Low-Level Laser and Fertility: What the Evidence Shows, and What It Doesn't

What is low-level laser therapy?

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), also called photobiomodulation, uses red and near-infrared light, usually between about 600 and 1100 nanometres, at an intensity that does not heat or damage tissue. It is applied to the skin with a handheld probe or a panel. There is no needle, no UV and no sensation. We already use it at the clinic for pain and musculoskeletal conditions, where the trial evidence is strongest, and as a needle-free way to stimulate acupuncture points.

The proposed mechanism is that light in this range is absorbed by mitochondria, the energy-producing part of the cell, and increases production of ATP, the cell's fuel. That effect is well described in the laboratory. Whether it turns into a benefit a patient can notice depends entirely on the condition, which is why we describe the fertility evidence separately from the pain evidence.

Why is laser being used in fertility care?

The rationale comes from the mitochondria. Egg cells are among the most mitochondria-rich cells in the body, and mitochondrial function in eggs declines with age. Researchers have asked whether light that boosts mitochondrial activity elsewhere might do the same in the ovary. So far, the answers come from cells in a dish and from animals.

• In naturally aged mice, two months of 650 nm laser to the ovaries was associated with more follicles, better hormone levels, less inflammation and improved mitochondrial function compared with untreated aged mice (He et al, 2024).
• In a rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome, laser three times a week was associated with improved ovarian activity (Alves et al, 2019).
• Human endometrial cells grown in culture and exposed to 635 nm light multiplied more and changed the expression of genes involved in receptivity (El Faham et al, 2018).

What do the human studies show for women?

There are three kinds of human evidence, and it is worth being clear about what each one is.

A large uncontrolled case series. The most cited study is from a single Japanese clinic. Between 1996 and 2012, 701 women with an average age of 39 and an average of nine years of unsuccessful assisted reproduction received 830 nm laser to the neck and lower abdomen, an average of 21 sessions, with or without further IVF. Pregnancy was recorded in 156 women (22.3%) and live birth in 79 (11.3% of the group). No adverse events were reported (Ohshiro, 2012). The number sounds encouraging, but there was no comparison group, so we cannot know how many of those women would have conceived anyway, and the results have not been reproduced by an independent team.

A small pilot with an LED device. In 2026 a Chinese group reported that, after using a wearable 630 nm LED device, women with diminished ovarian reserve had a higher antral follicle count on ultrasound (median 2 rising to 6). The number of eggs retrieved did not change significantly, the pilot was small, and again there was no control group (Su et al, 2026).

Laboratory work on human eggs. An Italian IVF team applied 810 nm light to 260 immature eggs collected during IVF and found they matured faster in the dish, with higher energy production and no rise in oxidative damage (Stigliani et al, 2026). This is a laboratory technique, not a treatment given to patients, and the authors themselves say larger studies and DNA-safety checks are still needed.

What about sperm and male fertility?

The male-fertility evidence is a little further along, but mostly in the laboratory. A 2023 systematic review found 15 studies: 14 exposed semen samples to light in a dish (477 samples in total) and every one reported a higher proportion of progressively motile sperm afterwards. Only one was a clinical trial in men, using laser acupuncture, and it reported improved progressive motility with no serious adverse effects. The authors concluded that because the studies were so different from one another, the benefit could not be confidently attributed to the laser (Eghbaldoost et al, 2023).

Most of this work is aimed at the IVF laboratory, where light is being explored as a way to improve motility in a sample after thawing or in largely immotile samples, without adding chemicals to the culture medium (Zupin et al, 2020). Whether treating a man's body with laser changes his sperm over time is a separate question with very little evidence either way.

How do we use laser in fertility care at Rozelle?

We use it as an adjunct within a normal fertility appointment, not as a stand-alone program. In practice that means light applied to the lower abdomen and to acupuncture points, alongside acupuncture or in place of needles if you prefer. It takes a few minutes, you feel nothing, and you wear eye protection while the device is on.

Timing matters. We apply it in the first half of the cycle, before ovulation or before an embryo transfer, and we do not apply it over the abdomen once you could be pregnant. If you are in an IVF cycle, we fit around your clinic's schedule and we are happy to talk to your specialist about what we are doing. Nothing we do replaces their care.

Because the evidence is early, we suggest a defined trial period rather than an open-ended course, and we will tell you honestly at each review whether it seems worth continuing. Read more about how we approach fertility care and what to ask any fertility acupuncturist.

Is low-level laser safe?

At the intensities used in clinic, laser therapy does not heat or damage tissue, and side effects are rare. The 701-woman Japanese series reported none. Device manufacturers and professional guidance still set out clear precautions, and we follow them.

Evidence at a glance

Our position is simple. The mechanism is plausible, the early data are interesting, and the treatment is gentle. That makes it a reasonable thing to add alongside good medical care for people who want to, and the wrong thing to promise results from. If you would like to talk it through, book an appointment or call us on 0499 911 552.