Softlaser Scam — Beware of Shower Lasers!
Recently the market has been flooded with so-called “shower lasers”: multi-diode devices that emit red and infrared light. Many retailers offer them on sale for HUF 250–300k as “professional medical lasers.” The same head-shaped device, however, can be found on Chinese online marketplaces for $50–60 – with no meaningful medical background.
👉 If you want a comprehensive overview of softlaser scams and how to choose the right device, read my Softlaser Buying Guide.
From the ads it's easy to think “it’s the same laser as the expensive ones, just cheaper.” But that is far from true!
The reality: they are nowhere near as therapeutically effective as properly medical-certified 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:
- several low-power red diodes (e.g. 12×5 mW @ 660 nm),
- and a few stronger infrared diodes (e.g. 3×150 mW @ 808 nm)
work simultaneously and scatter the light over a larger skin area.
In marketing you typically see statements like:
- “15-diode professional laser head”
- “510 mW, high-power laser”
- “treats a huge surface at once”
On paper that sounds good. However in laser therapy we do not simply add up the power of all diodes and call it a day. The patient’s cells and tissues are interested not in the brochure but in the real dose.
If you haven't read it yet, it's worth first understanding the basic differences between LED and diode lasers – that helps explain why shower lasers are problematic.
The language of laser therapy: not Watts, but Joules/cm²
For treatment it doesn't matter whether the device is “half a watt”; what matters is how much energy (Joules) reaches a given cm² and in what time.
Three things determine this:
- Power (mW) – how strong each diode is
- Spot size (cm²) – how large an area the beam is concentrated on
- Time (seconds, minutes) – how long you illuminate one spot
According to the World Association of Laser Therapy (WALT), recommended therapeutic doses are:
- 4–6 J/cm² – for wounds, scars, skin problems
- 8–12 J/cm² (or more) – for deeper musculoskeletal issues (tendons, ligaments, cartilage, joints, muscle)
If a device cannot deliver that dose in a reasonable time, then no matter how “powerful” it looks in the catalog – therapeutically it is weak.
Let’s calculate together: what can a typical shower laser do?
Take a typical configuration you see in many shower lasers:
- 12 × 5 mW @ 660 nm (red) → total 60 mW
- 3 × 150 mW @ 808 nm (infrared) → total 450 mW
From the marketing: “60 + 450 = 510 mW, i.e. a half-watt professional laser”.
What can a 5 mW diode do?
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Power | 5 mW = 0.005 W |
| Energy for 1 minute of treatment | 0.005 W × 60 s = 0.3 Joule |
| Time to reach 4 Joules | 4 J ÷ 0.3 J/min ≈ 13–14 minutes / spot |
So if a spot is illuminated by only one 5 mW diode, you would need more than 10 minutes at that spot to approach the minimal therapeutic level. In practice: unrealistically slow. If you hold it there for 5 minutes, it's completely 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 can a 150 mW diode do?
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Power | 150 mW = 0.15 W |
| Energy for 1 minute of treatment | 0.15 W × 60 s = 9 Joule |
| Time to reach 8 Joules | 8 J ÷ 9 J/min ≈ about 1 minute / spot |
This is realistic. The lion's share of therapeutic work is therefore done by the a few 150 mW infrared diodes, not by the many small 5 mW red diodes.
In other words: instead of the advertised “15 diodes, half a watt,” in reality three medium-power diodes do the therapeutic work, and the rest are essentially just “light effects.”
Why is “total power” misleading?
The trick is to add up diode powers, but:
- the diodes do not point at the same spot,
- a given tissue point does not “receive” the half watt,
- yet the patient believes they bought a 500 mW medical laser.
Typical marketing tactics:
- They emphasize only the total power (e.g. 510 mW) without giving per-diode data.
- They state peak power, not average (the peak can be many times higher, but the average energy reaching tissue is much lower).
- They conflate the effects of red and infrared beams, even though they penetrate to different depths and are suited to different purposes.
In the patient’s mind this becomes: “It’s half a watt like the serious lasers, so why should I pay more?”
Therapeutically, this is like adding the light from 15 flashlights and claiming you have “sunlight-level” illumination. On paper you can do the math, but reality doesn’t work that way.
