I have written to the company to ask if they will report the irradiance. Greaves, A. J. But one thing I didnt note was that I get 15, 10 minute sessions before having to charge it again. This one is available LOTS of places. But turns out that isnt the case! Ideally, you would want to see 633nm), the blue wavelength is better (405nm to 420nm wavelength, 415nm is the ideal), but blue light comes with downsides to consider and eye protection is necessary which this doesnt provide.
For example, to repair damage from UV rays, your skin needs to be able to repair cellular and DNA damage (which is similar to what it does during wound healing). If the device has an imprecise wavelength, then that means you arent getting as pure or high quality a light. Hadis, M. A., Zainal, S. A., Holder, M. J., Carroll, J. D., Cooper, P. R., Milward, M. R., & Palin, W. M. (2016). 1 year warranty [again, this is surprising given the price I would expect 2 year warranty]. Efficacy of blue light vs. red light in the treatment of psoriasis: A doubleblind, randomized comparative study. The combo of 633nm red light and 415nm blue light is recommended because the red light also tackles inflammation and appears to improve the efficacy on noninflammatory lesions (Greaves et al 2015). Nikolis, A., Bernstein, S., Kinney, B., Scuderi, N., Rastogi, S., & Sampalis, J. S. (2016). Efficacy of homeuse lightemitting diode device at 637 and 854nm for facial rejuvenation: A splitface pilot study. Despite the low irradiance, a recent study by Kim et al 2020 found some positive outcomes. Trelles and Allones (2006) found applying red light (633nm; 80mw/cm2; 96j/cm2) after laser resurfacing cut healing time in half. Another downside is that you get 4 uses before needing to charge it again (that is really low and would be annoying in my opinion). Skin rejuvenation is strongly linked to the wound healing process. 415nm has been found to be beneficial for the treatment of acne (inflammatory lesions respond better to blue light than noninflamatory lesions like whiteheads and blackheads). Low level light therapy with light-emitting diodes for the aging face. The efficacy of laser therapy in wound repair: a meta-analysis of the literature. Handbook of Lasers in Dermatology, 307327. But in terms of where to buy it, it can be a little hard to find. The nuts and bolts of low-level laser (light) therapy. ~590 nm (yellow): it has effect only in the epidermis with poor penetration into the dermis. New addition to list as of 6/11/2021. Here is an updated cheat sheet with discount codes for the masks I recommend: The goal is to avoid a mask that fails to deliver the power, penetration, and clinical benefits claimed by the manufacturers. Blue and red light combination LED phototherapy for acne vulgaris in patients with skin phototype IV. (2021). The internal temperature may be the same, but the skin of the turkey will be charred in the 800 degree oven). Photomedicine and laser surgery, 32(2), 93-100. Ultrastructural observations of human skin following irradiation with visible red light-emitting diodes (LEDs): a preliminary in vivo report. A higher irradiance often means a shorter treatment time. Not sure how long that will last. Sanclemente, G., Medina, L., Villa, J. F., Barrera, L. M., & Garcia, H. I. It looks like Shape A (which looks like Omnilux is available in the US and the other shape is sold in the UK). But at this price, I would buy a mask that has both Red and NIR because lets be honest, the addition of rose quartz crystals is not going to do anything for your skin. Journal of Dermatological Science,89(1), 11-18. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 8(2), 71-75. Wavelengths shorter than 600nm tend to scatter, rather than to penetrate deeply into the body tissues. And it was ared flagfor me that they use 390nm which researchers have cautioned to avoid (Serrage et al., 2020). Multiple roles of cytochrome c oxidase in mammalian cells under action of red and IRA radiation. I was sad to find out they wont reveal their irradiance. Lowlevel laser therapy for closedhead traumatic brain injury in mice: effect of different wavelengths. Also, having only a 1 year warranty is a downside. I produce this content for free, but if you found this helpful & would like to support my work, I would appreciate if you shop through my links or use my affiliate discount codes. 47 (2013) 774780. The higher the grade of the LED, the narrower the bandwidth of the emitted photons, allowing LEDs to emit the rated wavelength plus or minus a very few nanometers. (Calderhead & Vasily, 2016). Visible radiation affects epidermal permeability barrier recovery: selective effects of red and blue light. A prospective splitface doubleblind randomized placebocontrolled trial to assess the efficacy of methyl aminolevulinate+ redlight in patients with facial photodamage. Caution must be emphasized especially for epileptic and photophobic patients especially if LEDs are pulsed. (Barolet, 2008). But onebigdownside of this mask is that it doesnt have NIR. Some companies like to highlight the number of wavelengths used, but often those additional wavelengths have very little or no published work to back up the claims of the manufacturer (and they seem more like a marketing gimmick than anything), and a careful consideration of the wavelength/penetration ratio will rule out many of the shorter visible light wavelengths (Calderhead, 2018). British Journal of Dermatology,168(5), 1088-1094. My top pick is the Omnilux Contour Mask (see below for more info). ) You can see that since the LG Beauty Mask doesnt have to have the EXACT same specs to be deemed substantially equivalent. Light-emitting diode 585 nm photomodulation inhibiting melanin synthesis and inducing autophagy in human melanocytes. It has been suggested that oxidative stress is an early step in the process of cellular damage incurred by blue LED exposure even at low doses (10 J/cm2) (Nakanishi-Ueda et al., 2013). I would personally skip the blue setting entirely and just use the red setting. Green and yellow light have very poor penetration into living tissue and have rarely been studied. A., Kellett, N., & Reilly, L. R. (2005). How can you avoid wasting your money? The masks in my comparison represent only a small selection of the LED masks available. