Red light research, in plain English.
Fifteen studies from PubMed on red, near-infrared and blue LED light for skin, each explained without the jargon: what was done, what was found and what it cannot tell you. Each page links to the masks that list the same wavelengths.
- How often should you use a red LED mask? A sham-controlled trialTwo sessions a week against three, compared with a sham mask
- Red vs amber light for eye wrinkles, at the same dose660 nm on one side of the face, 590 nm on the other
- A home-use 660/850 nm LED mask alongside hyaluronic acidDoes adding a mask to a serum routine change the result?
- Red vs near-infrared light on healing skin grafts, in rats630 nm and 850 nm light on skin repair
- LEDs in dermatology: what 31 randomised trials add up toA systematic review that grades the evidence by condition
- Why red light may calm inflammation: the mechanism reviewCytochrome c oxidase, ATP and the biphasic dose response
- 830 nm light after cosmetic procedures: what the review foundNear-infrared light to reduce redness, swelling and downtime
- Red light and collagen density: a 136-person controlled trialRed-only light against a broad red-to-infrared spectrum
- Low-level light therapy for skin: an overview from Harvard researchersHow red and near-infrared light act on skin cells
- Pulsed 660 nm light, collagen production and wrinkle depthFrom lab-grown skin to a split-face study
- Blue plus near-infrared light for acne: a pilot with mixed results415 nm and 830 nm light, compared with earlier blue-plus-red results
- Red and near-infrared LEDs on wrinkles: a sham-controlled split-face trial633 nm and 830 nm LEDs, alone and together, against a sham light
- Alternating 415 nm blue and 633 nm red LED sessions for acneEight sessions over four weeks, with 12 weeks of follow-up
- Combined 633 nm and 830 nm light for wrinkles around the eyesNine clinic sessions of red plus near-infrared light
- Blue plus red light for acne, compared with benzoyl peroxide415 nm and 660 nm light against white light and a standard cream
Studies were chosen to cover the wavelengths found on the masks in the comparison, including trials with small or null results. Many used clinic devices at doses that home masks may not deliver. A wavelength match does not mean a mask reproduces a study’s results.