Psoriasis is normally treated with topicals, systemic medication or phototherapy — and where phototherapy is used, the established wavelength is narrowband UVB at 311nm. But a small study published in 2010 asked a different question: could visible red and near-infrared light, which contain no ultraviolet at all, do anything for psoriasis that had already resisted other treatment?
It is worth summarising carefully, because it is frequently cited far more confidently than its own authors did.
The study
Combination 830-nm and 633-nm light-emitting diode phototherapy shows promise in the treatment of recalcitrant psoriasis: preliminary findings. Glynis Ablon, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, February 2010. Read the abstract on PubMed.
Note the two words in the title the authors chose deliberately: promise and preliminary.
What was done
Nine adults took part — three men, six women, mean age around 34, skin types I to IV — all with chronic psoriasis that had not responded to standard treatment.
Each session used two sequential LED exposures: 830nm near-infrared at 60 J/cm², then 633nm red at 126 J/cm², twenty minutes each, roughly 48 hours apart, twice weekly for four to five weeks. Four patients completed one course; five needed a second. Follow-up ran three to eight months for most participants.
What was reported
At the end of follow-up the authors reported clearance ranging from around 60% to 100% across the group, with high patient satisfaction. They described the treatment as easy to apply, painless and well tolerated across skin types, with no side effects observed.
What the study does not establish
This is where most summaries stop, and they shouldn't. The authors themselves are explicit about the limitations:
- Nine patients. That is a very small sample.
- No control group. There was no placebo arm and no comparison against another treatment, so improvement cannot be separated from natural variation in a condition that fluctuates.
- Not blinded. Both patients and assessors knew what was being given.
- Preliminary by design. The paper calls for larger controlled double-blind studies to validate the finding and to establish dose, duration and frequency.
A result from nine uncontrolled patients is a reason to run a proper trial. It is not evidence that a red light panel treats psoriasis, and we do not offer ours as one.
Why the finding is interesting anyway
The anti-inflammatory effects of red and near-infrared light are reasonably well documented in other contexts — wound healing and inflammation in particular. The interest here is whether that same mechanism has any bearing on an inflammatory skin condition. It is a legitimate question, and worth following as better studies appear.
It is also worth noting how different the doses were from typical home use. 126 J/cm² delivered in a clinical setting twice weekly is a specific protocol, not a general recommendation.
If you have psoriasis, what does this mean practically?
Narrowband UVB at 311nm remains the phototherapy with an established evidence base for psoriasis. It is what dermatology departments use. A randomised trial in the British Medical Journal found home UVB treatment equally safe and equally effective as outpatient treatment, with a lower burden and greater satisfaction — that paper is linked from our 1000MX product page.
Red light panels are a different family of device. They emit no ultraviolet, they are used for skin appearance, recovery and general wellbeing, and they are not a substitute for narrowband UVB. If you are trying to decide between the two, our guide to red light therapy versus narrowband UVB sets out the difference properly.
And whatever you are considering, if you are under specialist care for psoriasis, talk to your dermatologist before changing anything.
Further reading
- Guide to UVB phototherapy — how UVA, UVB and UVC differ, and why narrowband replaced broadband
- Narrowband UVB 311nm lamps — the 1000MX and 2000SX handheld devices
- Red light therapy panels — the RLF range, with measured output published per model
This article summarises a published study for general information. It is not medical advice, and Dermfix does not offer red light therapy as a treatment for psoriasis or any other diagnosed condition. Always speak to your doctor or dermatologist.