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At Home Red Light Therapy Devices: Promotion and Recommendation Patterns on Social Media in the Context of Limited Evidence
Conference poster

At Home Red Light Therapy Devices: Promotion and Recommendation Patterns on Social Media in the Context of Limited Evidence

Taylor Merkle, Luke Tomczak, Michael Aji, Khai Do and Erum Ilyas
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, v 95(1), AB67
Jul 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2026.04.281

Abstract

The popularity of red light therapy (RLT) has grown substantially with social media playing a significant role. This study analyzed TikTok and Instagram posts relating to RLT focusing on types of devices promoted, claimed benefits, and influencer credentials. 132 posts were analyzed reaching 47.5 million followers. Non-credentialed (NC) authors represented 64.4% of posts compared to 18.2% of physicians. Red light (RL) + near infrared (nIR) devices were most recommended (53.9%) followed by multiwavelength devices (MWD) (20.6%) and RL only devices by 1.4% of posts. A significant association was found between platform and credential [χ2 (2) =25.85, p<0.0001] with TikTok posts predominantly from NC accounts (87.7%) and Instagram as more mixed. Credentialed accounts were more likely to recommend RL + nIR over multiwavelength devices [χ2 =6.80, p=0.0091]. “Skin” was the most consistently referenced benefit category by 88.6%, with physicians focused on anti-aging and acne benefits (66.7% and 20.8%) and non-physicians on a broader range of skin targets. While vague references to “research” and “studies” were made by many posts, only 8.3% of posts provided peer-reviewed journal articles as support, and of these, the articles did not reference the specific devices recommended by the post. Overall, recommendations for at-home RLT devices promoted on SM make claims that are often well beyond substantiated evidence which may leave patients with unrealistic expectations. Although physicians make up a smaller percentage of content, their overall reach may be substantial making it critical for content to reflect accuracy and nuance as opposed to simply promoting further product sales.

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