Red light therapy uses certain wavelengths of light through

the skin, with the goal of improving skin quality,

inflammation, and even mental health with very few side
effects. Does it work? Read on to learn more.

What is Red Light Therapy?

Red light therapy shines red light wavelengths (620-750 nm) through
human skin to elicit certain effects in the underlying tissue. It usually uses
a whole panel of red light or an LED panel.

Treatment sessions tend to be short, lasting only seconds to minutes in

duration, and are usually conducted every other day for weeks to months.

Surprisingly, unlike many other treatments used to address similar

conditions, there are virtually no reported side effects.

Mechanisms
Most of red light’s effects are through the cells’ mitochondria absorbing
light. In cell studies, the cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondria
absorbs red light, which causes it to release nitric oxide, increase ATP,
and decrease oxidative stress [1].

According to some researchers, this can then cause a chain reaction in

the cells and affect responses such as cell formation, movement, death,
and inflammation. However, its effects depend on the type of cell and its
status [1].

This increased ATP (energy) production is a possible cause of light

therapy’s positive effects on muscle recovery and physical performance
[2].

Potential Health Benefits

While there are FDA-approved red light devices, these are broadly
classified as class 2 devices; that is, while there is evidence to support
their use in some health conditions (which we’ll discuss in this section),
they are currently not sufficiently regulated to guarantee the effectiveness
or safety of any particular device.
If you are interested in using red light therapy, we recommend talking to
your doctor to choose the right device and determine whether this
strategy is right for you.

Likely Effective For

1) Skin Quality
In a study of 31 subjects, a combination of red and infrared LED light
therapy helped improve skin conditions. They had less sun-induced
aging and wrinkles [3].

In a DB-RCT of 52 female patients, 12 weeks of daily treatment with red

light therapy significantly improved eye wrinkles [4].

A similar study showed that LED therapy is effective against

sunspots in middle-aged participants [5].

In a single-blinded RCT, red light was superior to infrared light in

treating acne [6].

The addition of red light to blue light also improved acne symptoms
significantly compared to blue light alone and benzoyl peroxide in an RCT
of 107 acne patients [7].

Red light therapy also significantly improved skin complexion,

roughness, and collagen density in an RCT of 136 participants [8].

However, in human cells, several characteristics associated with skin

scarring increased with red light like reactive oxygen species and
collagen formation inhibition [9].

Possibly Effective For

2) Oral Mucositis
A common side effect of chemotherapy is oral mucositis, which is when
inflammation breaks down the lining of the mouth. In a systematic review
of 11 RCTs, both red and infrared light therapy significantly reduced the
incidence and severity of oral mucositis [10].
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3) Bipolar Disorder
A review of multiple types of light therapy found red light therapy
improved depressive symptoms and prevented relapse after sleep
deprivation in patients with bipolar disorder [11].

4) Physical Performance
In a study of 39 heart disease patients, red light therapy improved
performance and decreased chest pain during exercise tests [12].

In a DB-RCT, 40 healthy untrained men underwent an intensive exercise

session. The participants that underwent red light therapy
had significantly improved performance, decreased soreness, and
reduced indicators of muscle damage compared to ones that did not
have light therapy [13].

In female athletes, 2 weeks of red light therapy improved sleep quality

and endurance [14].

Red light therapy also significantly improved recovery after high-

intensity exercise in a DB-RCT of 40 volunteers [15].
Interestingly, these results have caused researchers to question whether
it should be permitted in athletic competitions due to its effectiveness in
enhancing athletic performance and improving recovery [16].

Insufficient Evidence For

The following purported benefits are only supported by limited, low-quality
clinical studies. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of red
light therapy for any of the below-listed uses. Remember to speak with a
doctor before using red light therapy, and it should never be used to
replace something your doctor has recommended or prescribed.

5) Wound Healing
In a triple-blind RCT of 12 dental patients, red light therapy improved the
healing rate after oral surgery. However, it did not reduce pain [17].

In an RCT of 16 diabetic patients, red light therapy significantly decreased

diabetic foot ulcer size and reduced pain [18].

Another RCT of 30 diabetic patients showed similar results; red light

therapy combined with conventional therapy reduced ulcer
size more than conventional therapy alone [19].

