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Nanoleaf Launches LED Light Therapy Face Mask, Floor Lamp, Lightstrips and More
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Someone needs to do a welfare check on the people at Nanoleaf. Are they ok?
Awesome news, now I can look like a horror movie villain AND have great skin. 
...seriously, this mask looks like some kind of dark magical artifact that tells you to put it on, and promises you terrible power, vengeance on your enemies, and an acne-free existence.
...seriously, this mask looks like some kind of dark magical artifact that tells you to put it on, and promises you terrible power, vengeance on your enemies, and an acne-free existence.
What improvements have you noticed using the red light panel? Do you use it with any other creams, oils etc?
That's what I had assumed as well. But there have been controlled (ie, versus placebo) studies and so far, that assumption appears to be wrong.
A Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Red and Near-Infrared Light Treatment in Patient Satisfaction, Reduction of Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Skin Roughness, and Intradermal Collagen Density Increase - PMC
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of two novel light sources for large area and full body application, providing polychromatic, non-thermal photobiomodulation (PBM) for improving skin feeling and ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
That's what I had assumed as well. But there have been controlled (ie, versus placebo) studies and so far, that assumption appears to be wrong.
A Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Red and Near-Infrared Light Treatment in Patient Satisfaction, Reduction of Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Skin Roughness, and Intradermal Collagen Density Increase - PMC
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of two novel light sources for large area and full body application, providing polychromatic, non-thermal photobiomodulation (PBM) for improving skin feeling and ...
Interestingly, the study was paid for by a manufacturer of equipment that is used for such therapy. While it appears to have some effect, the interesting questions is how many studies, that failed to show any statistical effect, never made it past the research stage and get published.
I would suggest pairing it with a nice Chianti ...
There are many things without scientific evidence to support claims, but as much as NIR effects might seem like placebo, there is some evidence of benefits, and not just for skin. I thought it was all bunk before I attended a presentation at my university about potential health benefits of NIR and started reading up on it. The evidence isn't compelling, but it surprisingly and consistently shows up studies.
People likely get similar benefits from spending time outside during daylight hours (but not having too much sun exposure!), but there are some possible broad benefits for people who maybe spend too much time indoors or who live in darker places during the winter (e.g., Scandinavia).
Giménez MC, Luxwolda M, Van Stipriaan EG, Bollen PP, Hoekman RL, Koopmans MA, Arany PR, Krames MR, Berends AC, Hut RA, et al. Effects of Near-Infrared Light on Well-Being and Health in Human Subjects with Mild Sleep-Related Complaints: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Biology. 2023; 12(1):60. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12010060
Others here: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,10&q=Near+Infrared+Light+therapy&btnG=
I'm still quite skeptical about it, but there are many more widely used things (essential oils, various supplements, etc.) with much weaker or no evidence of benefit.
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Possibly. But that reasoning isn't falsifiable, and wreaks of working backwards from your conclusion. In any case, this ain't that serious, not going to cure cancer or anything, just kind of interesting that it is at least marginally better than doing nothing, according to a small number of studies.
Alternatively, you could look in the Photobiomodulation Datatabase: a Google Docs spreadsheet summarizing the science papers that have been written on the topic. Currently, there are 8298 entries in the spreadsheet. That is far better than trying to find some truth with social media.
IMHO, the most interesting paper is Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body (2019). Go there and pull down a PDF of the paper. The paper notes the difference between ubiquitous LED lighting and incandescent light. The "inefficient" Edison bulbs kick out about half their energy in red light and near-infrared (NIR) light; LED lights generate all their energy in the visible spectrum. That Red/NIR light is fundamental to the metabolism of our mitochondria: melatonin production in this case. Melatonin is the "first line" antioxidant to address free radicals that may be produced during the citric acid cycle (AKA the krebs cycle).
Getting a fuller spectrum of light than our LED lighting provides is an excellent idea. One way to get this is to regularly get outdoors at sunrise -- and again at sunset. Every day.
LED lighting already contains several different frequencies of LEDs. I fondly hope we add some frequencies so that our mainstream screw-in bulbs contain Red and NIR light. In the mean time, individuals can find specialty screw-in bulbs from the Brand A website, or maybe get a small RLT panel.
I highly recommend some background research on this topic. Act as if you know nothing -- put your pseudoskepticism on the shelf.
I have to predict that someone will attempt to use an Apple Vision Pro while wearing this mask.
What could go wrong.
What could go wrong
.
Fantastic advice, and I love the term "pseudoskepticism." I'm certainly guilty of locking in a skeptics mindset without putting in the work. It's not a terrible coping mechanism for our current social hellscape and more often than not it is a helpful posture to take. But as you've pointed out, dogma cuts both ways.
A Cleveland Clinic article is a pretty terrible arbiter for truth on any topic. A far better approach is to look in the body of published science papers. Fortunately, someone has been curating a list of Photobiomodulation papers in a Google Docs spreadsheet: Photobiomodulation (PBM) research - a comprehensive database . Download it, and have a look around. Currently, there are 8,292 papers listed in that spreadsheet.
That's a pseudoskeptical dismissal. Don't do that. My advice is to be a skeptic: do some research before coming to any conclusion. I like the paper Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body (2019). It not only tells you what RLT is doing, it tells you why we have an increasing need for RLT in the 21st Century. Check out what that science paper has to say.
That's what the FDA requires for all sorts of therapies. Indirectly, it's what big pharma requires for non-pharmaceuticals. That's the way the game is played; it's hardly an arbiter of scientific truth on a particular topic. Interestingly, you will find all kinds of RCTs in that Photobiomodulation database. Thousands, I believe. You will certainly find hundreds. Please examine some of those papers, but please do it skeptically.
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Yeah, but until it actually has evidence to prove it's effectiveness for something, anything, I will treat it as bunk like acupuncture, or religion.
Just buy the floorlamp, shove your head up there and set it to red before bed?