Treatment 04
Hyperbaric & Red Light
Post-cellular support that improves oxygen delivery and cellular recovery.
How it works
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) means breathing concentrated oxygen inside a pressurised chamber. The pressure lets much more oxygen dissolve into your blood, reaching tissues that may be short of it.
HBOT is an established medical treatment for problems like decompression sickness and some hard-to-heal wounds, and is being researched for recovery and ageing.
Red light and near-infrared therapy (photobiomodulation) uses specific wavelengths of light that are absorbed by the mitochondria in cells, which may support energy production and reduce inflammation in skin and muscle.
How to prepare
- •Complete a safety questionnaire — ear, sinus and lung history matter for HBOT.
- •Don't come to HBOT with a cold or blocked sinuses; reschedule instead.
- •Wear the cotton clothing we provide; no lotions, perfumes, hair products, makeup or electronics in the chamber.
- •For red light: arrive with clean skin, and tell us about any light-sensitising medications (some antibiotics, acne medications).
On the day
- •HBOT sessions last about 60–90 minutes. You'll feel pressure in your ears during the first minutes, like on a plane — we teach you how to equalise.
- •Red light sessions take 10–20 minutes, with eye protection.
- •Protocols are usually a series (for example 10–40 HBOT sessions), not a single visit.
Recovery & follow-up
- •No downtime — you can drive and work afterwards.
- •Some people feel tired or lightheaded after HBOT for a short time.
Possible side effects
More common, usually mild
- •Ear pressure or discomfort (most common with HBOT)
- •Temporary sinus pressure
- •Fatigue after sessions
- •Temporary short-sightedness during long HBOT series, which normally resolves weeks after finishing
- •Mild warmth or redness of skin after red light
Rare but important
- •Ear barotrauma (eardrum injury)
- •Oxygen toxicity seizures — very rare at standard protocols
- •Lung barotrauma in people with certain lung disease
- •Eye strain if eye protection isn't used with red light
Who may not be a candidate
- •Untreated collapsed lung (absolute contraindication for HBOT)
- •Certain chemotherapy drugs
- •Severe COPD or air-trapping lung disease
- •Recent ear surgery or unresolved ear/sinus infection
- •Pregnancy (HBOT, except emergencies)
Your physician makes the final decision after reviewing your history. See our safety & regulation page.
Published research
A selection of studies. Research results describe groups of patients and don't guarantee individual outcomes.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: a prospective trial
Hachmo Y et al., Aging (Albany NY), 2020
In 35 older adults, 60 HBOT sessions were associated with longer telomeres and fewer senescent immune cells.
Hyperbaric oxygen induces late neuroplasticity in post-stroke patients — randomized, prospective trial
Efrati S et al., PLoS One, 2013
Stroke patients treated with HBOT showed improved neurological function and brain activity on imaging.
A controlled trial to determine the efficacy of red and near-infrared light treatment in patient satisfaction, reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness, and intradermal collagen density
Wunsch A, Matuschka K, Photomed Laser Surg, 2014
Participants showed improved skin complexion and collagen density compared with controls.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy indications
Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS)
The professional society's list of established medical uses for HBOT.
Conditions where it may be considered
Questions about hyperbaric & red light?
A physician will review your history and tell you honestly whether it suits you.
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