Red Light Therapy for Thyroid: What the Research Shows
Research on red light therapy for thyroid conditions comes from a few small clinic trials in which doctors applied near-infrared laser light to the skin over the thyroid in people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, with blood tests to track the gland. Kivorla's panel and mask must not be used by anyone who has a thyroid condition or takes thyroid medication, on any part of the body. Below: what the trials found, the settings they used, how clinic lasers differ from home devices, what thyroid specialists recommend, and what to do if you are curious about light.
Key takeaways
- Kivorla's precautions say not to use the panel or the mask if you have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medication, whichever body area you plan to treat. Kivorla precautions
- In a randomised, placebo-controlled trial of 43 people with Hashimoto's, ten sessions of 830 nm laser light over the thyroid were followed by lower levothyroxine needs than placebo over 9 months. Höfling, 2013
- In a 2023 thyroid trial, a clinician held an 820 nm laser probe against 8 marked points over the gland, twice a week for 3 weeks. Berisha-Muharremi, 2023
- The NHS says levothyroxine tablets for an underactive thyroid are usually taken for life, with regular blood tests to check the dose. NHS, 2025
- Mayo Clinic advises: "Don't skip doses or stop taking the medicine because you feel better." Mayo Clinic
What has research on red light therapy for thyroid conditions found?
A small set of clinic trials, most from one research group in São Paulo, reported lower levothyroxine needs after near-infrared laser light over the thyroid in people with Hashimoto's. The research is early, and in every trial the light was given by clinicians under medical supervision.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition, and it is the most common cause of an underactive thyroid in the US. ATA About 5 in 100 Americans have an underactive thyroid. Hashimoto's is 4 to 10 times more common in women, and it often appears between the ages of 30 and 50. NIDDK, 2021
The link between red light therapy and thyroid function has been studied in a handful of human trials:
| Study | Who took part | Design | Light | Main finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Höfling, 2013 | 43 people with Hashimoto's | Randomised, placebo-controlled | 830 nm laser, 10 sessions | Less levothyroxine needed over 9 months than with placebo |
| Höfling, 2014 | The same 43 people | Randomised, placebo-controlled | 830 nm laser, 10 sessions | A rise in TGF-beta 1, a signalling protein, at 30 days |
| Höfling, 2018 | The same group, about 6 years later | Long-term follow-up | No further light | Laser group still on a lower average dose than the placebo group |
| Berisha-Muharremi, 2023 | 74 women with Hashimoto's | Not randomised, no sham | 820 nm laser, 6 sessions | Thyroid blood tests and medicine dose improved more than in the control group |
| Tunç, 2024 | 46 people with Hashimoto's | Randomised, sham-controlled | Laser, 6 sessions | Quality of life and an antioxidant marker improved more; thyroid tests did not differ |
Sources for the table: Höfling, 2013, Höfling, 2014, Höfling, 2018, Berisha-Muharremi, 2023 and Tunç, 2024.
A 2022 narrative review of this work described laser light as a possible approach for autoimmune thyroiditis. Hossein-Khannazer, 2022 It also noted that how the light acts on the gland is still unclear, and that longer follow-up is needed.
Can red light therapy help Hashimoto's thyroiditis?
In the largest randomised trial, people with Hashimoto's who had ten sessions of 830 nm laser light over the thyroid needed less levothyroxine over 9 months than a placebo group. That was a hospital procedure with doctors managing the medicine, and thyroid specialists still list levothyroxine as the treatment.
The trial ran at the University of São Paulo from 2006 to 2009. Höfling, 2013 Of the 43 people, 23 had laser light and 20 had placebo. All had a history of levothyroxine treatment.
- Medicine: levothyroxine was stopped 30 days after the sessions, under specialist monitoring, and doctors then measured how much each person needed over 9 months.
- Antibodies: TPO antibodies, a marker of the autoimmune process, were lower in the laser group.
- Ultrasound: echogenicity, a measure of how the gland looks on ultrasound, was higher in the laser group.
- Side effects: none were reported. Höfling, 2011
The same team followed all 43 people for about 6 years. Höfling, 2018 The laser group still took a lower average dose than the placebo group, though their own dose had moved back towards earlier levels over that time.
