Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to medical devices.
There's been a ton of controversy recently about a term coined by celebrity and political pundit Tucker Carlson called “testicular tanning.” This refers to the use of red light therapy or sunlight on the testicles with the goal of increasing testosterone (T) levels.
But is there any research backing for testicular tanning? Does it actually improve T levels? Is it dangerous? And what was our experience testing it for a month?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze research studies to give our take on whether or not testicular tanning is likely to support optimal T levels.
We'll also discuss how the mainstream press coverage of this topic has been totally unscientific, and share our honest experience testing testicular tanning at a red light therapy center over the course of a month.
Key takeaways:
- No evidence that testicular tanning increases T
- Mainstream press gets it wrong on testicular tanning
- T levels are dropping globally but this isn't the solution
Mainstream Press Gets it Wrong
We’ve been disappointed by the coverage of this topic in mainstream media.
Rather than analyzing the health claim based on research studies, to provide consumers with valuable information, much of the coverage has been emotionally-driven rhetoric without any legitimate citations.
An InsideHook article written by a man named Kirk Hook on the topic of testicular tanning states the following: “‘Red light therapy’ doesn’t appear to be a thing anyone is talking about professionally or medically, basically because the idea makes no sense.”
Kirk Hook doesn't appear to have any medical credentials and this conclusion is false and unscientific.
Red light therapy (otherwise referred to as “low level light therapy”) currently returns over 8,000 results in PubMed, a free online database of peer-reviewed clinical studies.
While red light therapy may not be effective for improving testosterone, it has promising early results for other health effects, as discussed earlier in this article.
An article published The Guardian on testicular tanning claims that “most men have far more testosterone than they need,” without providing any proof, suggesting that the population-level decline in testosterone has no negative effects on men's health.
The author is named Sam Wolfson and he describes himself as a “freelance music writer” in his author bio.
He has no apparent medical credentials and it’s concerning that a major publisher is allowing this author to mass-distribute medical advice.
This commentary is uncited and demonstrably false, as optimal testosterone levels in men are associated with physical and mental wellbeing.
A thorough medical review on testosterone levels and psychological health status found that men with lower testosterone (in the normal range) had higher levels of anxiety and depression than men with average to above-average testosterone.
Testosterone therapy is highly effective at treating depression in men with low testosterone, as documented in a 2019 meta-study.
We find it unfortunate that many mainstream journalists are not fulfilling their basic research obligations to help inform the public in an objective manner, and instead allow their desire to denigrate the messenger to so greatly influence their "reporting."
Does Testicular Tanning Increase Testosterone?
We can't find much medical research suggesting that red light therapy applied to the testicles (or to the body generally) improves testosterone levels.
One clinical trial examined the effects of full-body red light therapy on a variety of health parameters in healthy young male athletes, including heart rate variability, cortisol levels, and testosterone.
The researchers found that red light therapy had no effect on testosterone levels, though it should be noted that the participants were 18 year old professional athletes, which is a group likely to have optimal T levels to begin with.
An animal study found that red light therapy increased sperm damage and had no impact on testosterone levels in rams.
As we documented in our article on the benefits of a sauna, which include potential reductions in blood pressure and pain, infrared saunas which use red lights do have some potential health benefits; we just can't find any proof this technology impacts testosterone specifically.
We Tested Testicular Tanning
As one of the authors of this article (Calloway), I wanted to try testicular tanning myself.
I visited the same center that I tried float therapy, because they have red light therapy tanks:
I booked regular treatments fully naked for a month or so, and didn't notice any improvements in mood or sex drive.
I am relatively healthy at baseline, and have no hormonal issues, so perhaps this would be more beneficial for someone with health issues.
The treatment is very relaxing, much like a traditional sauna, so it may be worth trying for anxious individuals:
Overall, I do not recommend this treatment modality, and I do not plan on trying it again.
Why Is Male Testosterone Dropping?
Male testosterone is dropping precipitously in industrialized societies.
A medical review published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism analyzed testosterone levels across nearly two decades.
The researchers found that there was an “age-independent decline” in testosterone that remained even when factors known to lower testosterone like obesity were adjusted for.
This suggests that there are environmental factors causing the decline.
A more recent study, published in 2021, found that adolescent and young adult men in the US experienced a statistically significant decrease in testosterone between the years 2000 and 2016.
In less than two decades, the study authors noted that the average testosterone level in the young adults tested dropped from around 600 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl) to around 450 ng/dl.
This is a population-level testosterone drop of around 25% in 20 years which is significant.
But what's causing this drop?
There are many theories as to why male testosterone is declining so significantly. The answer is likely multifactorial, but one of the theories backed by scientific research is the influence of hormone-disrupting chemicals in our environment.
Microplastics and plasticizing chemicals are a byproduct of industrialization, and are documented in human and animal studies to negatively affect testosterone in males.
The class of chemicals that make plastics soft, called “plasticizers,” disrupt endocrine function and appear to bio-accumulate in the tissue of mammals.
Consumers who are concerned about the potential effects of plastics on T levels may want to check out our article on the best water filters, where we discuss filtration products that have been shown in independent tests to remove plastic from tap water.
Our Testosterone Support Picks
MBG Vitamin D3 Potency+ is our top value testosterone support pick.
Vitamin D3 supplementation has been clinically shown to increase total testosterone levels by over 25%.
Performance Lab Magnesium is our top mineral testosterone support pick.
Magnesium is a mineral that is clinically shown to increase free and total testosterone in athletes and in sedentary individuals.
Both of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider unhealthy.
