Reviewed by our expert team.
Talk to an expertAnswer · Safety
For most healthy adults, yes. A red light bed emits red and near-infrared light with no ultraviolet component, so it does not tan, burn, or carry the skin-cancer risk associated with tanning beds. The practical considerations are eye comfort, warmth from high-output units, and a short list of situations — photosensitising medication, pregnancy, active skin cancer, epilepsy triggered by flicker — where you should ask your doctor before starting.
Reviewed by our expert team for editorial accuracy.
Tanning beds work by emitting UVA and UVB, which damage skin DNA to produce pigment. That damage is the mechanism, which is why the cancer risk exists.
Red light beds emit visible red and near-infrared light — longer wavelengths, no UV. There is no tanning response because there is nothing driving one. If a bed tans you, it is not a red light bed.
Eyes: high-output red light is bright and uncomfortable to stare into. Most beds supply goggles or an eye shield; use them, and simply close your eyes if you prefer no eyewear on the face.
Heat: strong near-infrared output produces warmth. It should feel like mild sun, never hot. If a session feels genuinely hot, increase the distance or shorten it.
Overdoing it: more is not better. Photobiomodulation has a dose response that plateaus and can reverse, so following the manufacturer's session times matters more than pushing them.
Skin products: retinoids, acids, and certain essential oils can increase light sensitivity. Treat on clean, bare skin.
Anyone taking photosensitising medication — some antibiotics, isotretinoin, certain diuretics, St John's wort and others.
Anyone pregnant, anyone with active or suspected skin cancer or an undiagnosed changing lesion, and anyone with a seizure disorder that can be triggered by flickering light.
Anyone with a condition like lupus or porphyria that involves light sensitivity, or with recent injectables and procedures where their clinician has set a waiting period.
This page is general education, not medical advice — a short conversation with your own clinician is the right step if anything here applies to you.
The most frequently reported effects are mild and short-lived: temporary redness or warmth where the light was strongest, occasional eye strain if no protection was used, and mild headache after very long sessions.
These usually indicate too much time, too close, rather than a problem with the technology. Backing off the session length almost always resolves them.
| Red light bed | Tanning bed | |
|---|---|---|
| Wavelengths | Red + near-infrared (~600–900 nm) | UVA / UVB |
| Tans skin | No | Yes, by design |
| Skin cancer risk | Not associated | Well established |
| Eye protection | Recommended for comfort | Required |
| Sensation | Mild warmth | Heat, then burn risk |
Related questions
Still weighing it up?