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Does the company report the irradiance (or will they tell you if asked)? Light irradiation with low power density has been reported as a noninvasive, non-carcinogenic, atraumatic, with no known side effect therapy to many diseases and undesired conditions. B., Yoon, J. Y., Park, S. Y., Ryu, H. H., Park, B. M., & Suh, D. H. (2013). Wearing eye protection with blue light is strongly recommended. But since it does include blue wavelengths I was happy to see that it comes with protective goggles (blue wavelengths require eye protection whereas red does not). The main benefits seen in clinical trials of LLLT for skin rejuvenation (in other words, excluding research focused specifically on inflammation) are: Biopsies have shown increased collagen and elastin production that would account for many of these benefits. This matters because research has found that wavelengths between 700-770 have been reported to not have any significant activity (Gupta et al., 2014; Karu, 2010; Wu et al 2012). In the red wavelength, this uses 620nm -750nm (thats a HUGE span not great at all. Van Tran, V., Chae, M., Moon, J. Y., & Lee, Y. C. (2021). (2008). Barolet, D. (2018). Karu and Kolyakov (2005) have pointed out that there are many pairs of wavelengths which actually inhibit cellular activity when used together, yet enhance activity when applied separately. Bonus: Because this is sold at a variety of places, you can often find it on sale. High enough irradiance so that the recommended usage isnt 7 days a week and ideally less than 10 minutes. And for me the large size is a negative because I always wonder where to store it. The results Ive seen from using LED mask for a year, Key Parameters (what you really want to look for when assessing masks), How does Low Level Light Therapy Work? I believe the company is based in Australia, so for those in the US, the shipping will be $19.95. Zheng C., Rajabi-Estarabadi A., Hirsch M.M., Nouri K. (2020) Light Emitting Diodes and Low Level Laser Light Therapy. Any manufacturer of an LED device should understand how power density (irradiance) is important when making and use LED devices. Sawhney, M. K., & Hamblin, M. R. (2016). Evidence has been also reported indicating the higher efficacy of the combination of different wavelengths in LED therapy than monotherapy (Opel et al., 2015; Jagdeo et al 2018).
If the irradiance is too high, the photon energy will be transformed to excessive heat in the target tissue; the mask may get hot and can inhibit the treatment or even create undesired outcomes. But you could get this and just use the red 630nm setting (though red + NIR is more effective). Adjunctive 830 nm light-emitting diode therapy can improve the results following aesthetic procedures. Gothamista reviewed this one in the previous YouTube video I linked to (TLDR: she liked it but she liked the Light Salon better). InLasers in Dermatology and Medicine(pp. Russell, B. And 415nm appears to be best and many recommend using it in combination with red or NIR (but blue +red has more evidence).
So I would be more likely to take a chance on yellow light than green at the moment (though I would still look for a mask that offers red and NIR and has a yellow setting that can be used by itself because combinations of yellow and red or NIR have not been tested and the combinations may inhibit cellular activity (more on this below). I still dont know the irradiance though . I have focused this review on skin rejuvenation, but there is a huge body evidence looking at LLLT on wound healing and reducing inflammation. improvements in skin tone (Note that only a couple studies have specifically measured pigmentation or melasma, most ask for subjective assessments of improved skin tone), increased elasticity (less evidence for this compared to the the above benefits). This mask uses red and NIR and discloses the irradiance, so those are two positives. Please let us know thanks!! Many LLLT devices have been commercialized without FDA or other medical regulatory approval because the light output is below a nominal hazard level. Inflammatory acne lesions contain bacterium, P. Acne, which has porphyrins415nm is the optimal wavelength for porphyrin absorption. The optimal clinical irradiance is considered to be around 40150 mW/cm2 (Calderhead, 2018; Sorbellini et al., 2018). Its interesting that the irradiance of this is SO different front the Dermashine because I was wondering if all of these look alike masks would have the same irradiance (and were just the same mask, rebranded). Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 128(5), 1335-1335. But I want to note that I appreciate how helpful and transparent the contact at Dermashine was nonetheless, I was shocked at how low the irradiance it (I actually thought it was a typo so I confirmed it was 0.5mw/cm2). I would pass on this one because the Omnilux Contour and FaceLITE are identical but cheaper. 2013 Mar;32(1):41-52. If you ask for the power density and the company tells you the energy density instead, you can calculate the power density by using the suggested treatment time (and converting it so seconds). In Part 2 of this blog I want to summarize all of the growing areas of research because there were far more that I couldnt cover in one post. First, we convert the treatment time to seconds (10*60=600). All in all, this one just doesnt seem like a great option, especially since there are more affordable ones with better key parameters. But assuming they dont then this would be a slightly larger flexible mask, which might be appealing to people that found the other flexible masks as being slightly too small (I have heard that from only a couple people, but usually it is with respect to the height and not the width). Low-Level Laser (Light) Therapy for Cosmetics and Dermatology. Comparisons of findings among studies of LLLT is greatly complicated by use of different wavelengths and dosages. The key parameters are what matter most! if proliferation is required, the cell will proliferate. Some studies of using a wavelength of 420-443nm found that unintentional, It is usually used with red and/or NIR as otherwise it can cause skin darkening (Calderhead, 2020), The use of blue light in particular (400500 nm) is additionally surrounded by significant controversy relating to the premise that the margin between safe blue light and potentially damaging ultraviolet (UV) light is not well defined. (Serrage et al., 2020). Chung, H., Dai, T., Sharma, S. K., Huang, Y. Y., Carroll, J. D., & Hamblin, M. R. (2012). Calderhead, R. G. (2018). Avci P, et al. Out of the flexible LED mask options I would pick Omnilux because it is the most affordable (after coupon code) out of the Shape A masks and for all the other reasons I outlined above. The odd thing is that the parameters provided in the journal articles were not ideal. Croatia: InTech, 215-252. In order for LED masks to actually be effective, the wavelength and irradiance are key. Then you take 18/600 = 0.03 W/cm2 and multiply that times 1000 to get 30 mW/cm2.
