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At-home red light therapy masks are flooding the market — but experts say we don't yet know if they're safe. Devices may emit the wrong wavelength or intensity, and some commercially available options have been found to exceed established eye safety limits. Clinicians are urging caution, especially for devices used in children.
Red light therapy — a form of photobiomodulation that uses light to treat ocular conditions — is having a major consumer moment, with at-home masks and devices proliferating online. But eye care experts are sounding the alarm: the safety and efficacy of these products remain largely unproven.
Cecelia Koetting, OD, MPH, FAAO, speaking at Optometry's Meeting, warned that at-home devices may emit the wrong wavelength or intensity, or fail to position light at the correct plane — all of which can undermine effectiveness and potentially cause harm. She noted that even a device she personally purchased "has no eye protection" and she's "not convinced it's actually done anything." Meanwhile, a separate JAMA Ophthalmology study found that two popular myopia-control devices — Eyerising and Sky-n1201a — exceeded safe ophthalmic light exposure limits in as little as 1.4 and 2.8 seconds, respectively, far short of the 180-second treatment time.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: With the FDA having authorized only one photobiomodulation treatment for dry AMD (Valeda, Alcon) in 2024, the consumer market is racing ahead of the science. Clinicians and patients alike need to scrutinize device specs carefully — because not all red light therapy devices are created equal, and the stakes for eye health are high.
