Also, you wont know what you are working with and you may be wasting your time and money using the device. The wavelengths and the irradiance for each wavelength are as follows (note that you cant just add up the irradiance for each wavelength to get the total irradiancethe only time the irradiance is additive is when the wavelengths are sharing a double chipinstead I would say that that red setting ranges from 11-40 mW/cm2) and the red+ blue setting ranges from 40-60: 415nm (60 mW/cm2); 605nm (26 mW/cm2); 630nm (26 mW/cm2); 660nm (40 mW/cm2); 880nm (11 mW/cm2). The efficacy of low-power lasers in tissue repair and pain control: a meta-analysis study. Does the device use precise wavelengths (e.g., 633nm) versus wide ranges of wavelengths (e.g., 620-750nm)? Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences,18(8), 1877-1909. One key thing I found was that the strap on top really helps improve the fit, so I like that they include it. Medical Laser Application, 21(3), 165-175. 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. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 9, 115. Hadis, M. A., Zainal, S. A., Holder, M. J., Carroll, J. D., Cooper, P. R., Milward, M. R., & Palin, W. M. (2016). Photobiomodulation via multiple-wavelength radiations. (2006). Among clinical studies focused on skin rejuvenation, fluence values ranges from 1.2 J/cm2 to 126 J/cm2, with the median being 66 J/cm2. 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]. I was sad to find out they wont reveal their irradiance. The optimal clinical irradiance is considered to be around 40150 mW/cm2 (Calderhead, 2018; Sorbellini et al., 2018). So thats a big lesson to not assume two masks would have the same irradiance if they have the same wavelengths, number of lights, and look identical. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology,19(9), 2288-2294. 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. Red and near-infrared (NIR) lights in particular, are reported to have additional effects in promoting dermal restructuring due to their deeper penetration (Avici et al., 2013; Calderhead & Vasily, 2016). The efficacy and safety of 660 nm and 411 to 777 nm light-emitting devices for treating wrinkles. Ng, J. N. C., Wanitphakdeedecha, R., & Yan, C. (2020). Does the company report the irradiance (or will they tell you if asked)? Weinstabl, A., Hoff-Lesch, S., Merk, H. F., & Von Felbert, V. (2011). Green light (490560nm) and white light (400670nm) did not affect the barrier recovery rate (Denda & Fuziwara, 2008). And for me the large size is a negative because I always wonder where to store it. Consulting Room 2020;3(03):1315. New addition to list as of 6/11/2021. I was sent the mask by the brand to try (with no string attached) and I loved it. They report their power density, but if they didnt here is how we could find it. In LLLT, the irradiance and wavelength is analogous with the medicine, and the energy density is the dose. I love knowing that they have really incredible customer service!). Begin typing your search above and press return to search. So in my mind, I set 50 mW/cm2 as the upper threshold, because any higher and the mask could be uncomfortable to wear. Combination blue (415 nm) and red (633 nm) LED phototherapy in the treatment of mild to severe acne vulgaris. In the red wavelength, this uses 620nm -750nm (thats a HUGE span not great at all. Identical to Light Salon and Current Body. Laser therapy, 20(3), 205-215. The main risks that have appeared in clinical trials were minor and self-resolving and include (Jagdeo et al., 2018). This and the DDG LED mask are the most popular in terms of LED masks that you see on Instagram, probably because it has been gifted to a number of bloggers/influencers (I was one of them) so it has gotten more exposure. InLasers in Dermatology and Medicine(pp. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine: The Official Journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, 39(2), 180-188. Inflammatory acne lesions contain bacterium, P. Acne, which has porphyrins415nm is the optimal wavelength for porphyrin absorption. 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. Therefore, if they dont share the data it would make me suspicious as to whether they know the irradiance or if there is some reason they dont want to share it. Lloyd, A. It looks like Shape A (which looks like Omnilux is available in the US and the other shape is sold in the UK). 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). The effects of narrowbands of visible light upon some skin disorders: a review. But the downside of this one is the price and only 1 year warranty. 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. But turns out that isnt the case! Infrared and skin: Friend or foe. Also, having only a 1 year warranty is a downside. Wunsch, A., & Matuschka, K. (2014). Barolet, D., Christiaens, F., & Hamblin, M. R. (2016). (Also, this isnt mentioned below but take into consideration convenience. So it is best to draw guidance from clinical studies only (later I provide an overview of some clinical studies focused on skin rejuvenation). If the wavelength is not correct, optimum absorption will not occur (and without absorption there will be no reaction). 