My Omnilux had issues at 1.5 years and was immediately replaced. IUBMB life,62(8), 607-610. Res. This is why you really want to find out the irradiance before buying! Low level light therapy with light emitting diodes. Different wavelengths (e.g., 904 nm, 780860 nm, and 890 nm) have produced conflicting results. You can email companies and ask them to tell you the irradiance (or power density) reported in mW/cm2. A controlled trial to determine the efficacy of red and near-infrared light treatment in patient satisfaction, reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness, and intradermal collagen density increase. 1-36). Chen, L., Xu, Z., Jiang, M., Zhang, C., Wang, X., & Xiang, L. (2018). The efficacy and safety of 660 nm and 411 to 777 nm light-emitting devices for treating wrinkles. Light emitting diodes technology-based photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for dermatology and aesthetics: Recent applications, challenges, and perspectives. Barolet, D., Christiaens, F., & Hamblin, M. R. (2016). Jagdeo, J., Austin, E., Mamalis, A., Wong, C., Ho, D., & Siegel, D. M. (2018). doi:10.1007/978-1-4471-5322-1_20. The dark art of light measurement: accurate radiometry for low-level light therapy. Facial Plastic Surgery,37(02), 267-273. de Freitas, L. F., & Hamblin, M. R. (2016). I started using this mask in Jan and I also have been using. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 7(3-4), 163-170. Light stimulus will be insufficient to trigger a cellular function if it is delivered below the recommended dose and will inhibit activation of these responses if a dose higher than indicated is delivered. Even within different studies on the same animal models, there can be contradictory findings. For example, Light Salon recommends 10 min sessions. And you can do a single color at a timeso I would stick to red or an occasional blue treatment if you have a breakout all over your face (but really, you could just spot treat a pimple with a handheld device that combines 415nm and 630nm which is more effective than 415nm alone). (Oh and the shape is sillywouldnt you want full coverage on your forehead rather than having a heart shape?). So it is best to draw guidance from clinical studies only (later I provide an overview of some clinical studies focused on skin rejuvenation). Hope this was helpful! Migliardi, R., Tofani, F., & Donati, L. (2009). This one is the one I think I would choose if I went with a hard-sided mask because it has great wavelengths, one of the best irradiance, and it has a neck attachment. This mask is similar to the flexible shape of the Omnilux. In LLLT, the irradiance and wavelength is analogous with the medicine, and the energy density is the dose. Major downside right off the bat is that it uses a blue wavelength that isnt the one that has been found to help with acne (415nm) but has been found to induce hyperpigmentation. That is the role of irradiance (Barolet et al., 2016). Gupta et al (2014) carried out a similar comparison on wound healing in mice and again found that 660- and 810-nm lasers were effective, while a 730-nm laser was not effective. 2006;32(9):11406. In an animal study, Blue light (430510nm) delayed the barrier recovery, whereas red light (550670nm) accelerated it. Red and Near infrared (NIR) have a number of different mechanisms of action, but two main ones involve: Through these mechanisms, LLLT is thought to help increase the skins ability to resist the photoaging processes. (2007a). Dermatol Surg. Ng, J. N. C., Wanitphakdeedecha, R., & Yan, C. (2020). And its cheaper. It uses evidence based wavelengths for red and NIR and has a great irradiance. Also, one nice thing about the Qure is that it has an app where you can just use the blue+red light on one portion of your face. Another major downside is that it doesnt include NIR. Effect of red and near-infrared wavelengths on low-level laser (light) therapy-induced healing of partial-thickness dermal abrasion in mice. Photobiomodulation stimulates fibroblast proliferation, collagen synthesis, growth factors, and extracellular matrix production by activating cellular mitochondrial respiratory pathways (Ablon, 2018). Ablon, G. (2018). Serrage, H., Heiskanen, V., Palin, W. M., Cooper, P. R., Milward, M. R., Hadis, M., & Hamblin, M. R. (2019). A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and split-face clinical study on LED phototherapy for skin rejuvenation: clinical, profilometric, histologic, ultrastructural, and biochemical evaluations and comparison of three different treatment settings.
Because these products only work if you use them). Thanks for catching that. Also, you wont know what you are working with and you may be wasting your time and money using the device. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology,88(1), 51-67. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 11(2), 21. Whilst the perceivable dangers of LLLT are mainly related to retinal damage (both clinician and patient) and skin burn (mainly related to shorter UV wavelengths), the safety of LLLT is well documented in a number of standards such as US Code of Federal Regulations, American National Standards Institute and the International Standards Manual, and other laser safety books and review articles [21, 22]. One plus is that it has a good wavelength for red and it seems like you are able to choose either the blue or the red setting. Photobiomodulation or low-level laser therapy. In Handbook of Low-Level Laser Therapy (pp. Kwon, H. H., Lee, J. Lask, G., Fournier, N., Trelles, M., Elman, M., Scheflan, M., Slatkine, M., & Harth, Y. The efficacy of low-power lasers in tissue repair and pain control: a meta-analysis study. The big downside is that when you use the Red/NIR setting, there are no light coverage on the chin at all (there is only light coverage on the chin with the blue + red setting). Trelles, M. A., Allones, I., & Mayo, E. (2006).