A 2023 trial in Kosovo gave 820 nm laser light to women with Hashimoto's who chose that option, while others had standard care alone. Berisha-Muharremi, 2023 Both groups had levothyroxine set by an endocrinologist, vitamin D if low, and selenium. The light group improved more on thyroid blood tests and medicine dose. Because it was not randomised, it supports the earlier work rather than settling the question.
What settings did the thyroid light trials use?
The trials used near-infrared lasers at 820 or 830 nm, held against the neck at points mapped by ultrasound, twice a week for 3 to 5 weeks. Each point received 20 to 40 seconds of light from a clinician.
| Study | Light | Time per point | Sessions per week | Weeks (sessions) | How it was given |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Höfling, 2013 and 2018 | 830 nm laser, continuous | 40 seconds | 2 | 5 (10) | Probe on the skin over the gland, outline marked by ultrasound, in a hospital radiology institute |
| Berisha-Muharremi, 2023 | 820 nm laser, continuous | 20 seconds at 8 points | 2 | 3 (6) | Probe in contact with the skin, 4 points per lobe, by a clinician trained in laser therapy and endocrinology |
| Tunç, 2024 | Laser | Not given in the summary | 2 | 3 | Clinic sessions alongside levothyroxine |
The São Paulo settings come from the 6-year follow-up, 2018. All light was applied to the skin, from outside the body.
These are records of hospital procedures, not settings to copy at home. Each course was planned around ultrasound images and blood tests, and the medicine was handled by doctors throughout.
Is a home red light mask or panel the same as a thyroid laser?
No. The trials used a laser probe pressed against mapped points over the gland, with ultrasound beforehand and blood tests afterwards, while home devices are designed for general wellness use on skin and body areas.
The difference that matters most is supervision. In the trials, a specialist decided who could take part, marked the gland on ultrasound, gave every session and adjusted the medicine from blood results. None of that is part of using a device at home.
Our guide to cold laser therapy vs red light therapy explains how clinic probes and home devices are built and used. For this topic, the rule is short: never point a home device at your neck or thyroid area to treat the gland.
Can red light therapy reduce or replace thyroid medication?
Do not change your thyroid medicine because of light therapy. In the trials, every change in medicine was made by doctors using blood tests, and official guidance says never to change the dose without a doctor.
Levothyroxine replaces the hormone an underactive thyroid no longer makes. The NHS says of the tablets: "You'll usually need to take them for the rest of your life". NHS, 2025 Regular blood tests check that the dose is right, and an incorrect dose can cause side effects.
- Checks: Mayo Clinic describes a TSH blood test about 6 to 8 weeks after starting, again about 6 months later, then about once a year. Mayo Clinic
- Too much: an excess of levothyroxine can cause shakiness, a pounding heartbeat and trouble sleeping.
- Dose changes: the NIDDK calls levothyroxine "the recommended way to treat hypothyroidism" and says never to change the dose without a doctor. NIDDK, 2021
- Long term: the American Thyroid Association notes that most people with Hashimoto's "will need lifelong treatment". ATA
Why do Kivorla precautions rule out red light therapy with a thyroid condition?
Because light over the gland can change how it works, and a thyroid condition is managed by matching medicine to blood test results. A home device comes with no monitoring, so our panel and mask must not be used by anyone with a thyroid condition or taking thyroid medication.
The evidence for this comes from both animals and people. In a study of 65 mice, 780 nm laser light over the thyroid changed T3 and T4 hormone levels. Azevedo, 2005 The authors concluded that such light "may affect the level of thyroidal hormones". In people, the São Paulo trial changed how much medicine patients needed.
A change like that is only safe when a doctor is watching the blood results. Our guide is red light therapy safe gives the same reasoning. The rule covers:
- Any thyroid condition: underactive, overactive, Hashimoto's, Graves' disease, nodules under follow-up, or after thyroid surgery.
- Any thyroid medication: including levothyroxine and medicines that calm an overactive gland.
- Any body area: the face, back, legs and joints as well as the neck.
- Both devices: the panel and the mask.
Can I use a red light mask on my face if I take levothyroxine?
