Photobiomodulation and Biological Pathways in Skin Regeneration and Rejuvenation: Light and Biological Activation of Skin Improvement.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review describing biological mechanisms without primary empirical data or systematic synthesis
PubMed 42392660 · doi:10.1016/j.fsc.2026.05.002
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the biological mechanisms of photobiomodulation using visible and near-infrared wavelengths, topical and intradermal biological agents (including exosomes, platelet-rich plasma, platelet-rich fibrin, polydeoxyribonucleotides, polynucleotides, recombinant growth factors, and bioactive peptides), and physical delivery platforms (fractional ablative and non-ablative lasers, mechanical and energy-based microneedling) for skin rejuvenation and tissue repair.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical findings, effect sizes, or comparative clinical outcomes. It describes qualitative biological pathways, noting that photobiomodulation targets mitochondrial energetics and transcriptional programs related to wound repair, angiogenesis, immune homeostasis, and extracellular matrix remodeling, while adjunctive biologics and delivery devices facilitate collagen synthesis, elastin assembly, and barrier restoration.
Why it matters
It outlines the conceptual and mechanistic rationale for combining light-based photobiomodulation with modern regenerative biologics and device-assisted delivery methods in aesthetic dermatology.
Limits
The abstract contains no primary clinical data, systematic search methodology, sample sizes, or quantitative outcome measures. It cannot establish comparative clinical efficacy, optimal treatment parameters, or safety profiles.