There are 2 treatment modes: Anti-aging (Red 633nm with NIR 830nm) and Acne mode (red plus blue 415nm). Lasers in surgery and medicine, 50(6), 613-628. Medical Laser Application, 21(3), 165-175. But right now it is available on. Semin Cutan Med Surg. This one has the shape and style that is found all over Amazon. Photomedicine and laser surgery, 22(3), 241-247. There is no fixed value of fluence that always produces a positive LLLT effect. A randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blinded, split-faced clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of KLOX-001 gel formulation with KLOX light-emitting diode light on facial rejuvenation. Lima, A. M. C. T., da Silva Sergio, L. P., & da Fonseca, A. D. S. (2020). I found two journal articles that provided some information but otherwise the company declined commenting. First, while it does have, If you are ok with uncertainty and not knowing the irradiance and having to use it for 20 min instead of 10, this isnt a bad option because at least it uses good wavelengths. Sorbellini, E., Rucco, M., & Rinaldi, F. (2018). The clinical and histological effect of homeuse, combination bluered LED phototherapy for mildtomoderate acne vulgaris in Korean patients: a doubleblind, randomized controlled trial. And a major downside in my eyes is that it doesnt include NIR AND it has to be plugged in to use (so it isnt, 2 year manufacturer warranty (you need to register it). Identical to Omnilux and FaceLite (in Shape A) and SkinLite. (, This is identical (not just in looks, in wavelength, irradiance) to Light Salon. Denda, M., & Fuziwara, S. (2008). You dont need to jump through any hoops. They didnt provide the irradiance but they provided the fluence, and using that to calculate the irradiance gave a shockingly low number (1.5 mW/cm2). A study to determine the efficacy of combination LED light therapy (633 nm and 830 nm) in facial skin rejuvenation. Therefore, it offers very little to dermal renewal and repair. Irradiation with a wavelength of 415nm can destroy the P.acnes but it doesnt address the associated inflammatory problem. Wunsch, A., & Matuschka, K. (2014). That means that 90% of the photons are at the rated wavelength and will therefore optimally target wavelength-specific chromophores at that wavelength. Is light-emitting diode phototherapy (LED-LLLT) really effective?. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 9, 115. So if you are more likely to consistently use a 3 min mask versus a 10 min one, I would get the Qure mask (and I would stick with the red setting for the primary mode to consistently use). Red light can help this process because it stimulates collagen synthesis and fibroblast formation, anti-inflammatory action, energy production in mitochondria, and DNA repair (Barolet, 2018; de Freitas & Hamblin, 2016; Hamblin, 2016). If you are using blue light to treat acne, it may be best to use a handheld device to just target spots as there is some evidence that it could increase hyperpigmentation. On the lower threshold, I think 5mW/cm2 is a good bottom value, but I would prefer something closer to 40 since the majority of the studies used 55mW/cm2 (and it also means that it is more likely that I can wear the mask for 10 minutes versus 30 minutes, which some of the masks with the lowest irradiance suggested). Takezaki, S., Omi, T., Sato, S., & Kawana, S. (2005). Photomedicine: Advances in Clinical Practice. So if you had a bad breakout on one cheek, you could just have the blue light treatment there and use Red + NIR everywhere else. (2006). Karu, T. I., & Kolyakov, S. F. (2005). The Higher Dose website shows 830nm for their LED mask. ), Here is a Cheat Sheet for Deals on the 7 flexible masks made by the same manufacturer. So really, my TOP picks are Omnilux, Current Body, Light Salon, FaceLite, and Priori. Identical to Light Salon and Current Body. The company is leaders in LED research (and for what its worth they are nice and always helpful). Lasers in surgery and medicine,44(3), 218-226. This includes The Guidelines for Skin Exposure to Light in the International Standards Manual (IEC-825) which states that an exposure of less than 200 mW/cm2 is safe, and the marketing and the use of therapeutic LLLT is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Omnilux and FaceLite are almost identical except they differ in terms of the, Here is where it gets complicated and super nuancedOf the 7 masks that are all made by the same manufacturer, the manufacturer told me that all 7 have the exact same wavelengths and irradiance. Photobiomodulation via multiple-wavelength radiations. This is the most gimmicky LED maskapparently this one also has rose quartz crystals. (2011). Keep in mind that lower irradiance (<50mW/cm2) is less likely to induce skin hyperthermia (heat) leading to potential deleterious effects (Barolet et al 2016). If you are excited about the blue light for infrequent breakouts you may want to consider getting a, 1 year warranty (kind of shocking given the price that it doesnt have a 2 year warranty IMHO), Here are the specific irradiance for each wavelength (as provided by the company), There are some things that I dont love about this masks parameters. Keep to well-proven wavelengths, applied singly unless they are the well-tested combinations. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 25(1), 49-58. Some of the limited studies using yellow light were not able to be replicated by different researchers. Three wavelengths of light that have demonstrated several therapeutic applications are.
enhancing cellular mitochondrial function and ATP production through interacting with a photoreceptor called cytochrome c oxidase. It is quasi flexible, but it it wont lay flat on its own. When that gap gets large that indicates low quality LED). Update on 5/10/22: Currently GOALS257 is actually making the mask $257 for those in the US! A. So unless it is Red and NIR, Red and Blue, or NIR and Blue, you may want to just use different colors separately. A difference of even 5nm from the peak can in some cases dramatically lower the action potential (Calderhead, 2018). Proposed mechanisms of photobiomodulation or low-level light therapy. I also only focused on face masks, versus hand held devices or panels because I had to narrow it down somehow and since I enjoy using the mask bc of its convenience that is what I focused on. IEEE Journal of selected topics in quantum electronics, 22(3), 348-364. Laser therapy, 20(3), 205-215. This has good wavelengths and irradiance, but it is super expensive. Then it uses orange (590-620nm) which doesnt have evidence to back up its claims, And the other major downside is that it doesnt have Near Infrared. (2013) Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring. Exact action spectra for cellular responses relevant to phototherapy. Therapeutic efficacy of home-use photobiomodulation devices: a systematic literature review. If the goal is overall skin rejuvenation (including reducing inflammation and speeding up healing), choose a mask with NIR (ideally 830) as the literature has consistently found that this wavelength targets a larger number of the necessary cell types and has a better effect on the overall skin rejuvenation process than other wavelengths (Kim & Calderhead, 2011). Indo, S. Suenaga, T. Hisamitsu, T. Ozawa, H. Yasuhara, R. Koide, Blue LED light exposure develops intracellular reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and subsequent cellular injuries in cultured bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells, Free Radic. Calderhead, G., & Tanaka, Y. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology,26(2), 219-225. Also I couldnt confirm if the wavelength of the NIR was 760-900 or if it had a more narrow band. Devices with extremely low irradiance probably wont have any determinantal effects, but they can be a waste of money and time.
