This week’s newest studies in red light therapy and photobiomodulation. See last week’s research here.
This Week in Red Light Therapy
This week’s studies span post-surgical pain, women’s health, skin, vision, and dental care – with study types ranging from a 138-patient randomized trial to a 25-study meta-analysis.
- Post-surgical pain: Laser therapy significantly reduced chronic pain in the months following ear surgery in a 138-patient randomized trial, with benefits building over time rather than appearing immediately.
- Period pain: LED red light reduced period pain scores by nearly 64% across three menstrual cycles in a 119-patient study.
- Skin: A new review confirms clinical evidence supports red light for four skin conditions, while also finding that marketing claims frequently outpace what the studies show.
- Myopia in kids: LED therapy slowed eye elongation in a small double-masked randomized trial of 40 children, though results were mixed across both eyes.
- Tooth sensitivity: Laser-based treatments came out ahead of other advanced options in a meta-analysis of 25 studies on tooth sensitivity.
Laser Therapy Cut Chronic Pain Months After Ear Surgery in a 138-Patient Trial
The study: Nemati S et al. published a randomized trial in the Journal of Lasers in Medical Sciences testing photobiomodulation for chronic pain persisting after tympanomastoidectomy (ear and mastoid surgery). The 138 participants received either 8 sessions of 980 nm laser therapy plus standard medication, or standard medication alone.
What they found:
- No significant immediate effect on pain after the laser sessions.
- Significantly lower pain scores in the laser group at both short-term and long-term follow-ups.
- The benefit built gradually over time rather than appearing right away.
What this means for you: The results appeared at follow-up rather than immediately, consistent with how photobiomodulation effects are typically observed across multiple sessions. At 138 participants, this is a well-sized randomized trial for post-surgical pain research.
LED Red Light Reduced Period Pain by Nearly 64% in a 119-Patient Study
The study: Yi B et al. published a clinical trial in PLOS ONE testing an LED red light device for primary dysmenorrhea (period pain unrelated to another condition). The 119 participants used the device for 7 days before menstruation across three consecutive cycles.
What they found:
- Mean pain score reduction was 63.62% across the three cycles.
- The overall effective rate was 98.32%.
- No severe adverse events occurred.
What this means for you: A 64% average reduction in period pain is a strong result, though as a trial with no control group, the placebo effect can’t be ruled out.
Evidence Backs Red Light for Four Skin Conditions, But Marketing Claims Often Outrun the Science
The study: Barton NE et al. published a review in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology examining the clinical evidence for red light therapy in skin conditions (620-700 nm wavelengths) used in cosmetic dermatology.
What they found:
- The peer-reviewed evidence supports red light as a safe adjunctive therapy for acne, androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss), mild photoaging (wrinkles and fine lines), and wound healing.
- Marketing materials for at-home devices frequently overstate results compared to what clinical studies show, particularly on treatment speed and magnitude of improvement.
What this means for you: Red light has real clinical evidence behind it for those four conditions, and the same review found that marketing claims for the devices commonly go beyond what the studies support.
LED Therapy Slowed Myopia Progression in Children in a Small Randomized Trial
The study: Duan Y et al. published a double-masked randomized clinical trial in Ophthalmology and Therapy evaluating a photobiomodulation LED device for myopia control in 40 children over 3 months.
What they found:
- Children in the LED group showed less axial elongation (the forward growth of the eye that drives myopia worsening).
- Statistical significance held in one eye but not the other, which the authors attribute to the small sample size.
- The authors note the findings don’t allow definitive efficacy or long-term safety conclusions.
What this means for you: This adds to the growing body of evidence on light-based myopia control in children, though the mixed significance and 40-person sample make it a promising early signal rather than a definitive result.
Laser Topped Other Treatments for Tooth Sensitivity in a 25-Study Analysis
The study: Saxena V et al. published a systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research comparing advanced treatments for dentin hypersensitivity (tooth sensitivity caused by exposed dentin) across 25 studies.
What they found:
- All advanced treatments tested were significantly more effective than controls.
- Laser-based therapies showed the greatest effectiveness among the options, outperforming nano-hydroxyapatite and bioactive glass agents.
What this means for you: Laser treatment for tooth sensitivity now has a 25-study meta-analysis behind it.
Sources
- Nemati S et al. “The Immediate, Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Photobiomodulation on Chronic Post-Surgical Pain After Tympanomastoidectomy Surgery.” Journal of Lasers in Medical Sciences, 2026. PubMed
- Yi B et al. “LED Red Light Therapy for Relief of Primary Dysmenorrhea: An Open, Single-Group Target Value Clinical Trial.” PLOS ONE, 2026. PubMed
- Barton NE et al. “Red Light Therapy in Cosmetic Dermatology: Marketing Claims Backed by Evidence?” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2026. PubMed
- Duan Y et al. “Effect of Photobiomodulation-Based LED on Myopia Control in Children: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial.” Ophthalmology and Therapy, 2026. PubMed
- Saxena V et al. “Efficacy of Advanced Treatment Modalities of Dentin Hypersensitivity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research, 2026. PubMed
