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

Light therapy is clearly enjoying a wave of attention. You can now buy light-emitting tools designed to address dermatological concerns and fine lines along with muscle pain and periodontal issues, the newest innovation is a dental hygiene device outfitted with tiny red LEDs, promoted by the creators as “a breakthrough in at-home oral care.” Globally, 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, where instead of hot coals (real or electric) heating the air, your body is warmed directly by infrared light. As claimed by enthusiasts, it feels similar to a full-body light therapy session, enhancing collagen production, soothing sore muscles, alleviating inflammatory responses and chronic health conditions and potentially guarding against cognitive decline.

Understanding the Evidence

“It appears somewhat mystical,” says a Durham University professor, 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, essential for skeletal strength, immune function, and muscular health. Natural light synchronizes our biological clocks, additionally, triggering the release of neurochemicals and hormones while we are awake, and signaling the body to slow down for nighttime. Artificial sun lamps are a common remedy for people with seasonal affective disorder (Sad) to boost low mood in winter. 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, such as Chazot’s investigations into the effects of infrared on brain cells, finding the right frequency is key. Photons represent electromagnetic waves, which runs the spectrum from the lowest-energy, longest wavelengths (radio waves) to short-wavelength gamma rays. Therapeutic light application uses wavelengths around the middle of this spectrum, with ultraviolet representing the higher energy invisible light, then the visible spectrum we perceive as colors and infrared light visible through night vision technology.

UV light has been used by medical dermatologists for many years to manage persistent skin disorders including eczema and psoriasis. It affects cellular immune responses, “and reduces inflammatory processes,” notes a skin specialist. “Substantial research supports light therapy.” UVA goes deeper into the skin than UVB, while the LEDs in consumer devices (which generally deliver red, infrared or blue light) “generally affect surface layers.”

Safety Considerations and Medical Oversight

The side-effects of UVB exposure, including sunburn or skin darkening, are understood but clinical devices employ restricted wavelength ranges – meaning smaller wavelengths – which minimises the risks. “Treatment is monitored by medical staff, thus exposure is controlled,” explains the dermatologist. Most importantly, the light sources are adjusted by technical experts, “to confirm suitable light frequency output – as opposed to commercial tanning facilities, where it’s a bit unregulated, and we don’t really know what wavelengths are being used.”

Consumer Devices and Evidence Gaps

Red and blue light sources, he notes, “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 skin cell regeneration, and stimulate collagen production – an important goal for anti-aging. “Research exists,” says Ho. “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, how close the lights should be to the skin, the risk-benefit ratio. Numerous concerns persist.”

Targeted Uses and Expert Opinions

Early blue-light applications focused on skin microbes, microorganisms connected to breakouts. Scientific backing remains inadequate for regular prescription – despite the fact that, explains the specialist, “it’s often seen in medical spas or aesthetics practices.” Some of his patients use it as part of their routine, he mentions, however for consumer products, “we recommend careful testing and security confirmation. Without proper medical classification, standards are somewhat unclear.”

Cutting-Edge Studies and Biological Processes

Simultaneously, in a far-flung field of pioneering medical science, 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 states. The numerous reported benefits have generated doubt regarding phototherapy – that it’s too good to be true. However, scientific investigation has altered his perspective.

The researcher primarily focuses on pharmaceutical solutions for brain disorders, but over 20 years ago, a physician creating light-based cold sore therapy requested his biological knowledge. “He designed tools for biological testing,” he says. “I remained doubtful. This particular frequency was around 1070 nanometers, that many assumed was biologically inert.”

Its beneficial characteristic, though, was its ability to transmit through aqueous environments, meaning it could penetrate the body more deeply.

Mitochondrial Effects and Brain Health

Growing data suggested infrared influenced energy-producing organelles. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells, generating energy for them to function. “Every cell in your body has mitochondria, even within brain tissue,” says Chazot, who prioritized neurological investigations. “It has been shown that in humans this light therapy increases blood flow into the brain, which is consistently beneficial.”

Using 1070nm wavelength, mitochondria also produce a small amount of a molecule known as reactive oxygen species. In low doses this substance, says Chazot, “activates protective proteins that safeguard mitochondria, look after your cells and also deal with the unwanted proteins.”

Such mechanisms indicate hope for cognitive disorders: oxidative protection, swelling control, and pro-autophagy – self-digestion mechanisms eliminating harmful elements.

Current Research Status and Professional Opinions

The last time Chazot checked the literature on using the 1070 wavelength on human dementia patients, he reports, approximately 400 participants enrolled in multiple trials, comprising his early research projects