For example, to repair damage from UV rays, your skin needs to be able to repair cellular and DNA damage (which is similar to what it does during wound healing). If the device has an imprecise wavelength, then that means you arent getting as pure or high quality a light. Hadis, M. A., Zainal, S. A., Holder, M. J., Carroll, J. D., Cooper, P. R., Milward, M. R., & Palin, W. M. (2016). 1 year warranty [again, this is surprising given the price I would expect 2 year warranty]. Efficacy of blue light vs. red light in the treatment of psoriasis: A doubleblind, randomized comparative study. The combo of 633nm red light and 415nm blue light is recommended because the red light also tackles inflammation and appears to improve the efficacy on noninflammatory lesions (Greaves et al 2015). Nikolis, A., Bernstein, S., Kinney, B., Scuderi, N., Rastogi, S., & Sampalis, J. S. (2016). Efficacy of homeuse lightemitting diode device at 637 and 854nm for facial rejuvenation: A splitface pilot study. Despite the low irradiance, a recent study by Kim et al 2020 found some positive outcomes. Trelles and Allones (2006) found applying red light (633nm; 80mw/cm2; 96j/cm2) after laser resurfacing cut healing time in half. Another downside is that you get 4 uses before needing to charge it again (that is really low and would be annoying in my opinion). Skin rejuvenation is strongly linked to the wound healing process. 415nm has been found to be beneficial for the treatment of acne (inflammatory lesions respond better to blue light than noninflamatory lesions like whiteheads and blackheads). Low level light therapy with light-emitting diodes for the aging face. The efficacy of laser therapy in wound repair: a meta-analysis of the literature. Handbook of Lasers in Dermatology, 307327. But in terms of where to buy it, it can be a little hard to find. The nuts and bolts of low-level laser (light) therapy. ~590 nm (yellow): it has effect only in the epidermis with poor penetration into the dermis. New addition to list as of 6/11/2021. Here is an updated cheat sheet with discount codes for the masks I recommend: The goal is to avoid a mask that fails to deliver the power, penetration, and clinical benefits claimed by the manufacturers. Blue and red light combination LED phototherapy for acne vulgaris in patients with skin phototype IV. (2021). The internal temperature may be the same, but the skin of the turkey will be charred in the 800 degree oven). Photomedicine and laser surgery, 32(2), 93-100. Ultrastructural observations of human skin following irradiation with visible red light-emitting diodes (LEDs): a preliminary in vivo report. A higher irradiance often means a shorter treatment time. Not sure how long that will last. Sanclemente, G., Medina, L., Villa, J. F., Barrera, L. M., & Garcia, H. I. It looks like Shape A (which looks like Omnilux is available in the US and the other shape is sold in the UK). But at this price, I would buy a mask that has both Red and NIR because lets be honest, the addition of rose quartz crystals is not going to do anything for your skin. Journal of Dermatological Science,89(1), 11-18. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 8(2), 71-75. Wavelengths shorter than 600nm tend to scatter, rather than to penetrate deeply into the body tissues. And it was ared flagfor me that they use 390nm which researchers have cautioned to avoid (Serrage et al., 2020). Multiple roles of cytochrome c oxidase in mammalian cells under action of red and IRA radiation. I was sad to find out they wont reveal their irradiance. Lowlevel laser therapy for closedhead traumatic brain injury in mice: effect of different wavelengths. Also, having only a 1 year warranty is a downside. I produce this content for free, but if you found this helpful & would like to support my work, I would appreciate if you shop through my links or use my affiliate discount codes. 47 (2013) 774780. The higher the grade of the LED, the narrower the bandwidth of the emitted photons, allowing LEDs to emit the rated wavelength plus or minus a very few nanometers. (Calderhead & Vasily, 2016). Visible radiation affects epidermal permeability barrier recovery: selective effects of red and blue light. A prospective splitface doubleblind randomized placebocontrolled trial to assess the efficacy of methyl aminolevulinate+ redlight in patients with facial photodamage. Caution must be emphasized especially for epileptic and photophobic patients especially if LEDs are pulsed. (Barolet, 2008). But onebigdownside of this mask is that it doesnt have NIR. Some companies like to highlight the number of wavelengths used, but often those additional wavelengths have very little or no published work to back up the claims of the manufacturer (and they seem more like a marketing gimmick than anything), and a careful consideration of the wavelength/penetration ratio will rule out many of the shorter visible light wavelengths (Calderhead, 2018). British Journal of Dermatology,168(5), 1088-1094. My top pick is the Omnilux Contour Mask (see below for more info). ) You can see that since the LG Beauty Mask doesnt have to have the EXACT same specs to be deemed substantially equivalent. Light-emitting diode 585 nm photomodulation inhibiting melanin synthesis and inducing autophagy in human melanocytes. It has been suggested that oxidative stress is an early step in the process of cellular damage incurred by blue LED exposure even at low doses (10 J/cm2) (Nakanishi-Ueda et al., 2013). I would personally skip the blue setting entirely and just use the red setting. Green and yellow light have very poor penetration into living tissue and have rarely been studied. A., Kellett, N., & Reilly, L. R. (2005). How can you avoid wasting your money? The masks in my comparison represent only a small selection of the LED masks available. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Does the company report the irradiance (or will they tell you if asked)? Light irradiation with low power density has been reported as a noninvasive, non-carcinogenic, atraumatic, with no known side effect therapy to many diseases and undesired conditions. B., Yoon, J. Y., Park, S. Y., Ryu, H. H., Park, B. M., & Suh, D. H. (2013). Wearing eye protection with blue light is strongly recommended. But since it does include blue wavelengths I was happy to see that it comes with protective goggles (blue wavelengths require eye protection whereas red does not). The main benefits seen in clinical trials of LLLT for skin rejuvenation (in other words, excluding research focused specifically on inflammation) are: Biopsies have shown increased collagen and elastin production that would account for many of these benefits. This matters because research has found that wavelengths between 700-770 have been reported to not have any significant activity (Gupta et al., 2014; Karu, 2010; Wu et al 2012). In the red wavelength, this uses 620nm -750nm (thats a HUGE span not great at all. Van Tran, V., Chae, M., Moon, J. Y., & Lee, Y. C. (2021). (2008). Barolet, D. (2018). Karu and Kolyakov (2005) have pointed out that there are many pairs of wavelengths which actually inhibit cellular activity when used together, yet enhance activity when applied separately. Bonus: Because this is sold at a variety of places, you can often find it on sale. High enough irradiance so that the recommended usage isnt 7 days a week and ideally less than 10 minutes. And for me the large size is a negative because I always wonder where to store it. The results Ive seen from using LED mask for a year, Key Parameters (what you really want to look for when assessing masks), How does Low Level Light Therapy Work? I believe the company is based in Australia, so for those in the US, the shipping will be $19.95. Zheng C., Rajabi-Estarabadi A., Hirsch M.M., Nouri K. (2020) Light Emitting Diodes and Low Level Laser Light Therapy. Any manufacturer of an LED device should understand how power density (irradiance) is important when making and use LED devices. Sawhney, M. K., & Hamblin, M. R. (2016). Evidence has been also reported indicating the higher efficacy of the combination of different wavelengths in LED therapy than monotherapy (Opel et al., 2015; Jagdeo et al 2018).
