Red and blue light therapy masks and panels have become a skincare staple. But how do you know if you're getting your money's worth?We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
As I write this, I’m surrounded by a deep red glow. I’m not in Hell—quite the opposite—I’m luxuriating in the skincare benefits of an LED mask. At-home LED devices have taken the beauty world by storm. Once, they were a treatment only available at spas and dermatologists’ offices. Now, for a price, anyone can administer their own light therapy from the comfort of their couch.
Moving from History to Science class, learning how these devices work is essential. If you’re strapping on a Hannibal Lecter-style mask to your face and turning bright red or blue, you ought to know what it’s doing to you and how. First, a little bit about wavelengths. By now, we all know that UV rays can be extremely harmful, and while sunlight provides us with nourishing vitamin D, it can also lead to sun damage, premature aging, and skin cancer. UV, or ultraviolet, is invisible to the eye and has short, intense wavelengths. Visible light, such as red or blue, has longer wavelengths, and near-infrared light has much longer wavelengths. The longer the wavelength, the deeper it will penetrate the skin.
The vehicle for these different light wavelengths in beauty devices are LEDs, which stands for Light-Emitting Diodes. “LEDs work by affecting the metabolism of cells through many different pathways,” explains Dr. Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of. “Those pathways include increased energy through the cell’s mitochondria, modulation of reactive oxygen species , altering collagen production, stimulating blood vessel growth, and increasing blood flow.