How to Choose a Red Light Therapy Device | Best Options for Skin

Red light devices are big business whether it’s in clinics or for use at home. 

But for us consumers choosing the ‘best device’ is difficult because there’s a lot to get your head around. 

Should we be looking for a mask or a panel? Should we choose a device with both red and near infrared light? How about multiple wavelengths or just one – and if it’s just one, which one? Should we use constant or pulsed light? Does it even matter? 

Consider this a potted guide to red light devices designed to help you understand what to look out for.

Hopefully it will also mean you avoid FOMO around the very latest device that sounds so much better than the one you already bought! 

The red light basics

Most of the top-selling red lights masks use LED (Light Emitting Diode) and usually emit varying wavelengths of light. 

And for skincare devices most use small amounts of near infrared combined with red light. 

Red light and near-infrared (NIR) light are both forms of low-level light therapy, and they share some similarities. 

But they differ primarily in their wavelength and, in turn, their penetration depth into the skin and body.  

Red Light typically ranges from 620 to 750 nanometers (nm). This wavelength is within the visible spectrum, meaning you can see it as red light.

With a shorter wavelength than near infrared, red light penetrates the superficial layers of the skin, typically reaching just a few milimeters.  

Near-Infrared (NIR) Light uses longer wavelengths (around 750nm to 1400nm) allowing it to penetrate further into the skin. 

Its wavelength is just outside the visible spectrum, making it invisible to the human eye. You might feel it as a gentle warmth, but you can’t see it. 

How do red light devices work?

Red light devices work by strengthening the mitochondria in our cells which help boost their energy. 

There have been promising studies relating to wound healing, and one of the most interesting for skin was a Korean study published back in 2007.  

It saw seventy six patients with visible facial wrinkles treated with LED on the right half of their faces twice a week for four weeks and followed up after three months.  

There were 4 groups, 1 used near infrared LED alone, another used red light at 633nm alone, a third used a combination of near infrared and red light, and there was a sham treatment group. 

In the results there was a significant reduction of wrinkles and an increase in skin elasticity and a marked increase in the amount of collagen in those treated with near infrared and red light both separately and combined, compared with the untreated group.  

That suggests there is an impact to the skin of using near infrared and red light both separately and together. 

Another more recent study from 2023 involving an LED face mask – the Skin Light Dior mask –  was also helpful. 

The study involved 20 healthy Caucasian women with visible signs of skin aging. The participants were followed over time, and the effects of the red light treatment were assessed at regular intervals – after 1, 2, and 3 months of using the red LED mask which operates at 635nm.

Importantly, the study utilized objective measurements – so using equipment to measure results.  

And it showed progressive and statistically significant improvements across multiple signs of skin aging.

They included a significant decrease in the depth of crow’s feet wrinkles, increasing over the 3-month period. Skin firmness and density also increased and the skin was found to be smoother and oil production better regulated. 

Can you have too much red light?

The science is shaky on exactly how much red light is considered optimal both in terms of time and intensity. But a lot of experts believe you can have too much of a good thing. 

Studies suggest red light emits a burst of free radicals (unstable molecules) that are initially helpful to the skin – but only up to a point.

That’s why we want to be mindful of the time we spend on sessions until we discover more. 

Some experts believe pulsed light has advantages over constant because it could give you a burst of helpful free radicals and prevent an unhelpful build-up of them.  

It’s supported by a review published in the Lasers in Surgery and Medicine Journal which compared pulsed with continuous light.

It concluded that pulsed light had a number of advantages including mitigating an overabundance of free radicals. 

The review said more research needs to be carried out to establish the best uses for pulsed over constant light. That’s because continuous could have advantages in particular treatment scenarios. 

For those who use a constant red light device, there are still lots of benefits to be enjoyed from it, staying within the recommended use times.

Trying out a powerful device with more bulbs: Lumara Illuminate Panel

But what about the number of bulbs used in these devices? Should we be looking for one that packs in as many bulbs as possible for greater coverage and intensity? 

