Biohacking and LED Photobiomodulation: What Bryan Johnson Does

Over $2 million annually. This is the amount Bryan Johnson — the founder of Braintree and the Blueprint project — publicly states he spends in an attempt to slow his biological aging. His entire protocol, every biomarker, every test, and every supplement are uploaded to blueprint.bryanjohnson.com for anyone to see. This makes his case one of the most documented single-person experiments in contemporary literature.

Among this menagerie of interventions — from plasmapheresis to multi-frequency enzymatic markers — something relatively quiet and fundamentally inexpensive stands out: the daily use of red LED light therapy (photobiomodulation, PBM). Why would a man who pays $100,000 a month for consultations do something that anyone can do at home for less than the cost of a monthly gym membership? Because the benefit-to-risk ratio of PBM is one of the best in the entire longevity space — and there are specific biochemical reasons for this.

What is biohacking and why does PBM fall into it?

"Biohacking" is a term with a wide spectrum — from mild time-restricted eating to extreme interventions like plasmapheresis. Quality biohackers (Peter Attia, Andrew Huberman, Rhonda Patrick, Bryan Johnson) unite around several principles: measure (blood, sleep, biomarkers, tissue composition), apply interventions with real clinical data, iterate — stop what doesn't work, double down on what does.

Photobiomodulation falls into the "real clinical data" category thanks to decades of publications. A PubMed search for "photobiomodulation" returns over 8000 publications, led by hundreds of articles by Michael Hamblin (Harvard/MGH). Serious systematic reviews appear in Lasers in Medical Science, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, and the Journal of Biophotonics. And finally, FDA clearance for numerous devices for skin, pain, and hair loss — something most "wellness" interventions cannot offer.

What exactly does Bryan Johnson do?

From publicly available Blueprint data and his videos, we can reconstruct his exact PBM protocol in considerable detail.

For his face and scalp, Johnson uses a panel with red plus near-infrared LED light daily, usually for about 10–20 minutes per session. The goals are collagen production, mitochondrial function in skin cells, and scalp maintenance. For his entire body, he applies a whole-body red light panel several times a week — the goal here is mitochondrial function in muscles, accelerated recovery, and potential support for the testosterone axis.

Technically, his parameters correspond to clinical studies — devices with real power (around 100 mW/cm² at close range) and precise wavelengths (660 nm plus 850 nm). This is important because most inexpensive devices declare diodes, but the actual delivered dose is below the threshold.

Clinical evidence supporting the protocol

Mitochondrial function

PBM activates cytochrome c-oxidase in the respiratory chain — the main molecule that captures red and near-infrared light. This was established by Karu in the late 1990s and has since been confirmed in dozens of independent laboratories. The results are increased ATP (Passarella et al., 1984), reduced mitochondrial dysfunction with aging (Hamblin, 2018), and improved muscle performance (Leal-Junior et al., 2015).

Skin and collagen

Wunsch and Matuschka (2014) — 136 participants in a controlled study with LED. Result: significant increase in collagen density via ultrasound and improved clinical assessment of the skin. Avci et al. (2014) summarized over 25 studies and concluded that LED PBM is safe and reproducible for photoaging.

Hair loss

Lanzafame et al. (2013) — 41 men in a double-blind randomized study: 35% increase in hair density in 16 weeks. Liu et al. (2019) — meta-analysis of 11 RCTs for androgenetic alopecia: statistically significant effect with P < 0.001.

Recovery and inflammation

Borsa et al. (2013) — review of 16 RCTs: LED PBM reduces muscle fatigue and supports post-workout recovery. This is one reason why professional athletes and their physical therapists increasingly include PBM in their standard protocol.

Potential for longevity

Hamblin (2016) — review: PBM modulates inflammatory signaling pathways (NF-κB), which are involved in "inflammaging" — chronic low-grade inflammation, one of the 12 hallmarks of aging according to López-Otín's classification. It is not a direct anti-aging effect, but an intervention in one of the key mechanisms.

Biohacking ecosystem: what else do Johnson and friends use

Red light therapy is rarely done in isolation. It is usually part of a multi-layered strategy.

PBM is one of the less invasive options — no pills, no injections, minimal side effects. This is why it often survives the "Spring cleaning" when biohackers cut supplements and interventions that don't prove their effect.

What PBM does NOT do in the context of longevity

To manage our expectations fairly. PBM does not "repair" chronological aging — it does not radically change telomeres (research on telomeres revolves around TA-65, rapamycin, and similar). It does not replace sleep, nutrition, and exercise — these remain the strongest interventions, and no light compensates for their absence. It does not work with a single use and requires regularity (3–7 times a week, depending on the goal). And it does not "detoxify" in the popular sense — this is a pseudoscientific claim that does not correspond to any mechanism.

PBM is a specific tool for mitochondrial function, skin, hair, and recovery. This focus is its strength, not a weakness.

Practical Protocol (like Johnson's)

For those who want to copy the approach:

Face and scalp

• Device: SpectraLift™ Advanced LED Mask (multi-wavelength: 630, 660, 830 nm)
• Frequency: 5–7 times a week
• Duration: 15–20 minutes
• Time: Morning or evening (experiment — Johnson prefers evening for regeneration)

Scalp

• Device: Dr. Renú LED Cap
• Frequency: 3–4 times a week
• Duration: 20 minutes

Whole body (optional)

• Red/NIR panel at close range, 10–15 minutes
• 3–4 times a week

Metrics to track (Blueprint-style)

If you want to measure the effect the way Johnson does:

FAQ

Is it expensive? Compared to over $2 million annually? Relatively inexpensive. A quality device with a 3-year lifespan costs about 2–3 euros per day.

Do I get similar results at home as in a clinic? Yes, with proper power and regularity. Clinical devices are not magical — they simply deliver the same light more intensely.

Are there any side effects? Minimal — brief warming, rarely headache with overuse. No UV, no thermal damage.

Can I combine it with antioxidants? Small RCTs show that very high doses of vitamin C/E can reduce ROS signaling — but in usual doses, the effect is positive.

Conclusion

Red LED light is one of the few biohacking interventions with decades of PubMed evidence. Bryan Johnson includes it daily for a reason — the benefit/risk ratio is one of the best.

To copy the protocol: SpectraLift™ Advanced LED Mask for the face, Dr. Renú LED Cap for the scalp. Start with 4 times a week and measure the changes.

Related articles

• Mitochondrial Biology of Photobiomodulation
• Red light for wound healing
• Circadian rhythm and skin
• Testosterone and Photobiomodulation

Sources (PubMed)

1. Karu T. J Photochem Photobiol B. 1999. PMID: 10399170
2. Wunsch A, Matuschka K. Photomed Laser Surg. 2014. PMID: 24286286
3. Lanzafame RJ et al. Lasers Surg Med. 2013. PMID: 24006141
4. Liu KH et al. Lasers Med Sci. 2019. PMID: 30141048
5. Hamblin MR. BBA Clin. 2016. PMID: 27784687
6. Hamblin MR. Photonics. 2018. PMID: 29785360
7. Avci P et al. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2014. PMID: 24049929
8. Leal-Junior EC et al. Lasers Med Sci. 2015. PMID: 25698546
9. Borsa PA et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013. PMID: 23416929