Celebrity-approved longevity treatments — from cold plunges and red light beds to NAD+ drips, stem cell injections and peptide shots — are dominating wellness feeds and high-end clinics, but the science behind these anti-aging trends is uneven at best. Backed by A-list names but often mixed in evidence, these therapies are being marketed as ways to boost energy, reduce inflammation and extend healthspan.
Here is what doctors say about five of the most hyped treatments.
What Are the Most Popular Celebrity Longevity Treatments Right Now?
Some of the celebrity longevity treatments getting the most attention are cryotherapy and cold plunges, red light therapy, NAD+ IV drips, stem cell injections and peptide injections. They are being marketed as ways to reduce inflammation, speed recovery, slow aging and support long-term health.
The list reads like a who’s-who of Hollywood wellness. Kim Kardashian uses red light therapy beds. Gwyneth Paltrow has promoted infrared saunas and peptides. Hailey Bieber and other influencers have embraced NAD+ infusions. Lady Gaga, Harry Styles and Paltrow have all publicly endorsed ice baths and cold-water therapy.
Athletes have driven interest in another tier of treatments. Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning have all reportedly used stem cell injections, pushing the procedure into mainstream conversation despite serious questions about whether it works. Jennifer Aniston and Paltrow have discussed peptide injections as part of their anti-aging routines. Paltrow told Elle, “Injectable B12 is one of my biggest wellness tools; same with NAD+ and peptides.”
Costs vary wildly. A single NAD+ IV session can run from $200 to $1,500, with some clinics recommending weekly or monthly treatments. Stem cell injections average $3,000 to $7,000 per joint, and larger packages can range from $15,000 to more than $50,000. Red light therapy and cold plunging are cheaper to access, though boutique studios and at-home devices add up fast.
The shared thread across all of these treatments is that they are marketed for longevity, anti-aging or preventative health — but the evidence supporting those claims ranges from genuinely promising to almost nonexistent. Some treatments, like red light therapy, have a real clinical research base. Others, like stem cell injections for anti-aging, are described by doctors as unproven and largely driven by celebrity endorsement and placebo effect.
Before signing up for any of them, it is worth knowing what the science actually says — and what physicians warn about timing, dosing and the risks of unregulated providers.
Do Cold Plunges and Cryotherapy Work as Longevity Treatments?
Cold plunges and cryotherapy chambers can help with mood and short-term recovery, but the evidence for long-term performance or longevity benefits is thin, and the timing matters more than most users realize.
Cryotherapy chambers expose the body to extreme sub-zero temperatures for two to three minutes and are marketed for muscle recovery, inflammation reduction and mood. Internal medicine physician Matthew Badgett of Cleveland Clinic told Yahoo Life there is evidence that “cryotherapy helps with mood,” and said studies show it may help alleviate depression symptoms. But he said the evidence does not yet support long-term improvements in muscle performance or endurance.
Badgett also warned that hopping into a chamber immediately after a workout can backfire. “You need inflammation to help muscle repair and regrow — that’s part of the process,” he said. Blunting that inflammatory response with cold exposure right after lifting can interfere with the adaptations users are trying to build.
Cold-water swimming has a similar mood-boost story. Harry Styles has spoken about daily outdoor swims, including dips at Dublin’s Vico Baths. He told Better Homes & Gardens in 2022: “I feel like people who have discovered cold water swimming are just so happy for you that you’ve also found it. That’s the thing with a swim – it’s the one thing you never regret.”
The bottom line from physicians: cold exposure may be useful for mental clarity and mood, and it can play a role in recovery for some people. But it is not a longevity miracle, and overusing it — or stacking it directly onto a strength workout — may undercut some of the gains users are chasing in the gym.
Is Red Light Therapy One of the Better Celebrity-Approved Longevity Treatments?
Yes — among the celebrity-approved longevity treatments on this list, red light therapy has one of the stronger evidence bases and is generally considered lower risk, especially for skin, recovery and inflammation.
Salma Hayek, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba and Vanessa Hudgens have all endorsed red light devices as part of their skincare routines. The therapy, also called photobiomodulation, uses red and near-infrared light between 600 and 850 nanometers to penetrate skin at the cellular level. It is marketed to stimulate collagen production, reduce inflammation, improve wound healing, support hair growth and help release endorphins.
Cosmetic surgeon Sheina Bawa told Fortune: “This light works directly on the mitochondria, activating many enzymes that allow for cell turnover, cell repair, and inflammation reduction.”
Board-certified physiatrist Benjamin Shekhtman told the same outlet that the benefits first emerged from NASA research in the 1990s and that the treatment “has accumulated a meaningful clinical evidence base across sports medicine, dermatology, and rehabilitation.”
That clinical foundation is what sets red light therapy apart from flashier offerings like NAD+ drips or stem cell shots. It has been studied across multiple specialties — not just marketed by influencers — and the risk profile is modest compared with injectable treatments. That does not make it a cure-all. Devices vary in wavelength, power output and quality, and at-home panels are not always equivalent to clinical-grade machines. Results for skin, hair and pain are typically gradual and require consistent use over weeks or months.
Still, for readers weighing where to spend their wellness budget, red light therapy lands in the “more evidence, less risk” tier. It is non-invasive, generally well tolerated and supported by research across several medical fields, even if the most expansive anti-aging claims still outpace the data.