If the irradiance is too high, the photon energy will be transformed to excessive heat in the target tissue; the mask may get hot and can inhibit the treatment or even create undesired outcomes. But you could get this and just use the red 630nm setting (though red + NIR is more effective). Adjunctive 830 nm light-emitting diode therapy can improve the results following aesthetic procedures. Gothamista reviewed this one in the previous YouTube video I linked to (TLDR: she liked it but she liked the Light Salon better). InLasers in Dermatology and Medicine(pp. Russell, B. And 415nm appears to be best and many recommend using it in combination with red or NIR (but blue +red has more evidence).
So I would be more likely to take a chance on yellow light than green at the moment (though I would still look for a mask that offers red and NIR and has a yellow setting that can be used by itself because combinations of yellow and red or NIR have not been tested and the combinations may inhibit cellular activity (more on this below). I still dont know the irradiance though . I have focused this review on skin rejuvenation, but there is a huge body evidence looking at LLLT on wound healing and reducing inflammation. improvements in skin tone (Note that only a couple studies have specifically measured pigmentation or melasma, most ask for subjective assessments of improved skin tone), increased elasticity (less evidence for this compared to the the above benefits). This mask uses red and NIR and discloses the irradiance, so those are two positives. Please let us know thanks!! Many LLLT devices have been commercialized without FDA or other medical regulatory approval because the light output is below a nominal hazard level. Inflammatory acne lesions contain bacterium, P. Acne, which has porphyrins415nm is the optimal wavelength for porphyrin absorption. The optimal clinical irradiance is considered to be around 40150 mW/cm2 (Calderhead, 2018; Sorbellini et al., 2018). Its interesting that the irradiance of this is SO different front the Dermashine because I was wondering if all of these look alike masks would have the same irradiance (and were just the same mask, rebranded). Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 128(5), 1335-1335. But I want to note that I appreciate how helpful and transparent the contact at Dermashine was nonetheless, I was shocked at how low the irradiance it (I actually thought it was a typo so I confirmed it was 0.5mw/cm2). I would pass on this one because the Omnilux Contour and FaceLITE are identical but cheaper. 2013 Mar;32(1):41-52. If you ask for the power density and the company tells you the energy density instead, you can calculate the power density by using the suggested treatment time (and converting it so seconds). In Part 2 of this blog I want to summarize all of the growing areas of research because there were far more that I couldnt cover in one post. First, we convert the treatment time to seconds (10*60=600). All in all, this one just doesnt seem like a great option, especially since there are more affordable ones with better key parameters. But assuming they dont then this would be a slightly larger flexible mask, which might be appealing to people that found the other flexible masks as being slightly too small (I have heard that from only a couple people, but usually it is with respect to the height and not the width). Low-Level Laser (Light) Therapy for Cosmetics and Dermatology. Comparisons of findings among studies of LLLT is greatly complicated by use of different wavelengths and dosages. The key parameters are what matter most! if proliferation is required, the cell will proliferate. Some studies of using a wavelength of 420-443nm found that unintentional, It is usually used with red and/or NIR as otherwise it can cause skin darkening (Calderhead, 2020), The use of blue light in particular (400500 nm) is additionally surrounded by significant controversy relating to the premise that the margin between safe blue light and potentially damaging ultraviolet (UV) light is not well defined. (Serrage et al., 2020). Chung, H., Dai, T., Sharma, S. K., Huang, Y. Y., Carroll, J. D., & Hamblin, M. R. (2012). Calderhead, R. G. (2018). Avci P, et al. Out of the flexible LED mask options I would pick Omnilux because it is the most affordable (after coupon code) out of the Shape A masks and for all the other reasons I outlined above. The odd thing is that the parameters provided in the journal articles were not ideal. Croatia: InTech, 215-252. In order for LED masks to actually be effective, the wavelength and irradiance are key. Then you take 18/600 = 0.03 W/cm2 and multiply that times 1000 to get 30 mW/cm2.
