Is using red light therapy for erections worth the time, expense and effort?
The article below, written by David Jaynes and medically reviewed by Dr. Zac Hyde will answer this question in about two minutes.
Let’s get started…
Just like any other organ, your penis and testicles can suffer damage and stress that might cause functional issues down the line.
At the same time, factors like medication, mental problems, and seemingly unrelated medical conditions can result in erectile dysfunction in men of all ages.
In the following article, we’re going to talk about a treatment that some claim to be a viable remedy for ED.
It’s known as Red Light Therapy for erections…
And we’re here to explore whether or not it really is the “ED miracle cure” some men are reporting it to be.
The Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
Most men spend the first few years of their post-pubescent lives wishing their erections would go away.
Little do they know that many of us will eventually go on to experience some form of erectile dysfunction.
Don’t worry. It’s not uncommon to pine for the days when an awkward boner could ruin your entire school day.
But, it’s important to understand that there are tons of different factors that can lead to erectile dysfunction.
In fact, even young, healthy men will have erectile issues from time to time, based solely on factors like low self-confidence or high stress.
But there are other times when the ability to get or keep an erection is a sign of something far more serious.
For instance:
Low Testosterone – Our testosterone levels tend to drop as we age. By the time we reach 30, our testosterone production can decrease by as much as 1% a year.
Not only does this lack of hormones cause issues with sexual desire, but it can keep us from getting it up or keeping it up as well.
Substance Abuse – Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other such substances will take their toll over time.
The effects this damage can have on both your mind and your body directly affect your erection quality, sometimes taking you out of the game long before you hit the golden years.
Cardiovascular Issues – From heart disease and clogged blood vessels to cholesterol and high blood pressure, anything that affects your ticker or blood will affect your member’s function.
Remember, you need a strong flow of nutrient-rich blood for a healthy penis, and especially for healthy erections.
Diabetes and Obesity – Issues with obesity, high blood sugar, and diabetes will negatively affect your entire body.
Two common side effect of these conditions are erection problems and a lack of sex drive. In the case of obesity, you might even develop self-esteem-related ED.
Mental Disorders – Mental illnesses like depression and anxiety can wreak havoc on your body and your mind.
From confidence issues to stress problems to severe lack of sexual interest, any number of things could be contributing to your ED.
Prescription Meds – Sometimes, the cure is worse than the disease. Not only do the mental disorders just mentioned mess with your sex drive, but the drugs used to treat them can as well.
The same can be true of drugs used to manage high blood pressure, cancer, allergies, ADHD, and diabetes.
Chemical Exposure / Injury – Researchers are just now starting to realize the effects of the chemicals, plastics, and BPAs most of us have been exposed to for decades.
One thing they see quite frequently is – you guessed it – erectile dysfunction.
Similarly, even a seemingly-innocuous injury to your groin, testes, or penis itself can cause damage to penile and testicular tissues, causing ED problems now or years down the line.
What is Red Light Therapy?
As you can see, no man can ever claim to be 100% safe from ED.
Fortunately, new, natural solutions for treating this problem are being pursued by several individuals and companies.
So whether you’re starting to notice symptoms now, or if you’re concerned about any of the risk factors above, you can begin looking into natural cures right now.
Take Red Light Therapy for ED, for example.
In layman’s terms, this unique therapy is exactly what it sounds like.
It uses a special device to expose the skin to low levels of near-infrared light.
Also known as low-power laser therapy (LPLT) or photobiomodulation (PBM), this therapy’s overarching goal is to help your skin and muscle tissue heal.
How can light do that? Let’s take a look…
According to research, when you expose your skin to this particular wavelength of light, the mitochondria present in your cells soak it up and begin to produce more energy.
The affected cells then use this excess energy to repair and rebuild.
The light itself doesn’t burn or hurt the skin, but it can penetrate deep into our muscles and other tissues.
Red Light Therapy has already been shown to help with Dementia, Dental Pain, Hair Loss, and arthritis.
However, many men are claiming they’ve experienced a wide range of mental and sexual effects as well.
Red Light Therapy For Erections
If you look at the list of ED-related issues above, you’ll notice that they can largely be divided into three types: mental impotence, physical impotence, and hormonal impotence.
