Red Light Therapy in La Jolla, San Diego

SDBody, formerly Hormones and Wellness, offers red light therapy at our La Jolla clinic, 7710 Fay Ave, a free-standing practice in La Jolla village minutes from the coast. Here is a straight account of what it is and where it stands.

What Red Light Therapy Is

Red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation or low-level light therapy, exposes skin and underlying tissue to specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light. It does not burn and it does not tan. There is no ultraviolet involved, which is the key difference between this and a tanning bed.

At our La Jolla clinic, we use a higher-end red light therapy bed with six light outputs that deliver different wavelengths. This multi-wavelength approach is designed to allow light to reach different depths beneath the skin, providing a more comprehensive red light therapy experience. 

Sessions are short, passive, and comfortable. You wear eye protection, you sit or lie in front of the panel or in the bed, and you feel mild warmth at most. There is no downtime, so people schedule it around work or after training.

The proposed mechanism is that these wavelengths are absorbed by mitochondria and influence cellular energy production. That mechanism is plausible and reasonably well described in the literature. Translating it into predictable clinical outcomes is where the picture gets less tidy.

Where The Evidence Is Strong And Where It Is Not

Strongest. The FDA has cleared a number of light-based devices for specific uses, and the most established are dermatological, including certain acne and skin treatment indications, along with some cleared pain and wound applications. “Cleared” means a device was reviewed for a stated use, so the specific device and the specific indication both matter.

Reasonable but mixed. Muscle recovery, exercise-induced soreness, joint stiffness, and skin appearance. There is a genuine body of research here, and there is also real variation in wavelength, dose, distance, and session length between studies, which makes results hard to compare.

Weak or preliminary. Sleep, mood, systemic energy, fat loss and most of the broader wellness claims you will find advertised.

We offer red light therapy at SDBody as a wellness and recovery service. We do not present it as a treatment for a diagnosed medical condition. Plenty of our patients like how they feel and look after a run of sessions, and we are happy to say that without turning it into something it is not.

Who Books It at Our La Jolla Clinic?

• Athletes and active adults managing soreness and training load
• Patients interested in skin appearance who want it done somewhere with clinicians on site
• Patients already in hormone care or medical weight loss who are building a wider routine
• Patients recovering from a procedure, alongside our recovery after surgery services
• Anyone who wants a short, passive session that asks nothing of them

Safety and Screening

Red light therapy is generally very well tolerated. The main precautions are straightforward and worth taking seriously.

Always use the eye protection provided, since direct exposure of the eyes to high-intensity light sources should be avoided. Tell us if you have a photosensitivity condition such as lupus or porphyria, or if you take a medication that increases light sensitivity, since several common antibiotics, acne medications, and diuretics do. Let us know if you are pregnant, if you have an active skin cancer or an undiagnosed lesion in the treatment area, or if you have had recent skin procedures. Our clinical team reviews your history at intake.

Why SDBody Rather Than a Studio or a Home Panel

• Clinicians in the building. Co-founders Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MD, Medical Director, and a board-certified anesthesiologist with more than 15 years of clinical experience, and Dr. Alex Roher, MD, also a board-certified anesthesiologist. Brooke Stearns, PA-C, is our Lead Medical Provider. See our providers page.
• Labs when the answer is not light. If you are chasing low energy, testing tells you more than a panel does. See diagnostic labs.
• Stack it properly. Combine with PEMF therapy, infrared sauna and cold plunge or hyperbaric oxygen therapy in one visit.
• Honest framing. You get the evidence as it stands, including the soft parts.

Visit Our La Jolla Clinic

SDBody La Jolla

7710 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037

Phone: (858) 401-2383

Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm. Friday, 9am to 3pm. Wellness services are also available Saturday and Sunday.

A free-standing clinic in La Jolla village, easy from Bird Rock, Pacific Beach, UTC, Torrey Pines, and Del Mar. Also offered at our Mission Hills clinic.