Dr. Axe Wire · Study decoded · health

Near-Infrared Laser Shrinks Chronic Wounds 53% in Adults

A placebo-controlled trial found adjunct red light therapy nearly doubled wound shrinkage and cut infection-causing bacteria in chronic leg ulcers.

By Dr. Josh Axe · November 1, 2026 · 1 source · Understand

Photo: Pexels

At a glance

What they found: Adding laser therapy to standard wound care shrank wounds 53% versus 9% with sham laser plus standard care over up to 15 sessions.

A chronic wound therapy using a 904 nm gallium arsenide laser, a near-infrared form of the light therapy called photobiomodulation, shrank wound area by 53% versus 9% with sham laser, according to a study published October 22, 2026 in Wound Repair and Regeneration.

53% vs 9%wound shrinkage

70adults treated

15sessions max

Researchers randomly assigned 78 adults with chronic venous or diabetic leg ulcers lasting more than six weeks to active or sham laser, both added to standard wound dressings; 70 completed the trial (32 sham, 38 active). Treatment ran twice a week for up to 15 sessions using a 904 nm gallium arsenide laser, a form of photobiomodulation that uses near-infrared light, at 8 joules per square centimeter.

Wound area shrank 53% in the laser group versus 9% in the sham group, with final wound size averaging 47.4% of baseline (laser) versus 91.2% (sham). Two laser patients achieved complete closure. The laser group showed significant drops in three bacteria species common in infected wounds — Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli and Proteus mirabilis — while the sham group dropped significantly for only one of those species. Biopsies from seven patients in each group showed more new blood vessel formation, less inflammatory buildup and better-organized collagen at wound edges in the laser group.

The researchers linked faster healing to the laser reducing inflammatory cells, stimulating blood vessel growth and improving collagen organization at the wound edge, changes documented directly in tissue samples. Photobiomodulation, this type of light therapy, is thought to boost energy production inside cells, supporting repair and stressing bacterial membranes.

Wound Area Reduction: Laser vs Sham Therapy

Wound Repair and Regeneration, 2026, Baracho et al.

This was a single-site trial in Brazil with 70 total patients, a modest sample for a variable condition. It wasn't designed to separate results by diabetes status, so whether diabetic and venous ulcers responded equally is unclear. Larger, multi-site trials are the next step.

Dr. Axe’s Take

Chronic wounds stall in the inflammatory phase, and that is exactly where I would expect light therapy to help, since it works on cellular energy and blood vessel growth. The 53% versus 9% gap is a real signal, and fewer infection-causing bacteria is a bonus. With a slow-healing wound, keep working with your wound care provider and ask about laser therapy as an add-on. Protein-rich foods, vitamin C from citrus and leafy greens, and zinc-rich pumpkin seeds give collagen its raw materials. And listen, never stop or change a medication on your own. Make that change with your practitioner.

— Dr. Axe

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Study summary

Who: 70 adults (32 sham, 38 active laser) with chronic venous or diabetic leg ulcers, average age 65-66, 57% male
Design: Randomized, sham-controlled trial at one Brazilian clinic, twice weekly for up to 15 sessions
Dose: 904 nm gallium arsenide laser, 8 J/cm2 per session, vs a sham device with no output
Primary result: Wound area shrank 53% (laser) vs 9% (sham); final size 47.4% vs 91.2% of baseline; 2 laser patients fully closed
Secondary: Laser group: significant drops in P. aeruginosa, E. coli and P. mirabilis (sham: P. mirabilis only); more new blood vessels, less inflammation and more organized collagen.
Funding / conflicts: Funded by FAPEMIG and a CNPq researcher grant. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Date: Oct 22, 2026