Is anyone skeptical about RLT?
I'm a longtime member of the community but never posted or commented previously. I joined under a new handle because there may be some risk in me sharing my skepticism here.
I got into RLT because of a horrible, years-long eczema condition that my teenage daughter experienced a few years ago. A friend recommended RLT using a "high-end", at-home product. We tried it, and her condition resolved in a few months. I was amazed.
I looked further into the science and technology of RLT and discovered a few things that gave me pause.
First, while there is a lot of reason to be optimistic, the actual scientific and clinical studies didn't show a definitive and conclusive benefit for many of the conditions that RLT advocates claim. It won't give a bald person a full head of hair. (At least not yet.)
Second, I discovered that there are a lot of junk products on the market. I consulted with a few of the leading brands privately, and they all assured me that "not all bulbs are created equal". They say that bulb technology that makes a true, provable, clinical difference isn't easy or cheap. Lots of engineering know-how is required to produce bulbs that deliver the correct wavelengths at the proper intensities. Bulbs that weren't engineered effectively are basically snake oil.
So I started a site that intended to scrutinize the actual science. I became intimate with the studies, and since I also have an engineering background I learned how to understand efficacy, soundness of the studies in order to ask the right questions and help friends who might benefit. But also to dissuade those who have false hope for a condition.
Then a family situation put the entire project on hold. My mom endured a brutal Stage 4 cancer fight and my project was sidelined for several years.
I'm just now resuming my mission to be an optimistic skeptic about this technology. My goal is to be neutral, factual, and evidence-based.
I'm asking the community here to check out the blog that I've resumed working on as well as a Facebook group that I run. I call it Red Light Therapy 101. I have a separate career and day job that pays the bills, so RLT will probably remain a labor of love for me.
I'm not a physician and will NEVER provide medical advice. I won't blindly reinforce any claims, nor will I ever reject untested hypotheses. I'm just calling balls and strikes as a referee who has a knack for understanding how complex systems work.
If you are interested in my work, I invite you to check it out. I welcome all opinions, as long as they are unbiased and empirically-oriented.
Posted Aug 8, 2026, 5:25 PM UTC