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Before You Buy a Light Box

By Nancy Schimelpfening, About.com Guide

Updated May 04, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

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There are many light box products on the market that claim to help Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but not all light boxes meet the recommended requirements for treating SAD. These are the requirements recommended by the Center for Environmental Therapeutics (CET) for effective light box therapy. Make sure that any unit you purchase meets these specifications.

Clinical Testing

Any light box you buy should have been tested successfully in peer-reviewed clinical trials.

Sufficient Output

The box should provide 10,000 lux of illumination at a comfortable sitting distance. Product specifications are often missing or unverified.

UV Filters

Fluorescent lamps should have a smooth diffusing screen that filters out ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays are harmful to the eyes and skin.

White Light Only

The lamps should give off white light rather than colored light. "Full spectrum" lamps and blue (or bluish) lamps provide no known therapeutic advantage.

Minimize Glare

The light should be projected downward toward the eyes at an angle to minimize aversive visual glare.

Sufficient Size

Smaller is not better: When using a compact light box, even small head movements will take the eyes out of the therapeutic range of the light.

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