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Light-based treatment is definitely experiencing a wave of attention. There are now available light-emitting tools targeting issues like complexion problems and aging signs as well as muscle pain and oral inflammation, recently introduced is a toothbrush enhanced with small red light diodes, described by its makers as “a major advance in at-home oral care.” Globally, the market was worth $1bn in 2024 and is projected to grow to $1.8bn by 2035. There are even infrared saunas available, which use infrared light to warm the body directly, the infrared radiation heats your body itself. Based on supporter testimonials, the experience resembles using an LED facial mask, stimulating skin elasticity, relaxing muscles, alleviating inflammatory responses and persistent medical issues as well as supporting brain health.

The Science and Skepticism

“It appears somewhat mystical,” says a neuroscience expert, who has researched light therapy for two decades. Naturally, we know light influences biological functions. Our bodies produce vitamin D through sun exposure, needed for bone health, immunity, muscles and more. Natural light synchronizes our biological clocks, too, activating brain chemicals and hormonal responses in daylight, and preparing the body for rest as darkness falls. Daylight-simulating devices frequently help individuals with seasonal depression to combat seasonal emotional slumps. Undoubtedly, light plays a vital role in human health.

Various Phototherapy Approaches

Although mood lamps generally utilize blue-spectrum frequencies, most other light therapy devices deploy red or infrared light. 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 high-energy gamma radiation. Light-based treatment utilizes intermediate light frequencies, the highest energy of those being invisible ultraviolet, followed by visible light encompassing rainbow colors and then infrared (which we can see with night-vision goggles).

UV light has been used by medical dermatologists for many years to manage persistent skin disorders including eczema and psoriasis. It modulates intracellular immune mechanisms, “and reduces inflammatory processes,” notes a dermatology expert. “Substantial research supports light therapy.” UVA reaches deeper skin layers compared to UVB, in contrast to LEDs in commercial products (which generally deliver red, infrared or blue light) “generally affect surface layers.”

Risk Assessment and Professional Supervision

The side-effects of UVB exposure, such as burning or tanning, are well known but in medical devices the light is delivered in a “narrow-band” form – signifying focused frequency bands – which minimises the risks. “It’s supervised by a healthcare professional, so the dosage is monitored,” says Ho. And crucially, the light sources are adjusted by technical experts, “to guarantee appropriate wavelength emission – different from beauty salons, where oversight might be limited, 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 typically employed clinically, but they may help with certain conditions.” Red wavelength therapy, proponents claim, improve circulatory function, oxygen absorption and cell renewal in the skin, and promote collagen synthesis – a primary objective in youth preservation. “The evidence is there,” states the dermatologist. “However, it’s limited.” In any case, given the plethora of available tools, “it’s unclear if device outputs match study parameters. We don’t know the duration, how close the lights should be to the skin, 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 often seen in medical spas or aesthetics practices.” Some of his patients use it as part of their routine, he mentions, but if they’re buying a device for home use, “we advise cautious experimentation and safety verification. If it’s not medically certified, standards are somewhat unclear.”

Cutting-Edge Studies and Biological Processes

Meanwhile, in innovative scientific domains, Chazot has been experimenting with brain cells, discovering multiple mechanisms for infrared’s cellular benefits. “Virtually all experiments with specific wavelengths showed beneficial and safeguarding effects,” he reports. It is partly these many and varied positive effects on cellular health that have driven skepticism about light therapy – that it’s too good to be true. But his research has thoroughly changed his mind in that respect.

Chazot mostly works on developing drug treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, but over 20 years ago, a doctor developing photonic antiviral treatment consulted his scientific background. “He designed tools for biological testing,” he explains. “I was quite suspicious. This particular frequency was around 1070 nanometers, that many assumed was biologically inert.”

What it did have going for it, though, was its ability to transmit through aqueous environments, allowing substantial bodily penetration.

Mitochondrial Effects and Brain Health

Additional research indicated infrared affected cellular mitochondria. These organelles generate cellular energy, creating power for cellular operations. “All human cells contain mitochondria, particularly in neural cells,” notes the researcher, who prioritized neurological investigations. “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. At controlled levels these compounds, notes the scientist, “stimulates so-called chaperone proteins which look after your mitochondria, protect cellular integrity and manage defective proteins.”

All of these mechanisms appear promising for treating a brain disease: oxidative protection, anti-inflammatory, and pro-autophagy – autophagy being the process the cell uses to clear unwanted damaging proteins.

Present Investigation Status and Expert Assessments

Upon examining current studies on light therapy for dementia, he reports, about 400 people were taking part in four studies, incorporating his preliminary American studies