Softlaser scam — beware of "shower lasers"!

The reality: they are by no means therapeutically equivalent to properly medical‑certified single‑diode devices (e.g. certain models of B‑Cure, Safe Laser, Personal‑Laser, Energy‑Laser).

What is a “shower laser” really?

A shower laser is a laser head in which:

• many small‑power red diodes (e.g. 12 × 5 mW @ 660 nm),
• and a few stronger infrared diodes (e.g. 3 × 150 mW @ 808 nm)

operate simultaneously and spread the light over a larger skin area.

Marketing typically shows lines like:

• “15‑diode professional laser head”
• “510 mW, high‑power laser”
• “treats a huge area at once”

On paper it sounds good. However in laser therapy we don’t just add up the power of all diodes and call it a day.

The patient’s cells and tissues are interested in the actual dose, not the brochure.

The language of laser therapy: not Watts, but Joule/cm²

For treatment it doesn’t matter whether the device is “half a watt” on paper, but rather how much energy (Joules) reaches a given cm² and in what time.

This is determined by three things:

1. Power (mW) – how strong each diode is.
2. Spot size (cm²) – how large an area the beam is concentrated on.
3. Time (seconds, minutes) – how long you illuminate a point.

In practice the desired energy density for wounds, scars, and skin problems is about 4–6 J/cm², while for deeper musculoskeletal issues (tendon, ligament, cartilage, joint, muscle) it’s 8–12 J/cm² or even more.

If a device cannot deliver this dose within a realistic time, then no matter how “powerful” it looks in the catalogue, therapeutically it is weak.

Let’s calculate: what can a typical shower laser do?

Take a typical configuration often seen in shower lasers:

• 12 × 5 mW @ 660 nm (red) → total 60 mW
• 3 × 150 mW @ 808 nm (infrared) → total 450 mW

From marketing: “60 + 450 = 510 mW, i.e. a half‑watt professional laser”.

What does a 5 mW diode do?

• 5 mW = 0.005 W
• 1 minute of treatment: 0.005 W × 60 s = 0.3 Joule

If you want to reach, say, 4 Joules on one point:

4 J ÷ 0.3 J/min ≈ 13–14 minutes / point.

So if only a single 5 mW diode is illuminating a point, you would need to hold the head there for more than 10 minutes to approach the minimal therapeutic level. In practice: unrealistically slow. If you hold it for 5 minutes, it’s essentially ineffective!

12 × 5 mW does not mean you get 60 mW on one spot; it means 12 separate spots each receive very little energy.

What does a 150 mW diode do?

• 150 mW = 0.15 W
• 1 minute of treatment: 0.15 W × 60 s = 9 Joule

If you want roughly 8 Joules for a deeper structure:

8 J ÷ 9 J/min ≈ about 1 minute / point.

That is realistic. So the lion’s share of therapeutic work is done not by the many tiny 5 mW red diodes but by the few 150 mW infrared diodes.

In other words: instead of the advertised “15 diodes, half‑watt”, in reality only about 3 weak diodes work therapeutically; the rest is mostly a “light effect”.

Why is “total power” misleading?

The trick is that they add up the diodes’ power, but:

• the diodes don’t point at the same spot,
• a tissue point doesn’t “receive” the half watt,
• yet the patient believes they bought a 500 mW medical laser.

Typical marketing tactics:

• Only the total power is emphasized (e.g. 510 mW), without per‑diode data.
• They quote peak power, not average (the peak may be many times higher, but the average reaching tissue is much lower).
• They blur the differences between red and infrared wavelengths, even though they penetrate to different depths and suit different indications.

In the patient’s mind it becomes:

“It’s half a watt like the serious lasers, so why pay more?”

From a therapeutic viewpoint this is like adding up the light of 15 flashlights and claiming to have “sunlight‑strength” illumination. You can do the math on paper, but in reality it doesn’t work that way.

