‘It appears magical’: does light therapy actually deliver clearer skin, healthier teeth, and more resilient joints?

Light therapy is definitely experiencing a moment. You can now buy glowing gadgets designed to address complexion problems and aging signs along with aching tissues and periodontal issues, recently introduced is a dental hygiene device outfitted with small red light diodes, described by its makers as “a major advance in at-home oral care.” Internationally, the market was worth $1bn in 2024 and is projected to grow to $1.8bn 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, easing muscle tension, relieving inflammation and persistent medical issues and potentially guarding against cognitive decline.

Research and Reservations

“It appears somewhat mystical,” observes a neuroscience expert, professor in neuroscience at Durham University and a convert to the value of light therapy. Certainly, certain impacts of light on human physiology are proven. Our bodies produce vitamin D through sun exposure, crucial for strong bones, immune defense, and tissue repair. Natural light synchronizes our biological clocks, additionally, stimulating neurotransmitter and hormone production during daytime, and signaling the body to slow down for nighttime. Sunlight-imitating lamps frequently help individuals with seasonal depression to boost low mood in winter. Clearly, light energy is essential for optimal functioning.

Various Phototherapy Approaches

Whereas seasonal affective disorder devices typically employ blue-range light, most other light therapy devices deploy red or infrared light. In rigorous scientific studies, including research on infrared’s impact on neural cells, finding the right frequency is key. Photons represent electromagnetic waves, spanning from low-energy radio waves to high-energy gamma radiation. Therapeutic light application employs mid-spectrum wavelengths, including invisible ultraviolet radiation, then visible light (all the colours we see in a rainbow) and then infrared (which we can see with night-vision goggles).

UV light has been used by medical dermatologists for many years to treat chronic skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and vitiligo. It works on the immune system within cells, “and reduces inflammatory processes,” notes Dr Bernard Ho. “Substantial research supports light therapy.” UVA goes deeper into the skin than UVB, while the LEDs in consumer devices (typically emitting red, infrared or blue wavelengths) “typically have shallower penetration.”

Risk Assessment and Professional Supervision

UVB radiation effects, including sunburn or skin darkening, are well known but in medical devices the light is delivered in a “narrow-band” form – meaning smaller wavelengths – that reduces potential hazards. “Treatment is monitored by medical staff, so the dosage is monitored,” says Ho. Essentially, the light sources are adjusted by technical experts, “to guarantee appropriate wavelength emission – unlike in tanning salons, where regulations may be lax, and emission spectra aren’t confirmed.”

Home Devices and Scientific Uncertainty

Red and blue light sources, 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 cell renewal in the skin, and promote collagen synthesis – an important goal for anti-aging. “The evidence is there,” says Ho. “Although it’s not strong.” Regardless, with numerous products on the market, “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, how close the lights should be to the skin, if benefits outweigh potential risks. Numerous concerns persist.”

Treatment Areas and Specialist Views

One of the earliest blue-light products targeted Cutibacterium acnes, bacteria linked to pimples. The evidence for its efficacy isn’t strong enough for it to be routinely prescribed by doctors – although, notes the dermatologist, “it’s commonly used in cosmetic clinics.” 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.”

Innovative Investigations and Molecular Effects

Meanwhile, in advanced research areas, scientists have been studying cerebral tissue, revealing various pathways for light-enhanced cell function. “Virtually all experiments with specific wavelengths showed beneficial and safeguarding effects,” he reports. 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 doctor developing photonic antiviral treatment consulted his scientific background. “He developed equipment for cellular and insect experiments,” he recalls. “I was pretty sceptical. This particular frequency was around 1070 nanometers, that nobody believed did anything biological.”

The advantage it possessed, nevertheless, was its efficient water penetration, allowing substantial bodily penetration.

Mitochondrial Impact and Cognitive Support

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 concentrated on cerebral applications. “Research confirms improved brain blood flow with phototherapy, which is always very good.”

Using 1070nm wavelength, cellular power plants create limited oxidative molecules. In limited quantities these molecules, explains the expert, “activates protective proteins that safeguard mitochondria, preserve cell function and eliminate damaged proteins.”

All of these mechanisms appear promising for treating a brain disease: free radical neutralization, inflammation reduction, and cellular cleanup – autophagy being the process the cell uses to clear unwanted damaging proteins.

Ongoing Study Progress and Specialist Evaluations

The last time Chazot checked the literature on using the 1070 wavelength on human dementia patients, he states, about 400 people were taking part in four studies, including his own initial clinical trials in the US