My Omnilux had issues at 1.5 years and was immediately replaced. IUBMB life,62(8), 607-610. Res. This is why you really want to find out the irradiance before buying! Low level light therapy with light emitting diodes. Different wavelengths (e.g., 904 nm, 780860 nm, and 890 nm) have produced conflicting results. You can email companies and ask them to tell you the irradiance (or power density) reported in mW/cm2. A controlled trial to determine the efficacy of red and near-infrared light treatment in patient satisfaction, reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness, and intradermal collagen density increase. 1-36). Chen, L., Xu, Z., Jiang, M., Zhang, C., Wang, X., & Xiang, L. (2018). The efficacy and safety of 660 nm and 411 to 777 nm light-emitting devices for treating wrinkles. Light emitting diodes technology-based photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for dermatology and aesthetics: Recent applications, challenges, and perspectives. Barolet, D., Christiaens, F., & Hamblin, M. R. (2016). Jagdeo, J., Austin, E., Mamalis, A., Wong, C., Ho, D., & Siegel, D. M. (2018). doi:10.1007/978-1-4471-5322-1_20. The dark art of light measurement: accurate radiometry for low-level light therapy. Facial Plastic Surgery,37(02), 267-273. de Freitas, L. F., & Hamblin, M. R. (2016). I started using this mask in Jan and I also have been using. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 7(3-4), 163-170. Light stimulus will be insufficient to trigger a cellular function if it is delivered below the recommended dose and will inhibit activation of these responses if a dose higher than indicated is delivered. Even within different studies on the same animal models, there can be contradictory findings. For example, Light Salon recommends 10 min sessions. And you can do a single color at a timeso I would stick to red or an occasional blue treatment if you have a breakout all over your face (but really, you could just spot treat a pimple with a handheld device that combines 415nm and 630nm which is more effective than 415nm alone). (Oh and the shape is sillywouldnt you want full coverage on your forehead rather than having a heart shape?). So it is best to draw guidance from clinical studies only (later I provide an overview of some clinical studies focused on skin rejuvenation). Hope this was helpful! Migliardi, R., Tofani, F., & Donati, L. (2009). This one is the one I think I would choose if I went with a hard-sided mask because it has great wavelengths, one of the best irradiance, and it has a neck attachment. This mask is similar to the flexible shape of the Omnilux. In LLLT, the irradiance and wavelength is analogous with the medicine, and the energy density is the dose. Major downside right off the bat is that it uses a blue wavelength that isnt the one that has been found to help with acne (415nm) but has been found to induce hyperpigmentation. That is the role of irradiance (Barolet et al., 2016). Gupta et al (2014) carried out a similar comparison on wound healing in mice and again found that 660- and 810-nm lasers were effective, while a 730-nm laser was not effective. 2006;32(9):11406. In an animal study, Blue light (430510nm) delayed the barrier recovery, whereas red light (550670nm) accelerated it. Red and Near infrared (NIR) have a number of different mechanisms of action, but two main ones involve: Through these mechanisms, LLLT is thought to help increase the skins ability to resist the photoaging processes. (2007a). Dermatol Surg. Ng, J. N. C., Wanitphakdeedecha, R., & Yan, C. (2020). And its cheaper. It uses evidence based wavelengths for red and NIR and has a great irradiance. Also, one nice thing about the Qure is that it has an app where you can just use the blue+red light on one portion of your face. Another major downside is that it doesnt include NIR. Effect of red and near-infrared wavelengths on low-level laser (light) therapy-induced healing of partial-thickness dermal abrasion in mice. Photobiomodulation stimulates fibroblast proliferation, collagen synthesis, growth factors, and extracellular matrix production by activating cellular mitochondrial respiratory pathways (Ablon, 2018). Ablon, G. (2018). Serrage, H., Heiskanen, V., Palin, W. M., Cooper, P. R., Milward, M. R., Hadis, M., & Hamblin, M. R. (2019). A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and split-face clinical study on LED phototherapy for skin rejuvenation: clinical, profilometric, histologic, ultrastructural, and biochemical evaluations and comparison of three different treatment settings.
Because these products only work if you use them). Thanks for catching that. Also, you wont know what you are working with and you may be wasting your time and money using the device. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology,88(1), 51-67. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 11(2), 21. Whilst the perceivable dangers of LLLT are mainly related to retinal damage (both clinician and patient) and skin burn (mainly related to shorter UV wavelengths), the safety of LLLT is well documented in a number of standards such as US Code of Federal Regulations, American National Standards Institute and the International Standards Manual, and other laser safety books and review articles [21, 22]. One plus is that it has a good wavelength for red and it seems like you are able to choose either the blue or the red setting. Photobiomodulation or low-level laser therapy. In Handbook of Low-Level Laser Therapy (pp. Kwon, H. H., Lee, J. Lask, G., Fournier, N., Trelles, M., Elman, M., Scheflan, M., Slatkine, M., & Harth, Y. The efficacy of low-power lasers in tissue repair and pain control: a meta-analysis study. The big downside is that when you use the Red/NIR setting, there are no light coverage on the chin at all (there is only light coverage on the chin with the blue + red setting). Trelles, M. A., Allones, I., & Mayo, E. (2006).
