Dave Asprey and Red Light Therapy: Should You Try It Out?

It seems like red light therapy is everywhere these days — from being praised by beauty influencers for the potential skin rejuvenating benefits to athletes using red light devices for a speedier recovery, it has also become extremely popular in the longevity community.

Promoters of the biohacking movement, including Dave Asprey, might take the number one spot in swearing by the benefits of red light therapy. In this article, we give you the answer: is it actually worth the hype?

Who is Dave Asprey?

Remember when drinking black coffee with a spoonful of butter was a thing? If you’ve ever wondered who came up with it, it’s Dave Asprey. Asprey is an American author and entrepreneur best known for inventing a keto-like diet called the Bulletproof diet, which has been a popular choice since the 2010s (and Bulletproof coffee, the one with fat in it, as well).

Promising to help lose weight rapidly, boost overall health, and even enhance one’s intelligence, the Bulletproof diet created by Asprey has become incredibly popular — however, not for helping people achieve sustainable health goals, but for having very little to do with actual evidence-based nutrition science.

Today, with biohacking and longevity being at their highest, David Asprey’s website welcomes us with a front page written 'father of biohacking' all over it. Though without any medical or dietary background, the entrepreneur promotes all kinds of practices intended to make people perform at their full potential or, as said in his words, “upgrade humanity.”

Dave Asprey’s approach to red light therapy

As briefly mentioned before, one of these practices praised by Asprey is red light therapy. As listed on his website, Asprey promotes the skin-beautifying, healing, detoxicating, mood-boosting, hormone-balancing, and cognitive function-improving benefits of it, among others.

Online sources state that Asprey has been a long-time user of red light therapy himself, harnessing its benefits for over 20 years. According to the entrepreneur, red light therapy is a technology that’s simply "foundational for biohacking."

Types of red light therapy devices recommended by Dave Asprey

As told in his own words, in the past, Asprey has used infrared light to fix his brain from toxin-induced brain damage, chronic fatigue, and numerous other conditions that make us question the medical validity of his statements. His success has inspired him to launch his brand that sells LED light therapy devices called TrueLight.

He emphasizes that light therapy was already used widely at the beginning of the 20th century, but it eventually got erased by Big Pharma. According to Asprey, red light therapy is nothing new, and right now, it’s just making a comeback.

Let’s dive into what products and their potential benefits he swears in.

What red light therapy devices does Asprey use?

In his podcasts, Asprey says that he uses different kinds of red light therapy devices, including:

• Portable red light therapy devices for specific body areas, suitable for on-the-go use
• Full-body devices that are meant to cover the whole body
• Specialized devices, such as red light therapy blankets, for a different approach to full body coverage

What benefits of red light therapy does Asprey name?

Being one of the most prominent red light therapy advocates worldwide, Asprey praises the numerous potential effects of red light therapy. While some of his claims, such as red light being potentially helpful in wound healing, boosting collagen production, and relieving inflammation are evidence-based, he tends to overmagnify these positive effects. In reality, research supporting these potential benefits is still very limited.

Many of Asprey's named benefits of red light therapy are not supported by evidence or have not been evaluated by scientists yet. On his official website, we found a citation from his podcast stating that full-body red and near-infrared light therapy helps women balance hormones, which, as told by the guest, is important, as estrogen dominance is really common as females age. In reality, it’s the other way around: estrogen levels decrease with age, and there is no substantial evidence that red light therapy could influence hormone levels in people with ovaries.

As 'detox' is very trendy among biohackers, it doesn't come as a surprise that Asprey states red light therapy could support body detoxification. There is no evidence to back up these claims, nor is there any data to support the idea that people in the general population should do anything actively to detoxify themselves. Instead, our liver and kidneys do that for us.

Tried red light therapy yourself? Tell fellow Healthnews readers about your experience — and whether you noticed any of the benefits promised by Asprey — in the comments below.

Should you try these devices?

What Asprey says about red light therapy certainly needs to be taken with a grain of salt. As briefly mentioned above, he has no medical background or qualification to advise people on their health.

However, though no magic practice as it might seem, limited evidence actually shows that red light therapy may be beneficial in certain cases, including helping manage the signs of skin aging, acne, hair loss, and some types of musculoskeletal pain. Though it sounds very promising, red light therapy research is currently ongoing, therefore, other potential benefits as well as risks of red light are not completely clear.

Who shouldn’t be trying red light therapy?

We did not manage to find any source where Asprey lists precautions about red light therapy safety. Though evidence shows it’s likely to be safe for most, there are some people who shouldn’t try red light therapy due to insufficient safety data or a high risk of side effects:

• Pregnant and lactating individuals
• People with cancer
• Those with photosensitivity or using drugs associated with photosensitivity

While the first two are rather straightforward, you might wonder what photosensitivity is. It’s an increased sensitivity to light sources, including sunlight and red light. Certain conditions, such as rosacea or lupus, can make people photosensitive. Using some medications, including a commonly used drug ibuprofen, may also cause skin reactions.

To add, we know about red light safety in the short term. There’s no data on whether it’s safe to use in the long run, which makes consulting your doctor before starting red light therapy applications crucial.

How to use red light therapy safely and effectively

The only thing that’s certain about the use of red light therapy is that it requires consistency to notice any results. There are no official guidelines on how often, for how long, and at what intensity or distance the devices should be used, therefore, it’s necessary to get acquainted with the specific recommendations for each device.

When using red light therapy devices, make sure to avoid direct eye exposure, as it is still unclear whether it can be harmful to the eyes or not.

If you’re thinking of trying red light therapy at home, first, consult your healthcare provider about whether it is safe for you and may actually be beneficial in your specific situation. Second, consider your individual needs when purchasing a red light therapy device — whether you’re planning to use it for the face, full body, or a localized spot, such as your joints, what’s your price range, and if you’re actually committed to sticking to it. Pay attention to device safety and the seller's reputation, too.

Red light therapy: the verdict

Red light therapy has become an incredibly popular wellness practice, and it has been praised by numerous longevity and biohacking promoters, including Dave Asprey. Though the entrepreneur makes it seem like a cure-it-all practice, we still know little about the effects of red light therapy usage.

Although using red light therapy for skin rejuvenation or stimulation of hair growth is supported by limited evidence, we still lack data on what potential benefits and risks red light might bring, as well as its long-term safety. Our verdict? It’s a bit too early to be promoting red light therapy as a universal key to ultimate health.

Curious about red light therapy? Leave your questions in the comment section below — we’re more than happy to help you know all about it.

📝Healthnews editor’s top picks:

Best red light therapy mat for full-body application — Mito Red Light

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Best red light therapy panel for full-body support — TrueLight®

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Best red and infrared light face mask — HigherDOSE

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