Red light therapy: does it work, and is it safe?

Red light therapy is being offered with increased availability at med spas and dermatology offices around the country.

People seek out red light therapy to treat a host of skin and dermal conditions, such as (Kee, C., 2024; Sasaki et al, 2007):

• Acne
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Treatment of sun damage
• Improvement of skin texture
• Reduction of the appearance of scar tissue 
• Reduction in cellulite  

Reported red light therapy benefits include:

• Boosting energy at the cellular level for skin and hair cells
• Improved skin elasticity
• Improved collagen production
• Reductions in inflammation of the skin
• Tissue healing and regeneration

These benefits sound wonderful, but a person might ask…

• Is there any solid research supporting red light therapy?
• Is it safe? 
• How does it work?

This article explores the research on the effectiveness and safety of red light therapy according to current research.

Does red light therapy help with skin conditions? 

Red light therapy clearly improves skin appearance by reducing wrinkles, reducing inflammation, reducing acne, and by increasing collagen and elastin production.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of available studies on the effectiveness of red light therapy determined the following (Ngoc et al., 2023):

• Substantial reduction in acne lesions by 52% after twice daily treatments over an 8 week time period compared to a control group
• Significant wrinkle reductions around the eyes after daily treatment x 12 weeks in a double-blinded, randomized-controlled trial 
• Wrinkle reduction by 26% after 4 weeks of treatments consisting of 2 times per week, 20 minutes per session 

Cellulite treatment:  a well-designed though small double-blinded placebo controlled trial found that use of a particular phosphatidylcholine‐based, cosmeceutical anti‐cellulite gel paired with red light therapy two times per week for 3 months led to substantial reductions in cellulite depth and severity (Sasaki et al, 2007).  

In a prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blinded randomized controlled trial which utilized different spectrums of red light on half a participant’s face versus sham therapy, red light therapy produced the following skin changes (Lee et al., 2007):

• Wrinkle reduction up to 36%
• Increases in skin elasticity by 19%
• Skin biopsies showed increases in elastin fibers and collagen fibers in all treatment groups
• Fibroblast cells which produce elastin and collagen were “highly activated” with an abundance of collagen and elastin fibers surrounding them
• Decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in skin immune chemistry

These effects were obtained giving treatments 2 times a week over a 4 week period (Lee et al., 2007).  

How does red light therapy work?

Of the visible light spectrum, red light penetrates the skin the deepest (Ngoc et al., 2024).  Red light therapy has anti-inflammatory effects in the dermal layers of the skin through the following mechanisms of action (Couturaud et al., 2023; Ngoc et al., 2024):

• Stimulating fibroblast growth factor
• Increasing type 1 collagen production, as well as fibroblast, and elastin production
• Increasing an enzyme (matrix metalloproteinase-9) which supports tissue remodeling
• Reduction of inflammatory lesions on the skin of the face
• Photon absorption of red light by mitochondria increases ATP (energy) production of dermal cells.  (Mitochondria dysfunction is one of the noted causes of skin aging)
• Modulation of cytokine production
• Activation of genes associated with cellular repair and regeneration

Red light therapy safety:  is it safe? 

Research to date affirms the safety of red light therapy.

A systematic review in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal (Glass, 2023) evaluated the literature to determine the safety of red light therapy exposure as it pertains to the risk of cancer.

The article notes that red light therapy has been first evaluated for safety in terms of cancer risk more than 50 years ago.  At that time, the research noted accelerated hair regrowth, and accelerated wound healing, but no risk of cancerous mutations (Glass, 2023). 

57 studies were reviewed, including 7 clinical trials involving human participants, as well as a large number of in vitro (human cells studied in petri dishes) and in vivo (use of animal models) evaluating the effects of red light exposure on various tissues.

When healthy human cells were exposed to red light, there was no evidence in any of the studies of mutations or cancerous changes (Glass, 2023).

In animal models with cancerous tumors, studies found no effect on tumors or increased immune activity against tumors, especially when normal red light energy levels were used (Glass, 2023).  An exception involved very immunocompromised mice with human thyroid cancer cells.  In this case the tumors grew but so did immune cell invasion of the tumors.

In the 7 human clinical trials, findings showed:

• No evidence of harm 
• No side effects except mild redness at treatment site that resolved on its own

The study concluded:  healthy cells stay healthy when exposed to red light therapy, and there is no evidence that red light therapy causes harm of any type.

How Lancaster Wellness can help

At Lancaster Wellness in our Lebanon office, we have a total body LED red light therapy bed.  This bed uses 20 minute exposure periods which can be scheduled twice weekly consistent with many of the most effective research protocols above.

Bottom line

Red light therapy is a safe, effective, non-invasive, pain free method to improve skin appearance, reduce wrinkles, and may have other benefits such as improved hair regrowth/ regeneration as well!!!  Schedule today!!!

Written by Donovan Carper MSN RN CPT CHC

References

Couturaud, V., Le Fur, M., Pelletier, M., & Granotier, F. (2023). Reverse skin aging signs by red light photobiomodulation. Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI), 29(7), e13391. https://doi.org/10.1111/srt.13391 

Glass G. E. (2023). Photobiomodulation: A Systematic Review of the Oncologic Safety of Low-Level Light Therapy for Aesthetic Skin Rejuvenation. Aesthetic surgery journal, 43(5), NP357–NP371. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjad018

Kee, C. (2024). What is red light therapy? The treatment has gone viral for skin, hair, and exercise benefits. Retrieved from https://www.today.com/health/skin-beauty/red-light-therapy-rcna142437

Lee, S. Y., Park, K. H., Choi, J. W., Kwon, J. K., Lee, D. R., Shin, M. S., Lee, J. S., You, C. E., & Park, M. Y. (2007). A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and split-face clinical study on LED phototherapy for skin rejuvenation: clinical, profilometric, histologic, ultrastructural, and biochemical evaluations and comparison of three different treatment settings. Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology, 88(1), 51–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2007.04.008 

Ngoc, L. T. N., Moon, J. Y., & Lee, Y. C. (2023). Utilization of light-emitting diodes for skin therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine, 39(4), 303–317. https://doi.org/10.1111/phpp.12841 

Sasaki, G. H., Oberg, K., Tucker, B., & Gaston, M. (2007). The effectiveness and safety of topical PhotoActif phosphatidylcholine-based anti-cellulite gel and LED (red and near-infrared) light on Grade II-III thigh cellulite: a randomized, double-blinded study. Journal of cosmetic and laser therapy : official publication of the European Society for Laser Dermatology, 9(2), 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/14764170701213439