In diabetic rat models of skin wound and burn injury, red light significantly
improved healing and was superior to infrared therapy for burn wounds
[20, 21].

Red light also enhanced the healing rate of incision wounds in diabetic
rats and reduced the risk of infection [22].

In rabbits with skin wounds, red light therapy decreased healing time
significantly more than blue light or no light treatment. It promoted tissue
and cell growth [23].

6) Inflammation
One of the main uses of red light therapy is to treat inflammation [24].

Red light therapy limits the inflammatory response and reduces

oxidative damage by reducing inflammatory cytokines (TNF-a, IL-1A,
and IL-6) [25].
A review on muscle repair (in animal models) concluded that red light
therapy has the capacity to reduce inflammation, positively impact growth
factors, and increase blood vessel formation [25].

7) Pain
In a study (DB-RCT) of 80 chemotherapy patients, red light significantly
reduced self-reported pain [26].

Red light therapy might treat tennis elbow for a short period of time, but
these findings were only shown by one study (RCT) [27].

With regard to chronic low back pain, findings are mixed [28, 29].

In mice, red LED therapy reduced pain and improved motion after spinal
cord injury [30].

8) Cognitive Function
Red light therapy has been studied in a wide variety of conditions
including stroke, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease, depression, and
cognitive enhancement in healthy subjects [31].

In a DB-RCT of 11 dementia patients, red and near-infrared light therapy

improved memory, attention, and executive function [32].

In one case study, red light therapy

also decreased depression, anxiety, headache, and insomnia.
Meanwhile, their cognitive function and quality of life improved [33].

Red light therapy may also improve brain function after a traumatic brain
injury. In two case studies, red light therapy improved memory,
attention, and even reduced PTSD in one patient [34].

In rats, red light treatment balanced inflammatory marker levels (IL-

1β, TNF-α, and IL-6) and prevented cell death. This helped improve brain
function for 4 weeks after a head injury [35].

9) Antimicrobial Activity
In HPV patients, 3 months of red light treatment also helped eradicate
the human papillomavirus from their body. However, it is possible to be
re-infected after light treatment is finished [36].

In dental patients, red light therapy can help reduce infections and

inflammation during oral surgery [37].

Red light killed bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes, Actinomyces

odontolyticus, and Porphyromonas gingivalis) in plaque samples from
dental patients [38].

10) Hair Growth

In a DB-RCT, red light therapy every other day for 17 weeks induced
hair regrowth in women with androgenic alopecia (balding due to
hormonal imbalance) [39].

In a DB-RCT of 41 men, red light treatment every other day for 16 weeks
significantly increased hair follicles relative to placebo [40].

Reviews on alopecia and hair loss concluded red light therapy was safe
and effective for both men and women [41, 42].

Side Effects, Caveats, Gene Interactions

There are almost no reported side effects of red light therapy. The most
common complaint is tiredness and redness of the skin [1, 43].

Nevertheless, we recommend talking to your doctor before attempting to

use red light therapy for any medical purpose, and never use it in place of
something your doctor has recommended or prescribed.

Caveats
Although the effects of red light therapy have been consistent across a
wide range of wound types and animal models, large clinical trials in
humans are lacking in this area.

Additionally, most of the studies available are using laser therapy, not led
panels. Even though both use red light wavelengths, the effects of lasers
and panels may be different.
Gene Interactions
Red light treatment can increase and decrease the expression
(production) of many genes. In human cells, by increasing certain gene
activity, red light helps increase cell formation, antioxidant activity, and
energy production [44, 45].

User Experiences
Users report experiencing a wide range of things, including improved
cognitive function, attention, working memory, mood, motivation,
wakefulness, and physical performance.

Some users of red light therapy have reported hair regrowth, reduced skin
wrinkles, and pain relief. One user reported being able to work for
incredibly long periods of time without feeling tired.

The most common responses seem to be claims of pain reduction,

enhanced cognitive function, and skin improvement.

Although some people have reported improvements in tinnitus symptoms

from red light therapy, no human trials have been performed. There are
some studies using red light lasers, but not red light led panels [46].