1. Low-level Laser Therapy Protocol is Effective for Reducing Waist, Hip, Thigh, and Upper Abdomen Circumference
| Title | A Six-week Low-level Laser Therapy Protocol is Effective for Reducing Waist, Hip, Thigh, and Upper Abdomen Circumference |
| Conducted by | Carl R Thornfeldt, Paul M Thaxton, Carl S Hornfeldt |
| Published on | June 2016 |
| Journal | The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology |
| Number of participants | 54 |
Method of study:
The study was conducted in two private dermatology practices with 54 healthy adult participants who had a body mass index of 25 to 40 kg/m(2). The participants received one low-level laser therapy procedure per week for six weeks using a device with six 17mW, 635nm red diodes. The circumference of the waist, hip, thigh, and upper abdomen was measured weekly.
Key findings:
One weekly low-level laser therapy treatment for six weeks is clinically effective for reducing waist, hip, thigh, and upper abdomen circumference with a mean decrease of 4.5 inches in combined body circumference.
2. Efficacy of low-level laser therapy for body contouring and spot fat reduction
| Title | Efficacy of low-level laser therapy for body contouring and spot fat reduction |
| Conducted by | Mary K Caruso-Davis, Thomas S Guillot, Vinod K Podichetty, Nazar Mashtalir, Nikhil V Dhurandhar, Olga Dubuisson, Ying Yu, Frank L Greenway |
| Published on | June 2011 |
| Journal | The Journal of Metabolic Surgery and Allied Care |
| Number of participants | 40 |
Method of study:
40 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 65, with a BMI of less than 30 kg/m2, were randomly assigned to either a laser or control treatment. The subjects' waistlines were treated twice a week for 30 minutes for 4 weeks and waist circumference measurements and photographs were taken before and after treatments 1, 3, and 8. The participants were instructed not to change their diet or exercise habits during the study. Additionally, in vitro assays were conducted to determine cell lysis, glycerol, and triglyceride release.
Key findings:
Each laser treatment resulted in a loss of 0.4-0.5 cm in waist girth, and after 4 weeks, the cumulative girth loss was -2.15 cm. The study concludes that low-level laser therapy is safe and effective in achieving sustained girth loss over repeated treatments, leading to clinically and statistically significant cosmetic improvement.
3. Low-level laser therapy(LLLT)to improve the appearance of cellulite
| Title | A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial evaluating the ability of low-level laser therapy to improve the appearance of cellulite |
| Conducted by | Robert F Jackson, Gregory C Roche, Steven C Shanks |
| Published on | March 2013 |
| Journal | Lasers in Surgery and Medicine |
| Number of participants | 34 |
Method of study:
In this double-blind study, 34 participants received treatment with a low-level laser therapy device, while another 34 participants received a sham treatment. During the 2-week treatment phase, each subject received three weekly treatment sessions 2-3 days apart, with the front and back of the hips, thighs, and waist being exposed to the laser for 15 minutes during each session, for a total of 30 minutes.
Key findings:
The use of low-level laser therapy with green 532 nm diodes is safe and effective in improving the appearance of cellulite in the thighs and buttocks. Unlike other technologies, LLLT improves the appearance of cellulite on its own without massage or mechanical manipulation.
4. Low-level laser therapy to lose weight
| Title | Low-level laser therapy for weight reduction: a randomized pilot study |
| Conducted by | Ivana T Croghan, Ryan T Hurt, Darrell R Schroeder, Shawn C Fokken, Michael D Jensen , Matthew M Clark, Jon O Ebbert |
| Published on | April 2020 |
| Journal | Lasers in Medical Science |
| Number of participants | 60 |
Method of study:
The pilot study compared the effect of three LLLT frequencies on weight, waist circumference, body fat percentage, and quality of life.60 overweight adult participants with a BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m2 were randomized to 12 LLLT treatments.
Participants received treatments either three times weekly for 4 weeks, twice weekly for 6 weeks, or once weekly for 12 weeks. Participants attended in-person visits at baseline and at weeks 4, 6, 12, and 26. The majority of participants were female, and most completed 10 or more of the 12 LLLT treatments.
Key findings:
The group that underwent low-level laser therapy twice a week for six weeks showed the greatest reductions in weight, waist circumference, body mass index, and body fat mass, as well as the most significant improvements in quality of life, body satisfaction, and body appreciation. Based on these results, the study proposes that LLLT twice weekly for six weeks is the optimal frequency and duration for managing body weight.
5. Low-level laser therapy as a non-invasive approach for body contouring
| Title | Low-level laser therapy as a non-invasive approach for body contouring: a randomized, controlled study |
| Conducted by | Robert F Jackson , Doug D Dedo, Greg C Roche, David I Turok, Ryan J Maloney |
| Published on | December 2009 |
| Journal | Lasers in Surgery and Medicine |
| Number of participants | 67 |
Method of study:
The trial involved 67 volunteers with a BMI between 25 and 30 kg/m(2), who were randomly assigned to receive low-level laser treatments or a matching sham treatment three times per week for 2 weeks.