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. High enough irradiance so that the recommended usage isnt 7 days a week and ideally less than 10 minutes. Photomedicine and Laser Therapy,22(4), 323-329. Goldberg, D. J., & Russell, B. This also doesnt have the strap on top. However, it has high absorption in blood for which it could potentially be useful for some very superficial vascular conditions like rosacea (De Cordova, 2021). Mitochondrial signaling in mammalian cells activated by red and nearIR radiation. Im not sure whether the measurements include the bumps for the straps (the measurements for the Omnilux and other flex masks dont). That is the role of irradiance (Barolet et al., 2016). enhancing cellular mitochondrial function and ATP production through interacting with a photoreceptor called cytochrome c oxidase. I was told 880nm but now I see it is 830 on their website so I am going with that info. Denda, M., & Fuziwara, S. (2008). 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. B., Yoon, J. Y., Park, S. Y., Ryu, H. H., Park, B. M., & Suh, D. H. (2013). It is quasi flexible, but it it wont lay flat on its own. In an animal study, Blue light (430510nm) delayed the barrier recovery, whereas red light (550670nm) accelerated it. While those studies can be useful, it is important to note that studies that examine the effect of LLLT therapy tend to find a much larger effect in animal studies than in humans (e.g., Woodruff et al., 2004). Sadick, N. (2009). Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 11(2), 125-128. Laser therapy,24(4), 277-289. Jagdeo, J., Austin, E., Mamalis, A., Wong, C., Ho, D., & Siegel, D. M. (2018). Photobiomodulation stimulates fibroblast proliferation, collagen synthesis, growth factors, and extracellular matrix production by activating cellular mitochondrial respiratory pathways (Ablon, 2018). 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. This does not impact your cost. Calderhead RG. 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). Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 25(1), 49-58. Low-Level Laser (Light) Therapy for Cosmetics and Dermatology. Clinics in Plastic Surgery, 43(3), 541-550. Gothamista reviewed this one in the previous YouTube video I linked to (TLDR: she liked it but she liked the Light Salon better). The key parameters are what matter most! Clinical efficacy of self-applied blue light therapy for mild-to-moderate facial acne. Lasers in medical science,29(1), 257-265. Light emitting diodes technology-based photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for dermatology and aesthetics: Recent applications, challenges, and perspectives. How can you avoid wasting your money? The photobiomodulation zone comprises cells which have absorbed the incident photons, directly or indirectly transferred the photon energy to the cells own energy stores, becoming photoactivated (Calderhead, 2018). Their fluence is 18 J/cm2. The masks in my comparison represent only a small selection of the LED masks available. Here is the one that a follower recommended, so you may want to buy that to improve fit, MZ Skin LED 2.0 LightMAX Supercharged LED Mask, Angela Caglia Skincare Crystal Led Face Mask. For example, Light Salon recommends 10 min sessions. But one thing I didnt note was that I get 15, 10 minute sessions before having to charge it again. The clinical and histological effect of homeuse, combination bluered LED phototherapy for mildtomoderate acne vulgaris in Korean patients: a doubleblind, randomized controlled trial. Nikolis, A., Bernstein, S., Kinney, B., Scuderi, N., Rastogi, S., & Sampalis, J. S. (2016). Karu, T. I. On that note, I-smart marketing LTD submitted a 5, Transparency from the company as to what the irradiance is (and the. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 129(12), 2751-2759. Devices with extremely low irradiance probably wont have any determinantal effects, but they can be a waste of money and time. Any manufacturer of an LED device should understand how power density (irradiance) is important when making and use LED devices. ~590 nm (yellow): it has effect only in the epidermis with poor penetration into the dermis. Fluence or Energy Density- The Recommended Dose, FLUENCE = (IRRADIANCE x .001) x TREATMENT TIME IN SECONDS. I have written to the company to ask if they will report the irradiance. Multiple roles of cytochrome c oxidase in mammalian cells under action of red and IRA radiation. The odd thing is that the parameters provided in the journal articles were not ideal. Wu, Q., Xuan, W., Ando, T., Xu, T., Huang, L., Huang, Y. Y., & Hamblin, M. R. (2012). Finally, the company doesnt provide information about the irradiance (power)and if the mask isnt appropriately powered, then the wavelengths arent going to reach their destination in the skin. Dermatologic Surgery, 43(3), 371-380. Also, while it only recommends 8 min sessions, the frequency is 7 days a week (I prefer the masks that can make a recommendation for fewer days a week given the irradiance). I still dont know the irradiance though . 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. Dermatol Surg. 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). 