Red light therapy FAQs

• Reducing pain and inflammation
• Accelerating wound healing and tissue repair
• Improving joint health in sufferers of osteoarthritis
• Stimulating collagen production to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
• Repairing sun damage

Other benefits attributed to red light therapy include:

• Hair growth
• Helping to reduce scarring
• Reducing healing time for cold sores and other herpes outbreaks

Here’s what NASA (yep, the space agency—they’ve funded a lot of research in this area) says: “Today it’s thought that red and infrared wavelengths are absorbed by cytochrome C oxidase, a key enzyme in cellular metabolism, and probably by other light-sensitive chemicals, triggering a cascade of effects within the cell.”

These effects lead to faster cell production. They also reduce oxidative stress—that’s when free radicals and antioxidants in the body become imbalanced. Oxidative stress causes inflammation and contributes to ageing, so reducing it is a very good thing.

We’re glad you asked! Here’s a summary of the key developments in light therapy evolution.

380,000 years after the Big Bang: Light appears
So we’re off to a good start.

1672: Isaac Newton refracts visible light
Newton showed that white light contains the seven colours of the rainbow, each with its own wavelength.

1903: Light therapy pioneer Niels Ryberg Finsen scores the Nobel Prize in Medicine
Scandinavian scientist Finsen began researching light therapy as a means of treating his own Niemann-Pick disease. His theory of light therapy was based around the beneficial effects of different light wavelengths. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for using phototherapy to treat tubercular skin lesions.

1917: Albert Einstein lays the foundation for the laser
He didn’t invent it himself but his work made made it possible. Legend!

1967: Light therapy is born
Hungarian physician Dr Endre Mester saw that low-level laser applied to mice helped wounds to heal and hair to grow. This triggered wider interest in using light to stimulate cells and accelerate healing and growth.

1980s and 1990s: NASA gets involved
The space agency wanted to establish how red light LEDs affected plant growth in space. The plants responded even though they weren’t exposed to sunlight. Interest in the scientific community continued to grow.

1990 onwards: LED technology improves
With LED technology more affordable and advanced, it became possible for non-scientists, non-mice and non-plants to enjoy the benefits of red light therapy too.

2009–present: Light therapy shown to improve cognitive function and alleviate depression
One of the most promising and exciting therapeutic applications for red light and near-infrared light therapy yet. A 2022 meta-analysis of 13 phototherapy studies conducted on patients with dementia, showed significant improvements in cognitive function, especially memory and attention. There were also marked improvements in executive function—the skills that enable us to solve problems, make decisions, plan ahead and manage our behaviours.

Red light treatment has also been studied on patients with major depression and anxiety, with encouraging results.

The cognitive and emotional benefits of red light therapy also extend to healthy people! See here.

There’ve been no side effects reported from red light therapy. It’s painless, non-invasive and UV-free. The therapy is suitable for all skin types and colours.

There’s limited clinical research on red light therapy for children. The most frequently-cited study was very specific and was carried out using a desktop light therapy device, not a whole-body pod. Being enclosed in a pod could produce anxiety in a child; a teenager may cope better. If you’re unsure, we recommend asking your family doctor for advice.

You book a 40-minute start up session. (Please note that a start up session is a mandatory requirement for all Beacon PBM clients.) We screen your medical history so we can be sure red light therapy is a suitable option for you. This information will inform the length and intensity of your sessions.

If we think you need a doctor’s clearance before proceeding, we’ll advise you to get one.

Otherwise, we’ll calibrate the Pod to suit your requirements and present you with a complimentary set of safety eyewear. Then it’s time to bliss out during your first red light therapy treatment!

You’ll relax inside our state-of-the-art MitoGen Mk 1.6 Pod for a whole-body treatment. The session intensity and duration will be programmed in advance by a trained operator.

It’s like a sun bed but without the UV.

• Contains 1,440 3-watt LEDs.
• The LEDs operate at wavelengths of 660 nanometers (red light) and 850 nm (near-infrared).
• Every aspect of the treatment—pulse rates, dosage calculators and switchable wavelengths—is controlled by an LCD touch screen. This means we can adjust the treatments to suit your individual requirements.

MitoGen pods have been designed and manufactured by Australian company MitoGen since 2016.

Usually 20 minutes of full-body exposure to the light but this can be adjusted according to your needs.

Nice! There’s no pain or burning; just a comfortable sensation of warmth. You can relax, drift off, listen to a playlist or audio book, or simply lie there and think beautiful thoughts. This is your special self-care time, so you do you!

We want to you to have the best possible result from your treatments. This means getting as much direct exposure to the light as possible. Therefore we recommend you remove:

• Clothing—underwear is fine and it won’t interfere with the treatment, but there’ll be less intensity on the parts that are covered up
• Jewellery
• Makeup—clean skin means your cells will be exposed to more light. But if that’s not possible, you’ll still get benefits from the treatment
• Bandages

Eye protection isn’t necessary for straight red light treatments but it’s required for near-infrared settings. Check with your optometrist or ophthalmologist if you’re concerned.

That depends on what you want the therapy to achieve. Some people experience changes straight away; others need longer. As a rule of thumb, you should begin to notice significant benefits over a few weeks, especially if you take a full course of treatments.

We suggest two or three treatments over 10–12 weeks, with a maintenance session every week or fortnight to maintain the results. Then another full course top-up every year or so as needed.

The 40-minute start up session costs $70 and includes a complimentary set of safety eyewear valued at $15. Please note that a start up session is a mandatory requirement for all Beacon PBM clients.

A casual PBM session costs $45 for a 20-minute treatment plus five minutes either side. Remember: you must attend a start up session before booking any other sessions.

Book your start up or casual session here.

If you want regular and/or frequent treatments, we offer membership plans with substantial discounts.

Check out our membership options here.

All prices quoted include GST.

Please cancel and re-book. Don’t come late—booking times are set and we won’t be able to accommodate a full session if you don’t arrive on time.

We haven’t been able to find any research about this, so we suggest you consult your doctor.

Perfectly okay but we’ll need to cover up any black ink before the treatment. Black ink contains oxides or metal salts that will heat up, and we don’t want to risk any blistering.

Check with your dermatologist before using PBM light therapy if you’ve had facial fillers and Botox injections.

Consult your plastic surgeon before having any light therapy treatments.

If you’re taking medication that causes sensitivity to light, such as Accutaine for acne, St John’s Wort or other antidepressants—or you’re allergic to light, light therapy may not be suitable. Check with your doctor.

As there’s no information about the possible effects of red light and near-infrared light wavelengths on medical implants, we suggest you consult your doctor.

Your eyes may be more sensitive to light following LASIK treatments, so we recommend using eye protection (this is mandatory when using near-infrared wavelengths). If you have other questions about the effects of red light therapy on LASIK or other eye procedures, ask your ophthalmologist.

As the MitoGen pod fully encloses a person for treatment, this mode of light therapy may not be suitable for people with claustrophobia.