Key findings:
Participants in the treatment group demonstrated an overall reduction in total circumference across the waist, hip, and bilateral thighs from baseline to the completion of the 2-week procedure administration phase. This data suggest that low-level laser therapy can reduce overall circumference measurements of specifically treated regions.
6. Low-level laser therapy as a non-invasive approach for body contouring
| Title | The effects of exercise training associated with low-level laser therapy on biomarkers of adipose tissue transdifferentiation in obese women |
| Conducted by | Raquel Munhoz da Silveira Campos, Ana Raimunda Dâmaso, Deborah Cristina Landi Masquio, Fernanda Oliveira Duarte, Marcela Sene-Fiorese, Antonio Eduardo Aquino Jr, Filippo Aragão Savioli, Pamela Cristina Lopes Quintiliano 7 , Ana Claudia Pelissari Kravchychyn, Liliane Isabel Guimarães, Lian Tock, Lila Missae Oyama , Valter Tadeu Boldarine, Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato, Nivaldo Antonio Parizotto |
| Published on | August 2018 |
| Journal | Lasers in Surgery and Medicine |
| Number of participants | 49 |
Method of study:
49 obese women aged 20-40 years with BMI 30-40 kg/m2 participated in the study. Participants were divided into Phototherapy (808 nm) and SHAM groups. Exercise training and phototherapy were administered for 4 months, with three sessions per week. Body composition, lipid profile, insulin resistance, ANP, WNT5 signalling, IL-6, and FGF-21 were measured.
Key findings:
Improvements in body mass, BMI, body fat mass, lean mass, visceral fat, waist circumference, insulin, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and ANP were observed in both groups. The Phototherapy group had a higher magnitude of change for fat mass, insulin, HOMA-IR, and FGF-21 variables. This study showed that exercise training with LLLT is more effective to improve body composition and inflammatory processes than exercise alone.
7. Low-level laser therapy to reduce insulin resistance and body fat
| Title | The potential of phototherapy to reduce body fat, insulin resistance and “metabolic inflexibility” related to obesity in women undergoing weight loss treatment |
| Conducted by | Marcela Sene-Fiorese, Fernanda Oliveira Duarte, Antonio Eduardo de Aquino Junior, Raquel Munhoz da Silveira Campos, Deborah Cristina Landi Masquio, Lian Tock, Ana Claudia Garcia de Oliveira Duarte, Ana Raimunda Dâmaso, Nivaldo Antonio Parizotto, Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato |
| Published on | October 2015 |
| Journal | Lasers in Surgery and Medicine |
| Number of participants | 64 |
Method of study:
64 obese women were randomly divided into two groups – ET-SHAM and ET-PHOTO. The participants underwent a 20-week study protocol consisting of physical exercise intervention and the application of phototherapy after the training session.
The ET-SHAM group received a simulated phototherapy application (placebo effect) while the ET-PHOTO group received the actual phototherapy. The study protocol included three weekly sessions of aerobic plus resistance training and phototherapy (when applicable). The study assessed body composition and metabolic parameters such as HOMA, adiponectin, insulin, and glucose.
Key findings:
For the first time, it has been found that phototherapy can enhance the effects of physical exercise in obese women who are undergoing weight loss treatment, leading to notable improvements in their metabolic profile.
8. Effectiveness of LLLT for waste reduction
| Title | The Effect of Combination of Red, Infrared and Blue Wavelengths of Low-Level Laser on Reduction of Abdominal Girth |
| Conducted by | Katayoon Montazeri, Soheila Mokmeli, Maryam Barat |
| Published on | August 2017 |
| Journal | Journal of Lasers in medical sciences |
| Number of participants | 18 |
Method of study:
The study involved 18 female participants who received laser therapy twice a week for a total of 12 sessions. The laser therapy included the use of red LED (630 nm), infrared LED (808 nm), and blue LED (450 nm).
Key findings:
Statistical analyses revealed a significant reduction in abdomen sizes in all participants. The combination of 3 different wavelengths of LLLT is effective for the reduction of subcutaneous fat deposits without any side effects.
9. Red light Therapy can modulate appetite
| Title | Light modulates leptin and ghrelin in sleep-restricted adults |
| Conducted by | Mariana G Figueiro 1 , Barbara Plitnick, Mark S Rea |
| Published on | August 2014 |
| Journal | Journal of Lasers in medical sciences |
| Number of participants | 32 |
Method of study:
The study included 32 participants who experienced 5 consecutive days of both an 8-hour (baseline) and a 5-hour sleep-restricted schedule and were exposed to 60 lux of red, green, and blue morning light and the concentrations of leptin and ghrelin were measured and compared using statistical analyses.
Key findings:
The study found that exposure to red light 633-nm, green light 532-nm and blue 475-nm morning light significantly increased leptin concentrations. Morning red light and green light exposures significantly decreased ghrelin concentrations but morning blue light exposures did not. This study is the first to demonstrate that LLLT can modulate leptin and ghrelin concentrations which could have an impact on reducing hunger.
