My Colleague Laughed When I Started Using Red Light Therapy

Colin Hayes, MD

05 Jan 2022 • 4 min read

"Hayes, did you join a cult?"

Dr. Peterson stood in my office doorway, staring at the red LED panel on my desk like I'd set up a shrine to the hair gods.

"It's for a patient trial," I lied. The truth? I'd been secretly using it on my own thinning crown for two weeks after reading NASA research at 2 AM.

That was 2019. Peterson still laughs – but not about my results.

The Night I Went Down the NASA Rabbit Hole

It started innocently. A patient asked about those LED caps advertised on podcasts. I was ready with my standard "expensive placebo" speech when she said:

"But NASA uses it for astronauts."

Wait, what?

That night, I found myself reading declassified NASA research from the 90s. They'd discovered red light (660nm) accelerated wound healing in zero gravity. Then came the plot twist: it also triggered hair growth in mice.

By 3 AM, I'd ordered a medical-grade panel. For "research."

Why Doctors Don't Talk About Light Therapy

Here's the dirty secret: most of us were taught that light therapy is woo-woo bullshit. It sounds too good to be true:

Stand in front of red light
Cells get "energized"
Hair grows
No drugs needed

In medical school, if it sounds like magic, it's probably garbage. But the research kept piling up. Peer-reviewed, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. From legitimate institutions.

The cognitive dissonance was real.

The Science That Shut Up the Skeptics

What convinced me wasn't one study – it was the mechanism:

Red light (660nm) and near-infrared (850nm):

Penetrate scalp 3-5mm
Absorbed by mitochondrial chromophores
Increase ATP production
Stimulate cellular metabolism
Reduce inflammation
Increase blood flow

It's not magic. It's photobiomodulation. Your cells literally have photoreceptors that respond to specific wavelengths.

The studies that made me a believer:

2014 meta-analysis: Average 35% increase in hair count
2017 study: 51% increase in hair density after 16 weeks
2019 trial: Comparable to minoxidil for crown thinning

My Secret Self-Experiment

Before recommending anything to patients, I test it myself. My protocol:

20 minutes every other day
660nm red + 850nm NIR combination
6 inches from scalp
Documented with weekly photos

Week 2: Nothing. Felt stupid. Week 4: Less shedding in shower Week 8: Wife commented on crown looking "fuller" Week 12: Visible new growth at temples Week 16: Peterson asked what I was "on"

The Day Peterson Became a Convert

"Show me the data," he demanded after noticing my improved hairline.

I pulled up:

47 studies on photobiomodulation
Before/after photos from trials
My own progress pictures
Patient results I'd started collecting

He borrowed my panel that day. Six months later, he bought three for his practice.

What Really Happens During Treatment

Patients expect some sci-fi experience. Reality:

You sit in front of a panel
It glows red
Feels slightly warm
That's it

No burning. No tingling. No instant results. Just... light.

The magic happens at the cellular level:

Cytochrome C oxidase activation
Increased nitric oxide
Enhanced ATP synthesis
Reduced oxidative stress
Angiogenesis (new blood vessels)

Boring biochemistry. Exciting results.

The Patients Who Proved Me Right

Sarah, 52: Post-menopausal thinning

Combined LED with topical minoxidil
3 months: Reduced shedding
6 months: Visible density increase
Still using 2 years later

Mike, 38: Refused finasteride

LED + microneedling + caffeine solution
Skeptical AF initially
4 months: "Holy shit, it's working"
Sent his brother to see me

Jennifer, 44: Chronic telogen effluvium

Multiple failures with other treatments
LED monotherapy (allergic to everything)
Slow but steady improvement
First thing to ever help

Why Most Consumer Devices Suck

Those $300 laser caps on Amazon? Usually garbage. Here's why:

Problems with cheap devices:

Wrong wavelengths (need 660nm + 850nm)
Insufficient power density (<30mW/cm²)
Poor coverage (tiny treatment area)
Batteries die mid-treatment
Zero quality control

What actually works:

Medical-grade panels
Proper wavelength combination
Power density 40-100mW/cm²
Full scalp coverage
Consistent output

Yes, good devices cost $500-2000. But they actually work.

My Current LED Protocol

For hair loss patients:

Baseline photos and measurements
15-20 minutes every other day
6-12 inches from device
Combine with other treatments
Minimum 4-month trial
Track results obsessively

Best results when combined with:

Minoxidil (apply after LED)
Microneedling (alternate days)
Proper nutrition
Stress management

The Unexpected Benefits

Patients started reporting weird side effects:

Better sleep
Improved skin
Less scalp inflammation
Seasonal depression improvement
Faster workout recovery

Turns out, red light therapy affects more than hair. Who knew? (NASA did, apparently.)

Addressing the Elephant: Why Isn't Everyone Using This?

It sounds like bullshit - "Magic healing light" triggers every skeptic alarm
Good devices are expensive - Initial investment scares people
Takes time - 20 minutes every other day forever
Results are gradual - No instant gratification
Doctors don't recommend it - We weren't taught about it

But mainly? It's not a patentable drug. No pharma rep is pushing LED panels.

The Converts Keep Coming

Last month, my dental hygienist noticed my hair. Then my accountant. Then the guy who delivers medical supplies.

All now using red light therapy. All seeing results.

Peterson? He's published two papers on photobiomodulation. Lectures on it at conferences. Still pretends he discovered it first.

My Challenge to Skeptics

Try it for 4 months. Document everything. Use a legitimate device. Be consistent.

If it doesn't work, you've lost some time and money. If it does work, you've gained a non-invasive, drug-free treatment option that actually has NASA's seal of approval.

Still sounds too good to be true? I get it. I was you in 2019.

But my hairline doesn't lie. Neither do the hundreds of studies. Or my growing list of converted colleagues.

Sometimes the "crazy" treatments are crazy effective.

The Bottom Line

Red light therapy works. Not for everyone, not as monotherapy for aggressive loss, but it works. The science is solid. The results are real. The side effects are essentially zero.

Is it the miracle cure Instagram ads promise? No. Is it a legitimate treatment option backed by serious research? Absolutely.

Would I recommend it? Looks at own results Looks at patient outcomes Looks at Peterson's hairline

Yeah. Yeah, I would.

P.S. - Peterson finally admitted last week that he started using my panel before getting his own. Only took 4 years. His hairline looks great though.