Red vs near-infrared light on healing skin grafts, in rats
This animal study compared red and near-infrared light directly on the same type of healing skin. Animal results do not translate directly to people, but they can show differences between wavelengths.
Short answer. A reminder that wavelengths are not interchangeable. In this healing model, red light did more than near-infrared.
What they did
Thirty rats with full-thickness skin grafts were randomly given no light, red light (630 nm) or near-infrared light (850 nm) daily for 10 days, starting right after surgery.
What they found
Red light produced higher graft-healing scores than near-infrared. It also increased TGF-β, a protein involved in repair, and the density of collagen fibres compared with both other groups.
What it cannot tell you
Rats, not people, and wounds, not ageing skin. The finding that red outperformed near-infrared may not hold for other doses or tissues.
In short
A reminder that wavelengths are not interchangeable. In this healing model, red light did more than near-infrared.
Masks with these wavelengths
Two of the 10 masks in the comparison list a wavelength in every band used here (red near 630 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
- Nanoleaf LED Light Therapy Face Mask460 · 520/525 · 640 · 850 nm · Nanoleaf product page
These masks list one of the bands, but not all:
- CurrentBody Skin LED Mask Series 2633 · 830 · 1072 nm · CurrentBody product page
- 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
- Omnilux Contour Face633 · 830 nm · Omnilux product page
- Shark CryoGlow FW312415 · 630 · 830 nm · Shark 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
- Therabody TheraFace Mask Glo415 · 633 · 830 nm · Therabody 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.