In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives into the world of red light therapy in response to frequent questions from listeners. Peter provides a comprehensive exploration, starting with the basics of red light therapy and why it’s getting so much attention. The conversation examines the latest data on various applications, including aging, skin health, acne, wound healing, hair loss, eye health, exercise performance, metabolic health, weight loss, inflammation, injury recovery, and menstrual cramps. Peter analyzes the scientific literature on each use case and concludes with a summary table that provides an easy-to-follow breakdown of the potential benefits of red light therapy across these areas.
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We discuss:
- Overview of topics and the motivation behind exploring red light therapy [1:45];
- The basic science of red light therapy [3:15];
- The unique penetration properties of red light [6:00];
- What happens when tissue is exposed to red light [9:30];
- Exploring red light therapy’s potential to combat aging [11:00];
- Red light therapy for treating acne [13:00];
- Red light therapy for aiding in wound healing [18:45];
- Red light therapy for hair loss: promising benefits and practical advice [24:15];
- Analyzing the evidence of a positive or negative effect of red light therapy on the eyes [28:00];
- Red light therapy’s impact on performance and recovery [30:30];
- Red light therapy’s impact on metabolic health: analyzing the limited evidence for improved glucose metabolism [32:45];
- Red light therapy for weight loss and targeted fat reduction [36:45];
- Red light therapy for inflammation, chronic pain, and injury rehabilitation [41:00];
- Red light therapy as a treatment for menstrual cramps [43:45];
- Summary: promising applications of red light therapy, unsupported claims, and costs to consider [46:45]; and
- More.
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Show Notes
Overview of topics and the motivation behind exploring red light therapy [1:45]
In today’s AMA, we are going to focus on a single topic: red light therapy
- The plan is to cover:
- what red light therapy is
- how it can work
- dive into some various claims out there around red light therapy such as:
- potential effect on skin health
- wound healing
- hair loss
- Eyesight
- Exercise
- performance and recovery
- metabolic health
- fat loss
- Inflammation
- chronic pain
- and a lot more.
The basic science of red light therapy [3:15]
Introduction to Light and Wavelengths
- Light as waves:
- Light exists as waves, which are generally very short compared to other waves, like sound.
- Sound waves are relatively long, while light waves are much shorter.
- Shorter wavelengths mean higher energy:
- As wavelength decreases, the energy of the wave increases.
- For example:
- UV light has shorter wavelengths and thus more energy than visible light.
- X-rays and gamma rays are even shorter and carry even more energy.
Figure 1. Source: Apni Physics
Visible Light Spectrum
- Range of visible light:
- Visible light spans wavelengths from approximately 380 to 780 nanometers.
- Different colors correspond to different wavelengths within this range:
- 380 nm: Violet (shortest wavelength in the visible spectrum)
- 780 nm: Red (longest wavelength in the visible spectrum)
- Red light in context:
- Red light is found at the longer end of the visible light spectrum, around 620-780 nanometers.
- Red light therapy utilizes this specific narrow range of red light.
Red Light Therapy and Phototherapy
- Definition of Red Light Therapy:
- Red light therapy specifically refers to light in the 620-780 nm range.
- This red wavelength is more narrowly focused than white light, which includes a mixture of all visible wavelengths.
- Phototherapy:
- Phototherapy broadly includes treatments across the full range of visible light.
- It may also use near-infrared (NIR) light, which falls just outside the visible spectrum.
Near-Infrared (NIR) Light
- Characteristics of NIR:
- Near-infrared light has wavelengths between approximately 790 and 1400 nanometers.
- Unlike red light, NIR is invisible to the human eye.
- Role in red light therapy:
- Near-infrared light is often used in conjunction with red light for therapeutic purposes.
- NIR wavelengths are slightly longer than red light, providing different penetration and effects.
Safety Considerations and Visibility
- Visibility and potential risks:
- The fact that NIR light is invisible can present safety challenges.
- Invisible light might carry risks that are less obvious, as users cannot see its intensity or presence.
The unique penetration properties of red light [6:00]
Penetration Depth and Wavelength
- Comparison to UV Light:
- Like with UVA and UVB in ultraviolet light, red light therapy’s effectiveness depends on its penetration depth.
