I tried a terahertz session, then went home and read about it

I’m not a scientist. I’m someone who tried something new, found it interesting, and wanted to understand it properly. This is what happened in my session, what I read when I got home, and why I think this technology is worth watching.

My session

1. A glass of water first. The team gave me water before we started. I can’t tell you what “charged” means scientifically. It was pleasant, and drinking water before a session is a good idea anyway.
2. A private room. The trained team explained what would happen before they started. They also showed me a few simple exercises I could do at home for my ankle.
3. About 15 to 20 minutes with the device around my ankle. The device sends a stream of warm air over and around the area. It felt a little like a gentle warm massage.

What I felt

• A gentle warmth where the device was used.
• The area felt slightly relaxed afterwards, a bit like after a massage.
• I didn’t notice much on the first visit. After a few sessions I felt more comfortable.
• No problems during or after.

That’s my experience from a few sessions. Yours may be different. Some people notice something in one session, others take more, and some notice nothing at all.

What I read when I got home

I read what I could find, mostly review papers written by researchers. They are listed at the end. Here it is in plain English.

1. Where terahertz sits. Radio, Wi-Fi, microwaves, infrared, visible light and X-rays are all invisible waves of the same family, sorted by how fast they wiggle. Terahertz wiggles roughly a trillion times a second and sits between microwaves and infrared. Researchers put it at about 0.1 to 10 THz.[1]

2. It is “non-ionizing”. X-rays carry enough energy to knock tiny particles off atoms, which can damage DNA. Terahertz waves don’t carry enough energy to do that.[1] That doesn’t mean “no effect”: a microwave oven is also non-ionizing and still warms your dinner.

3. It stays near the surface. Water absorbs terahertz waves strongly, and our bodies are mostly water, so the waves only travel a fraction of a millimetre to a few millimetres into the skin.[1]

4. Most of the medical research is about seeing, not treating. The biggest use researchers describe is imaging, for example testing whether terahertz can help spot skin cancers.[1]

5. As a therapy, it’s very early. A 2021 review in the Journal of Biomedical Optics says terahertz therapy “is still at the initial stage of its development” and that the data on safe limits is “rather limited”.[2] It also notes that results from different groups don’t always match, because the equipment is rare and there’s no standard way of testing.[2]

I’ll be honest: I liked reading that. It means we’re early.

Why I’m hopeful anyway

It’s a gentle technology. It uses no drugs and no needles, and it can’t damage DNA the way X-rays can. It’s also very new, and the people studying it say there is a lot still to learn.

I’m not going to tell you it heals anything, because nobody can honestly say that yet. You may hear that sessions like this “flush out impurities”. I looked for evidence of that and didn’t find any. Your body already clears waste through the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin and gut, and I’m not aware of anything showing a device speeds that up.

What I can say is this: I felt warm and relaxed, the team looked after me well, and I’m curious to see where this goes.

Should you try one?

If you’re curious and in reasonable health, a first session is a low-pressure way to find out how it feels. Please tell the team about your health first, including any medical conditions, implants or pregnancy. Keep to the time they recommend, and tell them straight away if anything feels wrong.

If you have sudden swelling, a fever, an injury, or pain that is getting worse, please see a doctor first.

Your first session is complimentary. Book a time, or ask for a session at home.

Quick answers

What is terahertz? Invisible waves between microwaves and infrared, wiggling roughly a trillion times a second.

Is it like an X-ray? No. X-rays are ionizing and can damage cells. Terahertz is non-ionizing.

Does it go deep into the body? No. Researchers describe it reaching only the outer layers of skin and tissue.[1]

Is it a medical treatment? No. It’s a wellness session and doesn’t replace your doctor or physiotherapist.

Is it safe? It’s non-ionizing, so it can’t damage cells the way X-rays can. But researchers say the data on safe limits is still limited, so nobody can promise it’s risk-free for everyone. That’s why we ask about your health first.

Does it work? Many visitors tell us they feel calm and comfortable afterwards. The research on terahertz as a therapy is still early, so we don’t promise results.

Sources

1. Wang et al. (2021). THz Sensing of Human Skin: A Review of Skin Modeling Approaches. Sensors, 21(11), 3624. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8197005
2. Cherkasova OP et al. (2021). Cellular effects of terahertz waves. Journal of Biomedical Optics. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8483303