Shower laser vs. a real medical single-diode laser — comparison
| Aspect | Shower laser | Medical single-diode laser |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Many weak diodes (5 mW), a few medium ones (150 mW) | Concentrated 200–500 mW on one spot |
| Spot size | Uncertain, not detailed | Known, precise dose calculation possible |
| Medical certification | Usually no medical certification | CE/MDR medical device |
| Therapeutic protocol | None or very general | Indication-specific protocols |
| Service, warranty | Questionable, limited | Local service background, traceability |
| Actual manufacturing cost | USD 50–60 | Professional manufacturing, quality control |
The price–value trap: $50 turned into HUF 300,000
The mechanism is as follows:
- The (usually Chinese) manufacturer mass-produces a simple multi-diode head: USD 50–60 per unit.
- The reseller sticks on their brand, makes a box and a brochure.
- Marketing text includes: “professional medical laser,” “half-watt power,” “clinical-level technology.”
- The consumer sees: “only HUF 249,000 on sale”, and believes they've bought a serious therapeutic device at a good price.
The reality: the buyer is paying for the marketing story, not cutting-edge technology.
The biggest harm isn't even the money, but that:
- they don't receive the therapeutic effect they expected,
- they may easily conclude: “laser therapy doesn't work at all”.
In most cases it's not that laser therapy is ineffective, it's that the wrong device was chosen.
How to choose a truly therapeutic laser?
Before buying, ask these questions:
| # | Question | Why important? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical device? | Is there CE/MDR documentation for the specific model? |
| 2 | Is per-diode power known? | Not just “total power,” but the power of each diode individually |
| 3 | Can the dose (J/cm²) be specified? | Are meaningful treatment times and energy levels provided? |
| 4 | Reliable manufacturer/distributor? | Accessible customer service, service, warranty? |
| 5 | Designed for home therapy? | Is it a known brand with a medical approach? |
When should you suspect a “laser scam”?
- If the description is full of big promises but lacks precise data on diode count, power per diode, spot size, J/cm²
- If the device appears in many different webshops under different names and logos
- If a genuine medical certification is missing yet it’s marketed as a medical device
- If it promises an unrealistically wide range of cures (“for every pain, every condition, with no side effects”)
Summary — Quick overview
What is this article? A consumer protection guide to recognizing the marketing traps of “shower lasers.”
Who is it for? For those who have seen “professional medical lasers” priced at HUF 250–300k and want to know if they are worth it.
Main message:
- In shower lasers the many low-power diodes do not concentrate the total power on one spot
- Diodes at 660 nm and 5 mW are therapeutically almost worthless — the red-emitting diodes alone do very little
- There are usually 3 × 808 nm diodes at up to 150 mW each — these do work, but their power is a fraction of what B-Cure, Personal-Laser, or Energy-Laser devices can deliver
- The ad sold you a Mercedes, but you got a Trabant!
If you want long-term, meaningful therapeutic effect, choose a laser that is backed by a medical approach, certification, transparent technical data, and therapeutic protocols.
Recommended devices
- B-Cure Laser Pro – Class 1 laser head, pulsed mode, 808 nm, usable without protective goggles
- Personal Laser L400 – 400 mW continuous, 808 nm, Class 3 laser
- Energy-Laser L500 Pro – 500 mW continuous, 808 nm, Class 3 laser
👉 Full range of softlaser devices →
Related articles
👉 LED vs Diode Laser – Technical Differences Explained →
👉 Softlaser Therapy – Comprehensive Guide to Home Laser Treatment →
Sources
- World Association of Laser Therapy (WALT) – Recommended treatment doses for LLLT. WALT Guidelines
- Bjordal et al. Low-Level Laser Light Therapy Dosage Variables vs Treatment Efficacy. PMC7729198
- Comparison Between Single-Diode Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) and LED Multi-Diode (Cluster) Therapy. PubMed 19302015
Questions? We can help!
If you are thinking about buying a laser device and don't want to fall victim to a “big softlaser scam,” it's worth asking for expert advice. Tell us what problem you want to solve, and we'll help you choose a medical device that is truly suitable for your goals.
The information in this article is for guidance only. Home therapy devices are intended to complement medical treatment and do not replace specialist medical care.
