Is Light Therapy Racially Biased? The Melanin Problem PBM Won’t Talk About

About this episode

This episode explores the impact of melanin on the effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy and discusses the need for personalized treatment approaches.

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is marketed like universal biology: shine the right wavelength, hit cytochrome c oxidase, boost ATP, accelerate healing. But this Deep Dive unpacks a hidden variable that can make “standard dosing” either ineffective or unsafe: melanin. Using a 2026 narrative review from researchers at the University of São Paulo, we trace the physics of a photon entering the body, how melanin’s absorption overlaps the therapeutic “optical window,” and why simply “turning up the laser” can backfire — creating heat and reactive species in the epidermis while deeper target tissues get little benefit. We also confront a data problem: trials may include darker phototypes, but too often outcomes aren’t analyzed by skin type, creating a misleading “average” that masks risk. Finally, we outline practical fixes — wavelength selection, spot size adjustments, and pigmentation-sensitive, feedback-guided dosimetry — so PBMT can become truly personalized and equitable. (Educational content only, not medical advice.) - Article Discussed in Episode: Is photobiomodulation therapy free from racial bias?: a narrative review of skin pigmentation - Key Quotes From Dr. Mike…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Mike Belkowski

Topics covered

• light therapy
• melanin
• photobiomodulation
• skin pigmentation
• health equity

Keywords

• photobiomodulation
• melanin
• skin types
• health equity
• light therapy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of São Paulo

Books & works: Is photobiomodulation therapy free from racial bias?: a narrative review of skin pigmentation

More episodes of The Energy Code

• The Energy Code Blueprint: Longevity Starts in the Mitochondria, Pt. 2 · June 11, 2026 · 58 min
• MOTS-c: The ‘Exercise Mimetic’ Peptide That Rewires Metabolism, Fat Loss, and Mitochondrial Resilience · June 8, 2026 · 31 min
• SS-31: The Peptide ‘Mitochondrial Shield’ That May Block Parkinson’s Damage at the Source · June 5, 2026 · 15 min
• The Energy Code Blueprint: Longevity Starts in the Mitochondria, Pt. 1 · June 4, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Mitoredox: The “Electron Flow” Master Switch Behind Aging, Disease, and Mitochondrial Collapse · June 3, 2026 · 21 min
• The “Missing Peptides” Behind AFib: Humanin + MOTS-c and the Fibrosis Switch · June 2, 2026 · 15 min