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Red light therapy has become a ray of hope in the wellness industry. Social media influencers claim that it can deliver everything from younger-looking skin to more hair growth, better sleep and even a boost to longevity. NPR health correspondent Maria Godoy shines a light on the science.
MARIA GODOY, BYLINE: If you listen to wellness influencers, you might think there's nothing that red light therapy can't treat. Take, for example, this video from a TikTok creator who goes by Kristina Elise.
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KRISTINA ELISE: If you invest in a red light therapy panel to have at home, your holistic wellness routine just got elevated.
GODOY: She goes on to tout red light's benefits for skin care, joint pain, even period cramps. And it's not just panels. There's a slew of red light face masks, wands and special caps for hair growth sold for at-home use. They range in price from $50 to thousands of dollars. But are these devices really doing anything?
ZAKIA RAHMAN: This is the most commonly asked question that I get probably in the last four years.
GODOY: That's Dr. Zakia Rahman, a clinical professor of dermatology at Stanford. She says it can be challenging to distinguish science from hype when it comes to these red light devices aimed at consumers. As for red light therapy itself, which is formally called photobiomodulation therapy...
RAHMAN: There's actual real science. It's not science fiction.
GODOY: That science is based on how red light, which occupies the longer wavelengths on the visible light spectrum, impacts mitochondria, which are the powerhouses of cells. Rahman says both red and infrared light stimulate energy production inside mitochondria, so the cells work better.
RAHMAN: So we create this energy through that red light, and we can use it therapeutically to do things like grow hair, reduce inflammation or create new collagen in our skin.
GODOY: She says scientists have known of red light's therapeutic potential since the 1960s when a Hungarian researcher exposed mice to red light to see if it caused cancer.
RAHMAN: And it turns out they didn't grow cancer. But they grew hair.
GODOY: When it comes to hair and skin, experts say it takes time to see the benefits of red light therapy. Think months not days of consistent use, usually several times a week, and don't expect dramatic results, says Dr. David Ozog. He's a dermatologist and researcher at Henry Ford Health in Detroit.
DAVID OZOG: It does help, but it's not going to take you from being bald to being a chia pet and having abundant hair.
GODOY: He says when it comes to skin, evidence shows red light therapy can help improve fine lines and wrinkles. But the effects are modest. He'd rank it under other proven treatments like retin A, vitamin C and light laser peels. As for purchasing a red light device...
OZOG: The buyer beware advice is, it's a little bit like the Wild West.
GODOY: Well many devices for sale are FDA cleared, Ozog says he's tested some that didn't actually put out enough energy to have any effect. If you do buy, he says stick to devices tested by a third party, or you could just go outside.
OZOG: You're actually getting more of the red light in the morning. That's why you get that coloration of the sky.
GODOY: He says you can drink your coffee, listen to the birds and start your day off right. Maria Godoy, NPR News.
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