I was recently sent a very powerful red light panel from Lumara which has no less than 1800 bulbs operating at one wavelength of red light – 660 nanomenters. 

It’s cleverly put together because you store it as a flat panel in a nice red padded case, and then to use it you just slot the handles either side into an arched holder, plug it into the mains, put your protective goggles on and you’re good to go. 

The makers say you can use it safely for up to 30 minutes but that you can get an effective treatment in just 5 minutes of use. 

It is FDA registered as a medical device and is used in clinics to deliver fast and more intense red light treatments though it can be used at home too. 

It’s priced at £1600 or around $2000 so it would be comparable in price to something like the Dermalux Flex MD which is a similarly shaped but thicker and more solid device also used in clinics.

The Dermalux model only has 360 bulbs but uses 3 different wavelengths including near infrared which, as we’ve heard, does has proven benefits for skin too. 

Does more bulbs = better results?

Do we know for sure whether just having more bulbs (leading to greater intensity and coverage) means better anti-aging effects? Well this is where it gets frustrating for consumers because it’s impossible to find a straight answer on that. 

The benefit of having more bulbs is that they can contribute to a higher overall intensity and reduce your treatment times.

They also treat larger areas of skin at one time and multiple areas of skin too. 

BUT there’s no strong scientific evidence yet to suggest that the highest intensity or the most bulbs will deliver better results. 

The skin can only absorb a certain amount of light energy. Once that threshold is reached, more intensity might not provide additional benefit and could potentially be unhelpful.

The way I see it is that if you have studies showing genuine LED masks using either just red light or a combination of red and near infrared are delivering results on the skin, then until we know for sure if there are greater and proven benefits to be found from an increased number of bulbs I wouldn’t ditch my current device to get a more powerful one.

You’ll notice that wavelengths between devices also differ and, again, until we have concrete evidence around a particular wavelength or combination of wavelengths, we shouldn’t worry too much about it. 

Did more bulbs benefit my skin?

Having just tried the Lumara panel for the past eight weeks (3 times a week) I can say you can definitely feel the intensity of those 1800 bulbs.

It is by far the most powerful device I’ve tried.

The arched panel sits quite close to your skin and you can choose from 5 different levels and treatment times.

Typically I’d choose level 4 because I felt that 5 was just too intense for me.

I could feel warmth from the panel and, especially in the first few uses, just 5 minutes would leave my skin feeling warmer afterwards.

There was also the sensation of my lips being warm and a little drier after each session too.

I have reasonably sensitive skin and as with all things I suspect our skin responds differently to this intensity. 

I mentioned I had been using my Maysama red light panel roughly every other day for over a year now. It uses a combination of red light at 660nm and near infrared at 850nm. 

And I really can’t say that switching from the Maysama panel to the more powerful Lumara device delivered additional results. 

What I’ve found with red light in general though is that used consistently over time it does have an impact.  

There’s a subtle improvement in fine lines and possibly even deeper lines, my skin is more balanced, better regulated in terms of oiliness, less reactive and it has helped reduce my pore size too. 

How to choose a red light device

For a first-time red-light buyer, consider a panel if you want to treat multiple areas. 

I would stick to brand names or devices that have plenty of independent reviews.

There’s something called the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) which audits devices for compliance across participating countries including the US, Australia and Canada. The UK isn’t a full member but it’s involved and is looking to join.  

Being MDSAP certified is another mark of credibility we can look if you’re looking at a non locally-made product.

Devices worth their salt that are sold internationally should have FDA clearance (CE in Europe, too. 

I would be wary of cheap devices without regulator clearance.

Some will just have red bulbs which are not LED and will do nothing. 

Red light masks and caps are typically less expensive than panels and can work just as well for isolated areas.  

My mum uses a cap from HigherDose using 650nm of red light, thought to be particularly effective for hair growth, and she has had great results with it.

You’ll find the devices we’ve tried and tested displayed in the carousel within this article.

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