🔗 Share this article

Light-based treatment is definitely experiencing a moment. There are now available light-emitting tools designed to address dermatological concerns and fine lines as well as muscle pain and oral inflammation, the latest being a toothbrush outfitted with small red light diodes, described by its makers as “a breakthrough for domestic dental hygiene.” 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, which use infrared light to warm the body directly, the thermal energy targets your tissues immediately. According to its devotees, it’s like bathing in one of those LED-lit beauty masks, boosting skin collagen, easing muscle tension, reducing swelling and chronic health conditions while protecting against dementia.

The Science and Skepticism

“It appears somewhat mystical,” notes Paul Chazot, who has researched light therapy for two decades. Certainly, we know light influences biological functions. Sunlight enables vitamin D production, crucial for strong bones, immune defense, and tissue repair. Natural light synchronizes our biological clocks, too, triggering the release of neurochemicals and hormones while we are awake, and signaling the body to slow down for nighttime. Artificial sun lamps frequently help individuals with seasonal depression to combat seasonal emotional slumps. Undoubtedly, light plays a vital role in human health.

Different Light Modalities

Whereas seasonal affective disorder devices typically employ blue-range light, the majority of phototherapy tools use red or near-infrared wavelengths. In rigorous scientific studies, like examinations of infrared influence on cerebral tissue, finding the right frequency is key. Photons represent electromagnetic waves, extending from long-wavelength radiation to the highest-energy (gamma waves). Phototherapy, or light therapy utilizes intermediate light frequencies, with ultraviolet representing the higher energy invisible light, followed by visible light encompassing rainbow colors and infrared light visible through night vision technology.

Dermatologists have utilized UV therapy for extensive periods to treat chronic skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and vitiligo. It works on the immune system within cells, “and dampens down inflammation,” says Dr Bernard Ho. “Considerable data validates phototherapy.” UVA reaches deeper skin layers compared to UVB, whereas the LEDs we see on consumer light-therapy devices (which generally deliver red, infrared or blue light) “tend to be a bit more superficial.”

Safety Protocols and Medical Guidance

Potential UVB consequences, like erythema or pigmentation, are understood but clinical devices employ restricted wavelength ranges – signifying focused frequency bands – which decreases danger. “It’s supervised by a healthcare professional, thus exposure is controlled,” says Ho. Essentially, the light sources are adjusted by technical experts, “to confirm suitable light frequency output – unlike in tanning salons, where it’s a bit unregulated, and emission spectra aren’t confirmed.”

Commercial Products and Research Limitations

Colored light diodes, he explains, “aren’t really used in the medical sense, but could assist with specific concerns.” Red wavelength therapy, proponents claim, enhance blood flow, oxygen uptake and dermal rejuvenation, and activate collagen formation – a key aspiration in anti-ageing effects. “The evidence is there,” comments the expert. “However, it’s limited.” In any case, with numerous products on the market, “we’re uncertain whether commercial devices replicate research conditions. We don’t know the duration, ideal distance from skin surface, whether or not that will increase the risk versus the benefit. Numerous concerns persist.”

Targeted Uses and Expert Opinions

Initial blue-light devices addressed acne bacteria, a microbe associated with acne. Scientific backing remains inadequate for regular prescription – even though, explains the specialist, “it’s commonly used in cosmetic clinics.” Some of his patients use it as part of their routine, he says, however for consumer products, “we recommend careful testing and security confirmation. Unless it’s a medical device, standards are somewhat unclear.”

Innovative Investigations and Molecular Effects

At the same time, in innovative scientific domains, researchers have been testing neural cells, discovering multiple mechanisms for infrared’s cellular benefits. “Virtually all experiments with specific wavelengths showed beneficial and safeguarding effects,” he says. 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, however two decades past, 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 recalls. “I was quite suspicious. It was an unusual wavelength of about 1070 nanometres, which most thought had no biological effect.”

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

Cellular Energy and Neurological Benefits

More evidence was emerging at the time that infrared light targeted the mitochondria in cells. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells, generating energy for them to function. “All human cells contain mitochondria, including the brain,” notes the researcher, who prioritized neurological investigations. “Studies demonstrate enhanced cerebral circulation with light treatment, which is consistently beneficial.”

With 1070 treatment, energy organelles generate minimal reactive oxygen compounds. In low doses this substance, says Chazot, “stimulates so-called chaperone proteins which look after your mitochondria, protect cellular integrity and manage defective proteins.”

These processes show potential for neurological conditions: oxidative protection, swelling control, and waste removal – autophagy representing cellular waste disposal.

Ongoing Study Progress and Specialist Evaluations

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