A home-use 660/850 nm LED mask alongside hyaluronic acid

What they did

Forty-eight people were split evenly. One group used a home LED mask with 660 nm red and 850 nm near-infrared light plus a hyaluronic acid ampoule; the other used the ampoule only. Both did this for four weeks.

3D imaging and skin analysers measured nasolabial folds, jowl area, chin firmness, pores, flaking and skin density.

What they found

Both groups improved on folds, firmness, pores, flaking and density. The mask-plus-serum group improved faster and by more than the serum-only group.

The authors concluded the mask can be used safely every day at home and adds to the effect of a topical product.

What it cannot tell you

There was no sham mask, so the serum-only group knew they were not getting light. The study was four weeks long, and authors include staff of a company that makes LED masks.

In short

Rare evidence from an actual home mask. It suggests a mask can add to a skincare routine, with the caveats of a short, industry-linked study.

Masks with these wavelengths

One of the 10 masks in the comparison list a wavelength in every band used here (red near 660 nm and near-infrared near 850 nm). They are examples, listed alphabetically, each with our specification page and the manufacturer’s own product page. They are not recommendations, and the links carry no affiliate parameters.

• Dr. Renú SpectraLift Advanced465 · 530 · 630–660 · 850 nm · Dr. Renú product page

These masks list one of the bands, but not all:

• Nanoleaf LED Light Therapy Face Mask460 · 520/525 · 640 · 850 nm · Nanoleaf product page

Matching a wavelength is not the same as matching the study. Dose, irradiance, session length and schedule also differ, and a mask’s reported output is not independently measured. See how dose works and home vs clinic doses.