Buzz
I’m not sure why Tucker Carlson has become the go-to guy for advice on how to boost masculinity (likely because he thinks so), but he’s recently teased a documentary on the topic, featuring clips that introduce the concept of 'testicle tanning.'
Every once in a while, I encounter ideas on fitness, wellness, or biohacking forums that seem perfect for debunking—though they aren't mainstream enough yet for Mytour to tackle. The latest trend, sunning your genitals or, more extravagantly, exposing them to a $1,649 red light panel, has evaded my mental ‘I don’t need to cover this’ list.
So, does exposing your scrotum to red light really deliver the 'massive amount of benefits' that Carlson mentions in his clip? Many people claim numerous advantages, but the scientific evidence doesn’t support them. The companies selling these lights and the biohackers promoting them often cite studies done on animals, in test tubes, or in humans, but none are specifically focused on testosterone or the testicles/scrotum.
So what’s the supposed benefit of testicle tanning? One theory suggests that red light stimulates mitochondria to generate more ATP, which, in turn, helps the Leydig cells in the testicles produce more testosterone. Another theory links it to vitamin D, with studies showing that men with low testosterone levels often have low vitamin D as well.
However, there are issues with these theories. A major one is that vitamin D isn’t specifically produced in the skin of the scrotum. You can boost your vitamin D by sunbathing on any part of your body, or simply by consuming more vitamin D-rich foods, such as fatty fish.
When it comes to red light and mitochondria, it might hold some truth—but only in skin cells. The testicles are internal organs, and light doesn’t penetrate the skin more than a few millimeters. There are light therapy treatments designed for the skin, but there’s no credible way to boost testosterone in the testes simply by shining light on the skin of the scrotum.
So why do some people swear by it? The light therapy advocate in the video, Andrew McGovern, was probably right when he mentioned that people often embrace what he calls 'bromeopathy' when they distrust mainstream information. I find that pretty accurate, and it’s a trend behind many pseudoscientific practices, as I saw firsthand at the Goop summit. It’s the same situation here—shining light on your genitals seems like an insider health secret that doctors are hiding from you, but you can do it for free under the sun. Or you could research light therapy devices and, as biohacker Ben Greenfield shared, check your email or chat with your mom while standing in front of one with your pants down.
It also likely feels special and edgy. Remember the woman from a few years ago who posted on Instagram about 'sunning [her] bum and yoni'? She has mentioned that '[a]s a woman, it has connected me more to my womb space,' which reminds me of how Greenfield described feeling a 'unique heavenly, warm, tingly glow in my crotch' before enjoying a great date night with his partner.
And there you have it: the mysteries of testicle tanning laid bare. But don’t be shocked if the next trend takes a completely different approach, like sitting with an ice pack on your scrotum—because, apparently, that’s also supposed to boost your testosterone.