Shower laser vs. medical single‑diode laser

What can a genuine medical single‑diode device do? (e.g. certain models of B‑Cure, Safe Laser, Personal‑Laser, Energy‑Laser)

• Concentrates the power on a single point (e.g. 200–500 mW on a defined spot).
• The spot size is known, so a precise dose (J/cm²) can be calculated.
• The manufacturer registers it as a medical device, with documentation and tests.
• It comes with therapeutic protocols and indications (what problem, where, and for how long to use it).
• There is accountability, service support, and traceability.

What does a cheaply made, expensively sold shower laser offer in comparison?

• Low per‑diode power, with very slow dose build‑up.
• Unclear or unspecified spot size.
• Typically no meaningful clinical background, no serious protocols.
• The CE mark often isn’t in the medical sense, just general (it may only prove it won’t electrocute you if used).
• Quality, lifespan, and safety are questionable; serviceability is very limited.

It’s not that every shower laser is unusable.

But most devices with a manufacturing cost of $50–60 sold for HUF 250,000–300,000 are simply not in the same league as serious medical lasers.

The price‑value trap: $50 into HUF 300,000

The mechanism works like this:

1. A (typically Chinese) manufacturer mass‑produces a simple multi‑diode head: USD 50–60 per unit.
2. The reseller sticks their brand on it, makes packaging and a brochure.
3. In marketing they insert phrases like:
   • “professional medical laser”,
   • “half‑watt power”,
   • “clinical‑level technology”.
4. The consumer sees: “on sale for only HUF 249,000”, and believes they bought a serious therapeutic device at a bargain.

The reality: the buyer isn’t paying for cutting‑edge technology but for a marketing story. The biggest harm is not the money but that:

• they don’t get the therapeutic effect they hoped for,
• they may conclude: “laser therapy doesn’t work”.

In most cases it’s not laser therapy that’s ineffective, but the poorly chosen device.

How to choose a truly therapeutic laser?

Before buying ask the following questions:

• Is the device a medical device?
  Does it have a medical CE marking and MDR‑compliant documentation?
• Are the power and spot size known?
  Not only “total power” but per‑diode data and the size of the treated area should be provided.
• Can the dose (J/cm²) be specified?
  Does the manual include sensible, calculable therapeutic times and energy levels?
• Is there a reliable manufacturer/distributor behind it?
  Accessible customer service, repair, warranty, a real company?
• Is it a known brand designed for home therapy?
  Examples include various B‑Cure, Safe Laser, Personal‑Laser, Energy‑Laser devices — these are made specifically for therapeutic use with a medical approach.

And one more important point: always consult a doctor or therapist before starting laser therapy for a significant problem. Even a good device can be the wrong choice if used for an inappropriate condition.

When should you suspect a “laser scam”?

• If the description is full of grand promises but:
  • contains no precise data on number of diodes or their power,
  • no spot size,
  • no mention of J/cm² or treatment times.
• If the device appears in different webshops under different names and logos.
• If it lacks genuine medical device certification yet is advertised as medical equipment.
• If it promises an unrealistically broad range of cures (“for every pain, every disease, with no side effects”).

Summary

In shower lasers the many small diodes do not deliver the total power to one spot. The 660 nm, 5 mW diodes are therapeutically essentially “worthless”. In other words, the red lights do nothing for your health.

There are usually about 3 units of the 808 nm diode, each with a maximum of 150 mW. These are not useless, but their power is half or a third of what B‑Cure, Personal‑Laser or Energy‑Laser devices can deliver!

The device you bought on a big sale for several hundred thousand forints is in fact a weak‑performing unit from which you can expect little effectiveness. 

The ad promised a Mercedes, but you got a Trabant!

Because you don’t get the result you expected, you may think laser therapy is a lie... but that’s not the case. The problem is that you were duped by the device!

If you want long‑term, meaningful therapeutic effect, choose a laser backed by a medical approach, certification, transparent technical data, and therapeutic protocols.

Unsure what you need?

If you’re considering buying a laser device and don’t want to fall victim to a “big softlaser scam”, it’s worth seeking expert advice.

Tell us what problem you’re looking to treat (joint pain, spinal issues, sports injury, wound, scar, etc.), and we’ll help you choose a medical device that is truly suitable for your goals.