In mental impotence, problems like anxiety, depression, and self-confidence inhibit arousal, ultimately leading to issues with sexual performance.
In such cases, there is nothing physically preventing erectile function.
In the case of physical or hormonal impotence, an injury, low testosterone, diabetes, or cardiovascular problems prevent the penis from functioning correctly.
In all three types of impotence, red light therapy may have an effect. So far, the claims related to RLT focus on its ability to affect the following:
Vasodilation – This is the opposite of vasoconstriction, and refers to a widening of the blood vessels to allow for more blood flow.
In research, red light therapy has been shown to contribute to vasodilation, directly affecting the flow of nutrient-rich blood to the penis.
In some reports, RLT has been shown to increase localized blood flow in the groin by a whopping 400%.
CO2 Production – Speaking of vasodilation, CO2 is excellent at promoting this reaction.
Through a process known as oxidative metabolism, CO2 can cause a hormone-like reaction in our tissues, assisting with healing and improving brain function.
According to research, you can increase your CO2 levels by metabolizing extra glucose with RLT.
Nitric Oxide Control – Nitric Oxide has a major impact on our erections and arousal response (source).
Red-light can boost NO production in your mitochondria safely and efficiently.
Hormone Improvements – Used property, red light therapy may help maintain healthy testosterone levels.
Elevating low testosterone has been known to break the ED cycle, even in men who have suffered for quite some time.
RLT has also shown signs of affecting thyroid health, which can stimulate the male metabolism and increase the production of both testosterone and CO2 (see above).
Cons of Red Light Therapy
The problem with red light therapy for erections is that its use is relatively new.
As with any new treatment, doctors and researchers differ widely on the potential effects.
In fact, it seems that as soon as an expert emerges to debunk the entire treatment as a “mass placebo effect,” another study crops up to show the exact opposite.
Currently, several studies into red light therapy’s ability to affect the body’s sperm producers (Leydig cells), testosterone levels, and sexual satisfaction have been performed.
Though the results are all promising, nothing conclusive has been found.
But what about physical issues?
While the majority of the scientific community is hedging its bets on RLT, tons of men are reporting…
That they’ve relieved their anxiety and depression, increased their cognitive awareness, and drastically improved their sex lives using RLT.
If such mental effects were true, then red light therapy could go a long way toward improving the sex lives of men whose erectile issues stem from untreated mental problems…
Such as depression, fear of failure, anxiety or lack of self confidence.
Red Light Therapy and Testosterone
One of the topics that deserve a closer look is how red light therapy can affect testosterone production.
Research into this specific topic dates back to a study performed in 1939 where men had their chests and genitals exposed to UV light over several days.
After the chest experiments, testosterone levels were found to increase by 120%, while genital exposure resulted in an increase of about 200%.
The main problem with this study is that it is nearly 100 years old, leading many modern researchers to question the veracity of the data.
This initial experiment has since been followed up by other studies on both animals and humans.
These experiments seem to report that testosterone production can likely be improved using RLT, as can libido and sexual satisfaction.
What’s holding up the medical community on finalizing their research is that they remain unsure HOW this happens.
But the way I see it is, if testosterone is going up and depression and stress are going down, who cares how it works?
We already know that red light doesn’t damage the skin or cause other negative side effects.
And anecdotal reports from users claim increased sex drive, mood elevation and even testicular growth.
With these benefits, there’s really no downside to using red light therapy aside from the time and the cost.
Red Light Therapy for Erections – Conclusion:
It seems clear that red light therapy can help with testosterone production, even if the exact reasons how are not yet understood.
This means that men with ED due to depression or other mood disorders will most likely see some benefits from RLT.
Though the vasodilation theory is still under investigation, it is hugely compelling.
If true, red light therapy could help improve blood flow throughout the groin area by opening up the vessels.
So in theory red light therapy could counteract ED that stems from cardiovascular issues and high blood pressure.
Unfortunately, there is no consensus just yet.
To summarize…
If you find yourself suffering from serious erectile dysfunction issues, I think its premature to consider red light therapy as a proven cure.
However it seems clear to me that there are mental, physical and sexual benefits to its use.
In the end, promoting proper penile health is something that any man can get behind – and it’s never too early to start.