There are 2 treatment modes: Anti-aging (Red 633nm with NIR 830nm) and Acne mode (red plus blue 415nm). Lasers in surgery and medicine, 50(6), 613-628. Medical Laser Application, 21(3), 165-175. But right now it is available on. Semin Cutan Med Surg. This one has the shape and style that is found all over Amazon. Photomedicine and laser surgery, 22(3), 241-247. There is no fixed value of fluence that always produces a positive LLLT effect. A randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blinded, split-faced clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of KLOX-001 gel formulation with KLOX light-emitting diode light on facial rejuvenation. Lima, A. M. C. T., da Silva Sergio, L. P., & da Fonseca, A. D. S. (2020). I found two journal articles that provided some information but otherwise the company declined commenting. First, while it does have, If you are ok with uncertainty and not knowing the irradiance and having to use it for 20 min instead of 10, this isnt a bad option because at least it uses good wavelengths. Sorbellini, E., Rucco, M., & Rinaldi, F. (2018). The clinical and histological effect of homeuse, combination bluered LED phototherapy for mildtomoderate acne vulgaris in Korean patients: a doubleblind, randomized controlled trial. And a major downside in my eyes is that it doesnt include NIR AND it has to be plugged in to use (so it isnt, 2 year manufacturer warranty (you need to register it). Identical to Omnilux and FaceLite (in Shape A) and SkinLite. (, This is identical (not just in looks, in wavelength, irradiance) to Light Salon. Denda, M., & Fuziwara, S. (2008). You dont need to jump through any hoops. They didnt provide the irradiance but they provided the fluence, and using that to calculate the irradiance gave a shockingly low number (1.5 mW/cm2). A study to determine the efficacy of combination LED light therapy (633 nm and 830 nm) in facial skin rejuvenation. Therefore, it offers very little to dermal renewal and repair. Irradiation with a wavelength of 415nm can destroy the P.acnes but it doesnt address the associated inflammatory problem. Wunsch, A., & Matuschka, K. (2014). That means that 90% of the photons are at the rated wavelength and will therefore optimally target wavelength-specific chromophores at that wavelength. Is light-emitting diode phototherapy (LED-LLLT) really effective?. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 9, 115. So if you are more likely to consistently use a 3 min mask versus a 10 min one, I would get the Qure mask (and I would stick with the red setting for the primary mode to consistently use). Red light can help this process because it stimulates collagen synthesis and fibroblast formation, anti-inflammatory action, energy production in mitochondria, and DNA repair (Barolet, 2018; de Freitas & Hamblin, 2016; Hamblin, 2016). If you are using blue light to treat acne, it may be best to use a handheld device to just target spots as there is some evidence that it could increase hyperpigmentation. On the lower threshold, I think 5mW/cm2 is a good bottom value, but I would prefer something closer to 40 since the majority of the studies used 55mW/cm2 (and it also means that it is more likely that I can wear the mask for 10 minutes versus 30 minutes, which some of the masks with the lowest irradiance suggested). Takezaki, S., Omi, T., Sato, S., & Kawana, S. (2005). Photomedicine: Advances in Clinical Practice. So if you had a bad breakout on one cheek, you could just have the blue light treatment there and use Red + NIR everywhere else. (2006). Karu, T. I., & Kolyakov, S. F. (2005). The Higher Dose website shows 830nm for their LED mask. ), Here is a Cheat Sheet for Deals on the 7 flexible masks made by the same manufacturer. So really, my TOP picks are Omnilux, Current Body, Light Salon, FaceLite, and Priori. Identical to Light Salon and Current Body. The company is leaders in LED research (and for what its worth they are nice and always helpful). Lasers in surgery and medicine,44(3), 218-226. This includes The Guidelines for Skin Exposure to Light in the International Standards Manual (IEC-825) which states that an exposure of less than 200 mW/cm2 is safe, and the marketing and the use of therapeutic LLLT is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Omnilux and FaceLite are almost identical except they differ in terms of the, Here is where it gets complicated and super nuancedOf the 7 masks that are all made by the same manufacturer, the manufacturer told me that all 7 have the exact same wavelengths and irradiance. Photobiomodulation via multiple-wavelength radiations. This is the most gimmicky LED maskapparently this one also has rose quartz crystals. (2011). Keep in mind that lower irradiance (<50mW/cm2) is less likely to induce skin hyperthermia (heat) leading to potential deleterious effects (Barolet et al 2016). If you are excited about the blue light for infrequent breakouts you may want to consider getting a, 1 year warranty (kind of shocking given the price that it doesnt have a 2 year warranty IMHO), Here are the specific irradiance for each wavelength (as provided by the company), There are some things that I dont love about this masks parameters. Keep to well-proven wavelengths, applied singly unless they are the well-tested combinations. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 25(1), 49-58. Some of the limited studies using yellow light were not able to be replicated by different researchers. Three wavelengths of light that have demonstrated several therapeutic applications are.
enhancing cellular mitochondrial function and ATP production through interacting with a photoreceptor called cytochrome c oxidase. It is quasi flexible, but it it wont lay flat on its own. When that gap gets large that indicates low quality LED). Update on 5/10/22: Currently GOALS257 is actually making the mask $257 for those in the US! A. So unless it is Red and NIR, Red and Blue, or NIR and Blue, you may want to just use different colors separately. A difference of even 5nm from the peak can in some cases dramatically lower the action potential (Calderhead, 2018). Proposed mechanisms of photobiomodulation or low-level light therapy. I also only focused on face masks, versus hand held devices or panels because I had to narrow it down somehow and since I enjoy using the mask bc of its convenience that is what I focused on. IEEE Journal of selected topics in quantum electronics, 22(3), 348-364. Laser therapy, 20(3), 205-215. This has good wavelengths and irradiance, but it is super expensive. Then it uses orange (590-620nm) which doesnt have evidence to back up its claims, And the other major downside is that it doesnt have Near Infrared. (2013) Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring. Exact action spectra for cellular responses relevant to phototherapy. Therapeutic efficacy of home-use photobiomodulation devices: a systematic literature review. If the goal is overall skin rejuvenation (including reducing inflammation and speeding up healing), choose a mask with NIR (ideally 830) as the literature has consistently found that this wavelength targets a larger number of the necessary cell types and has a better effect on the overall skin rejuvenation process than other wavelengths (Kim & Calderhead, 2011). Indo, S. Suenaga, T. Hisamitsu, T. Ozawa, H. Yasuhara, R. Koide, Blue LED light exposure develops intracellular reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and subsequent cellular injuries in cultured bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells, Free Radic. Calderhead, G., & Tanaka, Y. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology,26(2), 219-225. Also I couldnt confirm if the wavelength of the NIR was 760-900 or if it had a more narrow band. Devices with extremely low irradiance probably wont have any determinantal effects, but they can be a waste of money and time.