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In an era where obsessed pet owners are bringing their fur babies on lavish vacations and spending $50,000 to clone them for an everlasting bond, it’s no surprise that people will do whatever it takes to keep their pups around for as long as possible.
The latest head-scratching pooch trend? Exposing furry friends to expensive skincare treatments like red light therapy — a recent fad among skincare enthusiasts — to potentially improve their health and extend their lives.
In the form of LED masks and panels designed for human skin, red light therapy is said to stimulate collagen production, reduce inflammation and boost overall skin quality.
Now, pet lovers are utilizing this tech, which ranges in price from $300 to $700, not just on themselves, but on their pooches, after Paris Hilton reportedly said that exposing her fur baby to red light therapy helped him live past 20.
“I started using LED on my dogs about three months ago, when I heard Paris Hilton believed her dog’s long lifespan was due to red light therapy,” Victoria Underwood told The Post after the 20-something resident of Oxford, England, shared a social media video of her 9-year-old cocker spaniel Bentley lying under her CurrentBody red light mask.
“I know a lot of people probably find that to be disgusting, which is honestly fair,” added Underwood, referring to her six pups using the same device she puts on her bare skin.
“But I share my bed with my dogs, so their bacteria is already getting on my face. I also clean my mask after every single use with anti-bacterial spray.”
Underwood claims that her dogs “all lie still for the 10-minute treatment and are happy for me to put the mask on them,” which currently retails for $469.
“Our three toy poodles are rescues from the meat trade … (One) arrived with very irritated and itchy skin,” said Underwood. “I’ve used the LED mask on him almost every day since his arrival, and I’ve noticed a big improvement in his skin, and his itching has reduced.”
In addition to clearing up skin issues, some pet owners even claim to see a difference in their pup’s movement from using the mask. On a Reddit thread titled “Current Body LED mask … can I use on my dog?” one person commented, “I use it on my Basset hound for his arthritis. I think I see a difference in his mobility.”
While some pups seem to be physically benefiting from this treatment, others may view it as a cozy place to relax.
Cora Lakey, 31, originally exposed her 2-year-old cavapoo, Dolly, to her LED mask “sort of satirically,” as she saw “no harm” in it.
Now her pooch can’t get enough of it.
“She just loves it,” the Southern California resident said. “She will proactively sit in it and lie in it, because she’s pretty bitty. That’s kind of how it started.”
Though many might be side-eyeing this claim, Hilton and other pet owners might be onto something.
Dr. Stevie Aitken, a travel emergency veterinarian, told The Post that while she couldn’t guarantee that Hilton utilizing red light therapy was “the thing to help her dog live longer,” she did confirm that it complements “a balanced diet, maintaining a dog’s lean body condition, and regular medical and dental care.”
“Like with humans, we actually do know that red light therapy has significant positive attributes to overall health and longevity,” Aitken said. “It works to decrease inflammation, diminish pain, improve rates of healing and increase blood flow.”
Aitken explained that photobiomodulation — otherwise known as low-level laser therapy or red light therapy — is utilized in many veterinary facilities for post-operative pain, osteoarthritis and chronic inflammation.
She clarified that while LED red lights designed for skin are a form of this therapy, they are less intense compared to medical-grade devices.
“Red light masks, beds and the like that celebrities like Paris use are going to typically be higher quality, but also generally out of the normal pet owner’s price range,” said Aitken.
But while red light therapy might improve a pooch’s quality of life, Dr. Lindsey Wendt, an integrative veterinarian and founder of Crystal Lotus Veterinary Care, warns against using skincare tools designed for humans on a furry friend.
“The wavelengths, intensity and treatment protocols aren’t standardized for canine tissue depth or conditions,” Wendt told The Post. “Plus, you’re potentially exposing their eyes to light they’re not equipped to handle.”
Instead, Wendt suggests purchasing consumer-grade red light panels with the appropriate wavelengths for canines — 630 to 850 nanometers, with sufficient power output.
Still, to truly extend a pup’s lifespan, Wendt emphasized that it’s important to go back to the basics.
“Feed them real food, keep them moving, manage their pain appropriately, and align with an integrative veterinarian or care team that can provide a precision medicine approach to their healthcare,” Wendt said.
