “There’s lots of evidence for phototherapy.” UVA reaches deeper skin layers compared to UVB, while the LEDs in consumer devices (which generally deliver red, infrared or blue light) “typically have shallower penetration.”

Safety Considerations and Medical Oversight

Potential UVB consequences, including sunburn or skin darkening, are recognized but medical equipment uses controlled narrow-band delivery – meaning smaller wavelengths – which decreases danger. “It’s supervised by a healthcare professional, so the dosage is monitored,” notes the specialist. And crucially, the light sources are adjusted by technical experts, “to ensure that the wavelength that’s being delivered is fit for purpose – as opposed to commercial tanning facilities, where it’s a bit unregulated, and emission spectra aren’t confirmed.”

Commercial Products and Research Limitations

Red and blue light sources, he says, “aren’t really used in the medical sense, but could assist with specific concerns.” Red wavelength therapy, proponents claim, help boost blood circulation, oxygen uptake and cell renewal in the skin, and stimulate collagen production – an important goal for anti-aging. “The evidence is there,” comments the expert. “Although it’s not strong.” Regardless, given the plethora of available tools, “we don’t know whether or not the lights emitted are reflective of the research that has been done. We don’t know the duration, proper positioning requirements, if benefits outweigh potential risks. Numerous concerns persist.”

Treatment Areas and Specialist Views

Early blue-light applications focused on skin microbes, microorganisms connected to breakouts. Scientific backing remains inadequate for regular prescription – although, says Ho, “it’s frequently employed in beauty centers.” Some of his patients use it as part of their routine, he mentions, however for consumer products, “we advise cautious experimentation and safety verification. Without proper medical classification, standards are somewhat unclear.”

Cutting-Edge Studies and Biological Processes

Meanwhile, in advanced research areas, Chazot has been experimenting with brain cells, identifying a number of ways in which infrared can boost cellular health. “Pretty much everything I did with the light at that particular wavelength was positive and protective,” he reports. The numerous reported benefits have generated doubt regarding phototherapy – that it’s too good to be true. But his research has thoroughly changed his mind in that respect.

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 designed tools for biological testing,” he explains. “I was quite suspicious. It was an unusual wavelength of about 1070 nanometres, which most thought had no biological effect.”

Its beneficial characteristic, nevertheless, was its ability to transmit through aqueous environments, enabling deeper tissue penetration.

Mitochondrial Impact and Cognitive Support

Additional research indicated infrared affected cellular mitochondria. Mitochondria produce ATP for cell function, generating energy for them to function. “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. “Studies demonstrate enhanced cerebral circulation with light treatment, which is consistently beneficial.”

Using 1070nm wavelength, energy organelles generate minimal reactive oxygen compounds. In limited quantities these molecules, explains the expert, “stimulates so-called chaperone proteins which look after your mitochondria, look after your cells and also deal with the unwanted proteins.”

These processes show potential for neurological conditions: free radical neutralization, swelling control, and pro-autophagy – autophagy being the process the cell uses to clear unwanted damaging proteins.

Present Investigation Status and Expert Assessments

The last time Chazot checked the literature on using the 1070 wavelength on human dementia patients, he says, about 400 people were taking part in four studies, incorporating his preliminary American studies