Red light therapy: what the research supports, and what it doesn't

Red light therapy shines red or near-infrared light onto the skin from LED panels, masks, caps or low-power lasers. Researchers call it photobiomodulation, and it has been studied for decades, mostly for pain, wound healing and hair loss. It is now the most searched biohacking therapy in Australia after saunas.

What the research shows

The biggest summary so far is a 2025 umbrella review in Systematic Reviews. It pooled 15 meta-analyses covering 204 randomised trials and more than 9,000 people, across 35 health outcomes. Red light therapy showed a significant effect on 12 of them.

Only five reached moderate certainty: less pain in burning mouth syndrome, less disability in knee osteoarthritis, less fatigue in fibromyalgia, more hair in androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss) and better scores on cognitive tests. Most other outcomes were rated low or very low certainty, because the trials disagreed or were small.

• Hair loss. A 2021 meta-analysis of 15 studies and 795 people found clearly higher hair density with treatment than without. Lasers did better than combined laser and LED devices; the shape of the device, comb or cap, did not matter.
• Tendon and heel pain. A 2022 BMJ Open meta-analysis found low-level laser at recommended doses, added to exercise, reduced pain in lower-limb tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis, though the size of the effect was uncertain.
• Eyes. A 2021 Cochrane review found it uncertain whether it slows dry macular degeneration.

Yes, but

Most trials used clinic-grade lasers at measured doses, not the consumer panels and masks sold online, and doses vary widely between studies. "Red light" covers very different devices. The evidence for skin, energy, sleep and general wellness, the claims most often made for home devices, is weak.

When to talk to your GP

Before using it for a medical condition such as hair loss, joint pain or an eye problem, and before using any device near the eyes.

Sources

1. Effects of photobiomodulation on multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of randomized clinical trials, Systematic Reviews, 2025
2. Meta-analysis of photobiomodulation for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, J Dermatolog Treat, 2021
3. Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in lower extremity tendinopathy or plantar fasciitis, BMJ Open, 2022
4. Photobiomodulation for non-exudative age-related macular degeneration, Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2021

Checked 3 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us via the about page.

General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP first, especially if you are pregnant, have a heart condition or take medication.