I distinctly remember the moment I became aware of red-light therapy treatment. I was at a tanning salon, and a 20-something was trying to upsell me on some bronze-building lotion. My pasty Irish complexion probably made me a prime target for such a product, except I wasn’t really there for swarth. I was there because suntanning was the best treatment for eliminating back acne, and I’d tried everything from skin-drying sprays and ointments to ingestible antibiotics. Upon sheepishly revealing my motive, she suggested I try their new red-light therapy chair.
This memory is distinct because I remember thinking the suggestion was stupid. If it doesn’t have the power to give me a sunburn, how could it possibly do anything about my pimples? After waiting for the end of her spiel—as opposed to actually listening to what I perceived to be a snake-oil pitch for a wellness fad—I kindly declined and underwent the first of a few tanning sessions that probably left me slightly burned but largely acne-free.
That was about a decade ago, and I clearly mischaracterized red-light therapy as a fad. Not only have beds, chairs, and pods become more prevalent across medspas and tanning salons, it’s moved into the consumer category in the form of LED masks, wall-mounted panels, wearables, and bags. Among the highest-end entries is the Megelin Laser & LED Light Therapy Bag, which is the first full-body consumer device to combine laser with red and near-infrared (NIR) lights. But is it snake oil?
Megelin’s claims are impressive: the combination of red and NIR lights can “reduce skin wrinkles, relieve muscle and joint discomfort, improve circulation and lymphatic flow, accelerate recovery and reduce fatigue, and alleviate inflammation/pain.”
Scientific support for these claims varies from decisive to iffy: According to an article published by Stanford Medicine on the efficacy of photobiomodulation—the use of light waves to change human biology—robust research supports red-light treatment for inflammation reduction and skincare, as certain wavelengths of red light dilate blood vessels, enabling more blood and nutrients to reach the skin. Studies on accelerated skin and tissue healing are promising, but more research is needed to draw conclusions. Substantially more evidence would be needed to support muscle and joint discomfort relief.
So, for any given scenario, evidence of the benefits of red-light therapy ranges from definite to possible and purely anecdotal. What’s clear, though, is that when it comes to at-home devices, Megelin offers arguably the most comprehensively equipped device on the market. Even when looking at the segment of full-body devices, most only offer 2-3 core “bands”—focused ranges of wavelengths—but Megelin uses 6 bands: 630nm, 660nm, 830nm, 904nm and 1064nm. The idea is that these different bands have different functions—630 nm reduces fine lines and firms skin, while 1064nm aids in deep tissue repair and pain relief, according to the brand.
Then there’s the industry-first laser coverage. While broad LED red light coverage delivers a uniform dose across the whole body surface, laser concentrates much higher irradiance into small target zones where you need enough energy reaching deep tissue—joints, muscle, fascia—that a diffused LED array can’t practically supply. In addition to six-band LED and laser coverage, Megelin’s bag also connects to an included headband, making each session a true full-body treatment from head to toe.
So it’s got as many key specs as a supercar, but what does it actually do? While still wholly skeptical as I started the unboxing process, I was impressed by its form—zipped shut, rolled up, and secured with a sewn-on strap—stowable, like a big electronic sleeping bag. Never before have I encountered an electronic device that requires two power adapters and outlets, but I suppose the 7,890 LEDs and 288 laser diodes require a lot of electricity.
After equipping the included protective safety glasses—these are a must, as 1064nm lasers can damage your retina before you perceive any pain or discomfort—I began my first session. An included rechargeable remote offers a few different toggles, including selections for Light Type (red light only, NIR only, all), Time (15 or 20 minutes), Mode (10 Hz pulse, 40 Hz pulse, or continuous light) and Light Intensity (across three increasing levels). The Operation Guide suggests starting at the lowest intensity for the initial session and increasing if no discomfort occurs, but I went full-bore for every treatment: all light continuously at max intensity.
I expected it to be uncomfortably hot like a tanning bed, given that there’s no room for airflow and the top blanket weighs something like 10 pounds, but I never really broke a sweat. Those who rarely sit still without a screen or a book in front of their face might find the experience boring or possibly meditative—I preferred to take my sessions with a side of the Hardcore History podcast. I felt relaxed and I swore I could feel a tingle on my skin during the first treatment, but none of the described health benefits emerged after my initial go.
That’s to be expected, as the recommended usage frequency is three to four times per week, 20 minutes per session. After completing 8 max-power sessions over the course of two weeks, I can say one thing for certain: the treatments have mitigated acne. Though my back acne is less severe in my 30s than in my 20s or teens, I almost never have an entirely clear back—even in between breakouts, there are always a few lingering red inflamed spots hanging around. Or there were until I started using the therapy bag. Not since the tanning bed—which I abandoned years ago due to the increased risk of skin cancer—have I had such a consistently clear back.
My other major point of curiosity dealt with red light’s ability to provide pain relief. About a year ago, I started jumping rope for exercise, and I now do 2,500 to 4,000 skips per workout, three to four times a week. Probably because I weigh 220 pounds and jumped on concrete or cement exclusively until very recently, I’ve developed a nagging knee pain, the kind that flares up and then fades for no particular reason. The pain hasn’t flared up since I started regular red-light therapy treatments and has stayed in the background. I can’t speak to whether this is correlation, causation, or coincidence.
The other benefit is one I hadn’t anticipated as I hadn’t seen it specifically cited Megelin’s literature, though it does fall under the “inflammation” umbrella. After a night out around a campfire, I woke up to ankles covered in over 30 mosquito/chigger bites. For about a day, I toiled in trying to resist the urge to scratch. I failed, of course, and they got redder and itchier until I did a red light session. The discomfort dropped to an ignorable level within the following 24 hours, and the bites were almost gone within 48 hours.
A few red-light therapy use cases are proven. I won’t be able to speak to the more ambitious claims, even anecdotally, until I’ve used the Megelin Laser & LED Therapy Bag consistently for multiple months. But after my limited experience, I can say this with sincerity: Snake oil it is not. $2,399