No. Our precautions apply to the panel and the mask whichever body area you plan to use them on, so taking levothyroxine rules out facial sessions too.
The mask is a full-face shell with an eye opening and it does not cover the neck. The rule still applies, because it is set by the condition and the medicine, not by where the light falls. Our menopause article and our guide to red light therapy mask side effects say the same.
If you were hoping to use light for skin, ask your doctor or dermatologist what suits you while your thyroid is being treated.
Is red light therapy safe with an overactive thyroid or Graves' disease?
Our devices are not for use with an overactive thyroid, Graves' disease or any other thyroid condition. The light trials studied Hashimoto's, and the NHS treatments for an overactive thyroid are medicines, radioactive iodine or surgery.
The NHS lists these options: NHS, 2023
- Thionamides: medicines such as carbimazole or propylthiouracil, usually taken for 12 to 18 months.
- Radioactive iodine: a treatment given by a specialist team.
- Surgery: removing part or all of the gland.
- Beta blockers: to ease symptoms.
Each of these is planned and checked by a specialist, so any interest in light belongs in a conversation with that specialist.
What about thyroid nodules, a goitre or life after thyroid surgery?
A lump or swelling in the neck needs a doctor's assessment, not a light routine. After thyroid surgery many people take thyroid hormone tablets, which places them under our do-not-use rule.
The light trials recruited people with Hashimoto's, so they do not address nodules or a goitre. Your doctor decides what checks and follow-up a lump needs.
The NHS notes that removing the whole gland usually means taking levothyroxine for life. NHS, 2023 The same applies after treatment for thyroid cancer: your specialist team is the right place to ask about any device.
Can red light therapy help hypothyroid tiredness, weight gain or dry skin?
These symptoms usually come from low thyroid hormone, and the treatment that addresses them is levothyroxine prescribed and checked by a doctor. An underactive thyroid needs a diagnosis rather than a light routine.
Our article on red light therapy for energy lists an underactive thyroid among common medical causes of tiredness, alongside anaemia, sleep apnoea and depression. If tiredness lasts for weeks or comes with other new symptoms, see a doctor first.
Signs worth raising with a GP include: NIDDK, 2021
- Tiredness: that does not lift with rest.
- Weight: a change you cannot explain.
- Cold: feeling cold when others do not.
- Skin: dry skin that is new for you.
- Neck: a lump or swelling at the front of the neck.
Thyroid blood tests show whether these signs come from the gland, and they guide any treatment your doctor suggests.
What should you do if you have a thyroid condition and want to try light therapy?
Talk to your doctor or endocrinologist, and leave Kivorla devices aside. Thyroid specialists advise telling your doctor about any complementary approach and not stopping or changing prescribed medicine.
The American Thyroid Association suggests asking whether any complementary approach will "interfere with your treatment or medicines". ATA The thyroid light research took place in hospitals and clinics, so your endocrinologist is the person to ask about it.
- If you have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medication: do not use the 4-Wavelength Red Light Therapy Mask or the 9-Spectrum Red Light Therapy Panel, on any body area.
- If you are diagnosed after buying, or start thyroid medicine: stop using the device and ask your doctor.
- If you have no thyroid condition and take no thyroid medication: follow the manuals. The mask is a full-face shell with an eye opening and no diodes over the eyes; the panel is for body areas, with the supplied goggles on and eyes closed.
Our precautions also rule out both devices during pregnancy, with epilepsy, with photosensitising medication, and over broken skin or an open wound. The panel manual adds breastfeeding or preparing for pregnancy, seizures triggered by light, sunburn on the body in the past 2 weeks, Fitzpatrick skin types V or VI, and use while asleep. Never look into either device.
Read our full precautions before buying or using either device. Standard shipping to the US, UK and Germany is free. Under our return and refund policy, returns are accepted within 30 days: an unopened device with its seals intact is refunded less a 10% restocking fee, and an opened device that is undamaged and complete is refunded less 20%.
Kivorla devices are general wellness devices, not medical devices, and are not for use by anyone with a thyroid condition or taking thyroid medication. Speak to your doctor or endocrinologist about thyroid symptoms, and never change thyroid medicine without them.