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The Red Light Hub

Red light therapy, minus the hype.

What the research actually says, which setups are worth your money, and how to use it without wasting your time. Tested firsthand, graded honestly.

By Brent Wallace, longevity health coach, IIN certified Updated

Start your first session See every setup I've used
  • Wavelength 630 to 850 nm
  • How long 10 to 20 minutes
  • How often 3 to 5 times a week

Red light therapy at a glance

  • What it is Red and near-infrared light that soaks into skin and tissue. No heat, no UV.
  • What it's good for Hair regrowth and skin, where some devices are FDA-cleared. Eye research is early but exciting.
  • Time 10 to 20 minutes, a few times a week.
  • Cost to try A spa session, or $1,000 and up for a full-length panel at home.
  • The catch Distance and dose matter, and most claims online run ahead of the research.

Does red light therapy work?

For hair regrowth and skin, yes, with FDA-cleared devices for some uses. Pain and eye research looks promising but early. For testosterone, it's hype. Use 10 to 20 minutes a few times a week at the distance your device gives, and protect your eyes.

The evidence meter

What red light actually does

  • SolidMany studies agree
  • PromisingGood signs, mostly small studies
  • ThinLittle to go on
  • Mostly hypeThe claim runs ahead of the research
  • Watch outResearch points to a downside

Filled segments show how strong the evidence is for the claim on the card.

Start here

Your first four weeks

Short and steady. More light isn't better.

  1. Week 1 5 to 10 minutes, 3 times Use the distance your device's maker gives.
  2. Week 2 10 minutes, 3 or 4 times
  3. Week 3 10 to 15 minutes, 3 or 4 times
  4. Week 4 on 10 to 20 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week

Distance changes the dose. Closer isn't better unless your device says so.

Skip it, or ask your doc first, if you:

  • take medicines that make you sensitive to light
  • have an eye condition
  • have had skin cancer
  • are pregnant

I'm a longevity health coach, not a doctor.

Stop right away

If your eyes hurt or your skin burns or gets a rash. Wear the goggles that come with your device, and never stare into the panel.

Panel vs mask vs spa vs sauna

Which setup should you get? Start where you can be consistent. The light matters more than the logo.

Panel vs mask vs spa vs sauna
OptionCostTimeResearchBest for
Full-length panel at home Tested by Brent $1,000 and up 10 to 20 min The same kind of light the studies used Using it every day
Face mask or handheld A few hundred dollars 3 to 20 min Skin and hair studies used devices like these Face, skin and scalp
Spa or clinic session Tested by Brent Pay per session 10 to 20 min Depends on the device Trying it before you buy
Panel inside a sauna Tested by Brent A panel plus a sauna While you sauna Not studied together Stacking two habits

Tested by Brent

Five places I've used red light

I've used red light in five places and never noticed anything. I'd still like a panel of my own to use every day. The eyesight research is what interests me most.

  • Home Tested by Brent

    Juvi full-length panel

    Borrowed from a neighbor

    My neighbor has a full-length Juvi panel, and I used it once or twice a week for the time Juvi recommends.

  • Sauna Tested by Brent

    Juvi panel in a barrel sauna

    A buddy's garage

    My buddy has a Juvi panel inside the barrel sauna in his garage, so we red light while we sauna.

  • Clinic Tested by Brent

    Red light at a clinic

    Part of a clinic visit

    At a clinic I used to go to, we sat in front of red lights while we waited for our therapy.

  • Spa Tested by Brent

    Kuya, Austin

    About $90 for a day pass

    A day pass at Kuya, a wellness spa in Austin. Pricey, but it came with red light, cold plunges, saunas, IV drips and more, plus a great, relaxed spot to hang out and work as long as you want.

  • Chamber Tested by Brent

    Red lights in an HBOT chamber

    Healthspan Summit

    The soft HBOT chamber I used had red lights built in.

  • Coming up

    More tests to come

    I'm always testing new gear and protocols. Join the Insiders and you'll hear about the next one first.

    Join free

Buy a panel or pay per session?

Put in your own numbers. The examples are just a starting point.

A session costs about $455 a month

Owning costs about $3 a month

Owning pays for itself in about 4 months.

Using a panel at home

Two things matter more than the brand.

Distance and time

Light drops off fast with distance. Use the distance and time your panel's maker gives, and don't double it. More light can cancel the benefit.

Protect your eyes

Wear the goggles that come with it and never stare into the panel. If it lives in a sauna, make sure it's rated for the heat.

Rather try it at a clinic or spa?

648 red light spots listed on Spannr

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Go deeper on light

Pair it with heat

Red light, meet sauna.

My buddy's barrel sauna has a Juvi panel inside, so we red light while we sauna. See every sauna I've used.

See the sauna hub

Red light questions, straight answers

Most devices recommend 10 to 20 minutes. Follow your device's time and distance. More isn't better.

Three to five times a week is common in studies and device guides.

Red, around 630 to 670 nm, works near the surface, like skin. Near-infrared, around 810 to 850 nm, reaches deeper. Many panels do both.

Wear the ones that come with your device, and never stare into the panel.

Early studies used specific deep red light and very short sessions. Talk to an eye doctor, and don't point a home panel at your eyes.

My buddy does. Check that your panel is rated for sauna heat first.

No. There's no UV.

Sources

  1. Jimenez et al., American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2014 (opens in a new tab) Efficacy and safety of a low-level laser device in the treatment of male and female pattern hair loss: a multicenter, randomized, sham device-controlled, double-blind study. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.
  2. Wunsch and Matuschka, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, 2014 (opens in a new tab) A controlled trial to determine the efficacy of red and near-infrared light treatment in patient satisfaction, reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness, and intradermal collagen density increase. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.
  3. Chow et al., The Lancet, 2009 (opens in a new tab) Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials. The Lancet.
  4. FDA De Novo authorization for the Valeda Light Delivery System, 2024 (opens in a new tab) Device Classification Under Section 513(f)(2)(De Novo): Valeda Light Delivery System (DEN230083). U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  5. Shinhmar et al., Journal of Gerontology: Series A, 2020 (opens in a new tab) Optically Improved Mitochondrial Function Redeems Aged Human Visual Decline. Journal of Gerontology: Series A.
  6. Liu et al., JAMA Ophthalmology, 2023 (opens in a new tab) Retinal Damage After Repeated Low-level Red-Light Laser Exposure. JAMA Ophthalmology.

Make red light panels?

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