I’ve been having a great discussion with a blog-reader, who was keen for his head to spend a lot more time under red and near infrared lights.
There’s an awful lot we still don’t know about works best for each type of neurodegenerative disease.
But we do know that too much red/near infrared light is not good. It seems that brain cells are delicate little flowers and are pretty finicky. Fair enough.
To confuse matters, we know that too little isn’t much use, either.
Goldilock’s just right has yet to be nailed down.
Here’s a previous post about the Goldilocks effect.
And here’s another post about how long to use the lights.
What we currently suspect is:
1. Regular red/near infrared light use – daily is good
2. Mornings are good – and might be better than afternoons or evening
3. Pulsed light is better than continuous light.
4. For Parkinson’s disease, having one wavelength immediately followed by another is better than either on its own, or both wavelengths together.
Another warning, though. What seems to work in Parkinson’s may not work in Huntington’s disease, or Lewy Body dementia, or MS or Motor Neuron Disease.
If you have a neurodegerative disease that is not Parkinson’s, I strongly advise that you stick to the bright red wavelength and leave the longer wavelengths(810-1100nm) alone.
Red lights on the brain 