Not Getting Results from Your Red Light Therapy? This Is Why.
If you've invested in red light therapy, whether it's an LED panel or a handheld device or wrap you're in good company (I have several too). Many women have turned to light therapy with the hope of improving their health, from reducing inflammation to supporting surgical recovery overall wellness and fertility. With so much information (and marketing) out there, it can be overwhelming to sort out what's truly effective from what just sounds promising and what's being hyped without science (or loosely linked to the science).
This blog isn't about telling you that your investment was a waste. In fact, some LED devices do have benefits but not the way you may have been led to believe, especially if you have a known fertility challenge.
What To Look for in Fertility Focused Treatments.
I'm here to take a science based look at the big differences between LEDs and lasers - not to dismiss red light therapy, but to empower you with clear, evidence-based information that can help you make informed decisions moving forward. Let's break down what the research actually says.
Red Light Therapy
Science based or not?
How Did The Red Light Panel Craze Begin?
You’ve seen "red light therapy" LED panels being marketed for everything from fertility to sports performance. But did you know most of these panels started out as grow lights for plants? Red light therapy services are popping up faster than Starbucks on every street corner, but just like coffee, not all red light is brewed the same. While some clinics invest in high-quality, medical-grade lasers, others are offering one-size-fits-all LED beds/panels that promise results. Before you assume all red light therapy is the same, it's worth understanding what’s actually working and what’s just a trendy wellness buzzword with a hefty price tag…
A Little History of Red Light Panels
The shift from grow lights for agriculture to wellness red light therapy devices happened when manufacturers realized that the booming indoor agriculture industry, particularly cannabis cultivation had created a surplus of red and near-infrared LED panels.
Grow lights are designed to mimic natural sunlight, using red (660 nm) and blue (450 nm) wavelengths to optimize plant growth. They are high-powered but lack the precision and medical calibration needed for therapeutic use.
Around 2015-2020, the biohacking community began promoting red and near-infrared (NIR) light for health benefits, largely inspired by low-level laser therapy (LLLT) research.
Some early LED panel companies used actual scientific research on laser-based photobiomodulation (PBM) but misapplied it to cheap LED panels.
Chinese manufacturers quickly capitalized on the trend, producing mass-market LED panels in some cases without verifying irradiance, wavelength precision, or clinical efficacy.
When the grow light market became saturated, many Chinese manufacturers saw a more lucrative opportunity in the wellness industry. With rising interest in biohacking and alternative health therapies, these companies rebranded their existing LED panels as “red light therapy devices”, often without modifying the technology or ensuring the proper wavelengths and dosages required for clinically effective photobiomodulation (PBM). This rapid pivot flooded the market with affordable but often ineffective devices, leading to confusion among consumers about what truly works for deep tissue healing and systemic benefits.
In a nutshell:
The grow light market became oversaturated, so manufacturers pivoted to the health and wellness industry, where products could be sold at much higher prices.
These panels were rebranded as “red light therapy” devices, even though they were never designed for human health.
Since LED panels don’t require medical approval, they flooded the market with big claims but little scientific backing.
The Key Differences: Lasers vs. LEDs
1. Penetration Depth: Getting Light Where It Matters
For fertility or any deep tissue work - lasers deliver focused, coherent light that penetrates deep into the ovaries, uterus, and reproductive system, where it can improve egg quality, reduce inflammation, and enhance blood flow.
LEDs emit scattered, non-coherent light that loses intensity quickly. Most of the energy is absorbed at the surface and doesn’t reach deep tissues where it’s needed for fertility support (even with lots of LEDs packed together in a COB style).
Popular brands that target women with fertility challenges.
LED device recommended by holistic therapists and reproductive endocrinologists.
2. Precision & Wavelength Accuracy
Lasers deliver a single, targeted wavelength (e.g., 810 nm or 1060 nm for deep penetration) with medical-grade accuracy.
LEDs can vary in wavelength output (a panel labeled 660 nm might actually range from 630–680 nm), leading to less effective results (this is where 3rd party testing can be helpful if you decide to purchase a panel).
3. Power & Effectiveness
Lasers deliver higher power densities (irradiance) without excessive heat, ensuring optimal mitochondrial stimulation for fertility.
Many LED panels and smaller devices sold for fertility exaggerate power claims and require being uncomfortably close to the skin to achieve meaningful light exposure - (this results in high heat that can’t be held near the skin for more than a minute or two).
4. Biological Impact on Fertility
Laser therapy is backed by decades of research in fertility medicine, pain management, and regenerative therapy.
LED panel marketing often misuses PBM research - most studies supporting red light therapy were done with lasers, not LEDs. And they’ll even cite NASA studies (that’s a blog for another day).
Should You Avoid LED Panels & Lights Completely?
Not necessarily! LED panels and pads can offer mild benefits for superficial issues like skin health, but they are not effective replacements for laser PBM/LLLT when it comes to fertility, deep tissue repair, or metabolic health. I use my panel on days when the weather is too bad to walk at sunrise but I’ve adjusted my expectations of what my panel can actually do for my health.
If you’re investing in red light therapy for anything more than superficial issues (skin care, muscle soreness) you may not be getting the results the marketing folks have led you to believe - and in the fertility world...that’s just not cool.
Learn more about how our evidence-based laser treatments can support your fertility journey in Central Texas.
Solasta Advanced Laser Therapies – Where Science Meets Wellness
Tracy