- Longer wavelengths, like red light, can penetrate more deeply than shorter wavelengths, though with less energy.
{end of show notes preview}
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If Yogi Berra was still with us, I’m certain when advised regarding a Peter Attia cornerstone of good health and longevity, exercise; Yogi would say “If you stop moving, you stop moving” Love your mission Dr……
What about benefit for autoimmune disease like MS?
I use the street light in front of my house, up on the pole with a light sensor, as a rule of thumb to leverage the “Golden Hour. ” In the morning, I go outside when the light turns off, and in the late afternoon, I go outside about an hour before sunset and go in when the light turns on. Thoughts?
Thank you for all of your work. Have you investigated the Vielight for cognitive health ?
https://www.vielight.com/. What is your opinion.
Kind regards, Jody Hatch.
Hi Peter,
I am a dutch fan of you and think that your work and philosophy should be brought to the dutch speaking citizen around the world.
I am a retired ENT Surgeon that has time and mood to “ translate” your ideas into a dutch website.
A good beginning is the translation of your book this year in the dutch language.
I am promoting it !
Sincerely,
Richard H L Paping MD/ ENT-Surgeon.
Thank you for this. I am a plastic surgeon and well studied in laser and light therapies. I tell my friends, family, and patients nearly every day that you cannot get deep anatomy changes from a wavelength that does not travel far. The answer is in the physics.
So, the expensive red-light therapy mask that I just bought will not help with wrinkles? 🙂
FYI – I had NASTY menstrual cycles that didn’t respond to any of the usual treatments for the first 10 years. Finally an article that I read in Cosmopolitan magazine (yes, really!) suggested adding a zinc supplement. It quickly reversed nearly all of my symptoms. After a few months, I forgot to take it and all of the symptoms came back. I restarted zinc and they all went away again. After a few years, I was able to stop the supplements and all was well from then on. As I recall, I used 15 mg – the smallest dose I could find. Now I’m many years past menopause and can say I also didn’t have the menopausal horrors many women have.
My symptoms included extremely heavy bleeding (don’t even think of lifting anything!), intense cramps, nausea, cold sweats and long periods of 10-11 days. I did not have PMS before or with zinc supplements. Only the length of the periods failed to improve and my life became much more tolerable.
Don’t know why this isn’t better known, but it sure changed my life!
I had a check up with my dermatologist recently and while I was there I asked him whether he thought red-light technology was worth pursuing (my gym offers access to a room with red-light panels for full body exposure, to help with exercise recovery). His take was that red light therapy wouldn’t hurt, but he thought the effect would be very minimal (picture him holding his thumb and index finger very close together). He also pointed out that there is an opportunity cost; he suggested spending time in the sauna instead.
Very informative as always.
One question is whether Laser Cap anti-hair loss devices using Low-Level Laser Therapy with wavelengths around 650 nm can be used for post-surgery wound healing.
Thoughts welcome.
I worked at a Cryo and Red light therapy wellness salon for about three years. We had Thor bed and Thor handheld laser treatments. Which are by far the best on the market.
I was trained by Thor on dose and treatments.
You are spot on your recommendations.
There are better ways to spend your time and money.
Thank you for your information on red light therapy. Just an antidote for you. I get yearly eye exams and am not diabetic. I was going in the free red light led at my gym “just. because”. I looked up red light in general and saw there were potential eye health benefit etc and didn’t wear protection. I now have an early posterior subcapsular cataract on one eye and epiretinal membrane on the other. I feel so stupid for going in the red light and knew that 10 minutes would have been better spent on another set or another mile.
You haven’t discussed anything about the therapeutic effect of NIR for neurological conditions. There are many robust clinical studies going on right now – using NIR as therapy for autism (www.jelikalite.com), Parkinson, depression, TBI, etc. Mount Sinai, MGH, University of Austin, etc. – are all studying this technology for neurological disorders – evaluating different doses, frequencies, and treatment protocols.
I think perhaps the dismissal of red light therapy in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis is a bit rash. As it’s a chronic condition, no medication is expected to be effective if it’s not given continuously. There are at home devices which are designed based on research like the one cited here, and while I don’t know if these work, I don’t think it should be written off without studying it further.