Review Finds Red Light Therapy Backed by 10-Minute-Walk-Level Evidence for Wrinkles, Pain and Healing
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 26
Review Finds Red Light Therapy Backed by 10-Minute-Walk-Level Evidence for Wrinkles, Pain and Healing
4 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 26
Thousands of papers on red light therapy still leave weak support for claims that it heals wounds, eases pain or reduces wrinkles, the latest Antiviral review found.
Most studies are small, poorly controlled and inconsistent on wavelength, intensity and session length, making results hard to compare and hard to trust.
Blinding is also difficult because participants can tell whether they received red light, while many outcomes—such as wrinkle improvement—depend on subjective measurement.
Some studies suggest limited benefit for acne scarring or slow-healing wounds, but the review said the evidence is far from strong enough to expect major results.
The assessment places the social-media wellness staple closer to an unproven consumer fad than a standard medical treatment backed by robust trials.
Is the billion-dollar red light therapy boom just a costly substitute for a simple walk outside in the sun?
Once dismissed as a social media fad, how did red light therapy become a serious, FDA-authorized treatment for a leading cause of blindness?
A red light device for blindness is now FDA-authorized. Are at-home anti-aging wands legitimate medicine or just expensive hype?