Research from Mass General, Harvard, Boston University & More
The studies below examine photobiomodulation (PBM) — the use of red and near-infrared light to influence cellular activity at the mitochondrial level. For a full explanation of how the mechanism works and where the field came from, see our main photobiomodulation guide; this page focuses on the underlying research itself.
The collection spans laboratory, animal, and clinical work across a range of applications, from skin and tissue repair to pain and cellular function. It is drawn from peer-reviewed sources and is organized so you can trace individual findings back to their original publications.
The evidence base is broad but uneven. Results vary considerably by condition, wavelength, dose, and study design — some applications are supported by controlled clinical trials, while others remain preliminary, conflicting, or limited to preclinical models. Rather than presenting only favorable outcomes, the collection below reflects that full range, including reviews that report mixed or negative findings. We believe an honest picture of the science is more useful than a selective one.
This library is maintained and periodically reviewed by our clinical team to keep it current as new research is published.
This six-month human study gives evidence that 522 nm green and 633 nm red light significantly increased both non-vellus hair density and hair diameter in people with androgenetic alopecia.
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This randomized split-face study of 137 women shows an objectively measured reduction of periocular wrinkle volume by 31.6% in 10 sessions over four weeks.
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This randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study of 95 women shows that 660 nm LED PBM can have a positive effect on some facial wrinkles. It shows a measurable reduction in the length of glabellar wrinkles and right periorobital wrinkles. It also showed that two sessions per week appeared to give similar results as three sessions per week.
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In this randomized study of 28 healthy men there is strong evidence that 630nm red and 940 nm near-infrared light can influence recovery after damaging exercise. An important piece of this was to test if it would impair the repeated bout effect. (The repeated bout effect is the body’s normal adaptation after an unfamiliar bout of damaging exercise. When a person performs the same exercise again later, the muscle typically experiences less damage because it has adapted after the original injury.) This study shows that not only did the participants receiving the real treatment recover faster, but their repeated bout effect was not impaired at all.
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This randomized human trial shows improved wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers. Daily 620nm red and 940 nm infrared LED PBM produced significant clinical wound-healing effects in diabetic foot ulcers compared with control.
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This paper is an umbrella review done in 2025. It is a review of 204 randomized clinical trials involving more than 9,000 participants. It found credible clinical benefits of red and near-infrared PBM for several conditions, including fibromyalgia fatigue, knee-osteoarthritis, burning-mouth pain, hair density, and cognitive function.
PMC12326686