Are NAD+ Drips Actually Effective Anti-Aging Longevity Treatments?
NAD+ IV drips are one of the most hyped celebrity-approved longevity treatments, but the human research is limited, the claims are not FDA-approved, and doctors say the evidence does not yet match the marketing.
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme involved in energy metabolism, DNA repair and stress response. Declining NAD+ levels have been linked to aging-related diseases, which is part of the pitch for infusions. Hailey Bieber and a wave of wellness influencers have promoted NAD+ drips as an anti-aging tool, helping fuel a booming clinic market.
The price tag is steep. One NAD+ IV session can cost between $200 and $1,500, and some clinics recommend weekly or monthly treatments. Sessions can take up to four hours per visit. Despite that investment, most studies are small, and neither NAD+ supplements nor IV drips are FDA-approved for anti-aging claims.
Sumeet Deogan, PharmD, of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, told Verywell: “I’m not gonna yuck anyone’s yum when it comes to what makes you feel good. But I don’t think there’s much evidence to support it.”
Richina Bicette-McCain, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, raised a safety flag at the same outlet. “[T]here is no guarantee that the drug is safe nor is there any certainty that the drug will have whatever effect that is being advertised,” she said.
That uncertainty is a recurring theme with rapidly scaling wellness treatments: clinics can market them aggressively even when peer-reviewed human data is sparse, and quality control between providers varies. Some users report feeling more energetic after sessions, but physicians caution that anecdotal energy boosts are not the same as proven anti-aging effects.
For now, NAD+ drips may be tolerated well by many users, but the case that they meaningfully slow aging or extend lifespan in humans remains weak. Readers tempted by the trend should ask clinics about provider credentials, sourcing and what specific outcomes — beyond marketing language — they can actually document.
Do Stem Cell Injections Work for Anti-Aging and Longevity?
Stem cell injections are among the most controversial celebrity-approved longevity treatments, and most experts say there is little solid evidence that they slow aging or deliver the benefits marketers promise.
Use by athletes such as Tiger Woods, Rafael Nadal, Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning has fueled public interest, even though those treatments are typically aimed at joint injuries rather than longevity. The pricing reflects the hype: the average cost ranges from $3,000 to $7,000 per joint, while larger treatment packages can run from $15,000 to more than $50,000.
Dr. James Rickert, president of the Society for Patient Centered Orthopedics, told KFF Health News: “It sends a signal to all the fans out there that stem cells have more value than they really do. It’s extremely good PR for the people selling this kind of thing. But there’s no question that this is an unproven treatment.”
Paul Knoepfler, a professor at the University of California, Davis, was similarly blunt at the same outlet: “There’s really not much evidence that it’s going to help him, other than as a psychological boost or as a placebo effect.”
The gap between celebrity endorsement and clinical evidence is a recurring problem in this space. High-profile athletes seeking stem cell shots can legitimize the procedure in the public eye even when peer-reviewed research on long-term efficacy — particularly for anti-aging — remains limited. Regulatory oversight also varies significantly by country and by clinic, raising additional questions about sourcing, dosing and safety.
For readers considering stem cell injections specifically as a longevity treatment, the warning from physicians is clear: the procedures are expensive, the marketing tends to outrun the data, and the most credible benefit some experts will acknowledge is psychological. That is not nothing — placebo effects are real — but it is a long way from the regenerative, age-reversing pitch that often accompanies a five-figure invoice.
Anyone weighing the option should press providers for specific published evidence, ask about the source and type of cells being used, and consult an independent physician before committing.
Are Peptide Injections Safe Longevity Treatments?
Peptide injections are the newest wave of celebrity-approved longevity treatments, but doctors warn they are being overused, over-promised and, in many cases, prescribed outside the conditions they are actually approved to treat.
Peptides are short chains of amino acids the body naturally produces to regulate hormones, metabolism and cellular signaling. Some peptides, like insulin, have long-standing medical uses, and the popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs has pushed peptide therapy further into the mainstream. Now they are being marketed for muscle growth, healing, skin health and anti-aging.
Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow have both discussed peptide injections as part of their anti-aging routines. Paltrow told Elle: “Injectable B12 is one of my biggest wellness tools; same with NAD+ and peptides.”
Dr. Sabine Donnai, founder of Viavi clinic in London, told The Times that the regulatory picture is much narrower than the marketing suggests. “Where peptides are approved, it’s usually for specific diseases, not for extending lifespan, and registered medical doctors cannot legally prescribe the vast majority of peptides,” she said.
She also raised concerns about how the trend is playing out in practice. “They are being overused and over-promised, and the product quality is a massive concern to medical professionals,” Donnai said.
Her recommendation for readers chasing longer, healthier lives circles back to fundamentals rather than injections. The strongest longevity interventions, Donnai said, remain basic lifestyle factors: “Improving your metabolic health, reducing cardiovascular risk, better sleep, stronger muscles and reducing inflammation through diet and exercise.”
That advice doubles as a useful filter for the entire celebrity-approved longevity menu. Some treatments — like red light therapy — have a real evidence base and modest risk. Others, like stem cell injections and NAD+ drips marketed as anti-aging, lean heavily on hype. Peptides may become more promising with future research, but they are not currently a proven shortcut to a longer life, and physicians say the basics still beat the injectables.
