LEDs in dermatology: what 31 randomised trials add up to
Instead of one experiment, this review collected every suitable randomised trial of LED light in dermatology available in 2017 and graded how strong the evidence was for each use.
Short answer. The clearest overall picture: acne and wound healing have the strongest LED evidence. Anti-ageing results are promising but rest on weaker trials.
What they did
The authors systematically searched the published literature, included 31 randomised controlled trials, and assigned a grade of recommendation to each skin condition.
What they found
Acne, cold sores and shingles (herpes simplex and zoster), and acute wound healing received grade B, meaning moderately strong evidence. Other uses, including skin rejuvenation, received grade C or D.
Common weaknesses were small trials (often under 20 people), missing blinding, no sham light and inconsistent treatment settings. Given few side effects, low cost and encouraging results, the authors still recommended LEDs in clinical practice and called for more research.
What it cannot tell you
The review is from 2018. Several newer trials, including some described on this site, have been published since.
In short
The clearest overall picture: acne and wound healing have the strongest LED evidence. Anti-ageing results are promising but rest on weaker trials.
Masks with these wavelengths
Four of the 10 masks in the comparison list a wavelength in every band used here (blue near 415 nm and red, 620–670 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.
- CurrentBody Skin LED Face Mask Series 3415 · 532 · 590 · 633 · 830 · 1072 nm · CurrentBody product page
- Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro415 · 630 nm · Dr. Dennis Gross product page
- Shark CryoGlow FW312415 · 630 · 830 nm · Shark product page
- Therabody TheraFace Mask Glo415 · 633 · 830 nm · Therabody product page
These masks list one of the bands, but not all:
- CurrentBody Skin LED Mask Series 2633 · 830 · 1072 nm · CurrentBody product page
- Dr. Renú SpectraLift Advanced465 · 530 · 630–660 · 850 nm · Dr. Renú product page
- Nanoleaf LED Light Therapy Face Mask460 · 520/525 · 640 · 850 nm · Nanoleaf product page
- Omnilux Contour Face633 · 830 nm · Omnilux product page
- Silk’n LED Face Mask 100463 · 592 · 633 nm · Silk’n product page
- The Light Salon Boost LED Face Mask (Boost Advanced)633 · 830 nm · The Light Salon 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.
This is a plain-English summary of the published abstract, written by LED Translated. It is not medical advice, and it does not mean any mask reproduces this study’s results. Read the original record on PubMed, and talk to a qualified clinician about your skin.