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). The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 11(2), 21. My top pick is the Omnilux Contour Mask (see below for more info). Different wavelengths (e.g., 904 nm, 780860 nm, and 890 nm) have produced conflicting results. A single-blinded randomised controlled study to determine the efficacy of Omnilux Revive facial treatment in skin rejuvenation. Later studies by Trelles and others found 633nm (82 mW/cm2; 98J/cm2) and 830nm (46mW/cm2; 55 J/cm2) improved post procedure wound healing. Wavelengths shorter than 600nm tend to scatter, rather than to penetrate deeply into the body tissues. Calderhead, R. G., & Omi, T. (2014). 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). Gavish, L., & Houreld, N. N. (2019). A., Graves, M. S., & Ross, E. V. (2018). Ask what the nominal wavelength of the system is, and what is the deviation either side. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 2(3), 44. Dermatology, 223(3), 251-259. Zheng C., Rajabi-Estarabadi A., Hirsch M.M., Nouri K. (2020) Light Emitting Diodes and Low Level Laser Light Therapy. Hamblin, M. R. (2016). Energy density is measured in joules per square centimeter (J/cm2) and is the amount of energy delivered into the tissue. Avci P, et al. (Think of it as cooking at turkey at 800 degrees for 10 min rather than 300 degrees for 6 hours. So unless it is Red and NIR, Red and Blue, or NIR and Blue, you may want to just use different colors separately. Kwon, H. H., Lee, J. However, the appropriate range of values of irradiance and fluence are not widely agreed upon. Low level light therapy with light-emitting diodes for the aging face. Sorbellini, E., Rucco, M., & Rinaldi, F. (2018). Karu, T. I. The company is leaders in LED research (and for what its worth they are nice and always helpful). Barolet, D. (2018). 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). That means that 90% of the photons are at the rated wavelength and will therefore optimally target wavelength-specific chromophores at that wavelength. But it doesnt make Light Salon any better than any of the other flexible masks that I cover in this post. Lee, S. Y., Park, K. H., Choi, J. W., Kwon, J. K., Lee, D. R., Shin, M. S., & Park, M. Y. This ones parameters are pretty good (this is the mask that FaceLITE used as the predicate device in their 510(k) submission.) (2007b). Also, you have to wear it for 30 min 7 days a week (bc the irradiance is so so low) and there is only a 1 year warranty. 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. A systematic review of at home devices used for nonesthetic purposes (e.g., wound healing, scars, pain, and cognitive function) found that devices finding significant results had irradiances ranging from 8-50 mW/cm2 (Gavish & Houreld, 2019). (Oh and the shape is sillywouldnt you want full coverage on your forehead rather than having a heart shape?). 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. Also I couldnt confirm if the wavelength of the NIR was 760-900 or if it had a more narrow band. Photobiological basics and clinical indications of phototherapy for skin rejuvenation. 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. Calderhead, R. G., Kim, W. S., Ohshiro, T., Trelles, M. A., & Vasily, D. (2015). So I personally think 2 year warranties are the way to go with LED masks. In a meta-analysis of of low-power lasers in tissue repair and pain control (Enwemeka et al., 2004), 633nm had the largest effect size and 780 had the smallest. As a quick reminder, there are 7 flexible LED masks made by the same manufacturer & have the same key parameters but they have some small differences in design elements (& variations in price). 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? Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology,88(1), 51-67. In order for LED masks to actually be effective, the wavelength and irradiance are key. This one has a lot of unnecessary wavelengths (personally, I would Just use the 630nm setting on this) and it has some wavelengths (439, 450-460nm) I would actively avoid using. Aim to purchase products that use evidence-based wavelengths and that report all key parameters. I believe the company is based in Australia, so for those in the US, the shipping will be $19.95. Handbook of Lasers in Dermatology, 307327. Because these products only work if you use them). 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). This mask is similar to the flexible shape of the Omnilux. Takezaki, S., Omi, T., Sato, S., & Kawana, S. (2005). The best part about the DDG and Qure is that it is only 3 minutes. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 7(3-4), 163-170. The 590nm wavelength really doesnt have evidence to support it, but at least there isnt evidence it is actually determinantal (like 390 or other blue wavelengths). 2006;32(9):11406. Lasers in surgery and medicine,44(3), 218-226. Sawhney, M. K., & Hamblin, M. R. (2016). Ultrastructural observations of human skin following irradiation with visible red light-emitting diodes (LEDs): a preliminary in vivo report. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy,7(3-4), 196-200. Semin Cutan Med Surg. But you could lay it on your chest, for example, and press and hold it down. Optics & Laser Technology,135, 106698. In Handbook of Low-Level Laser Therapy (pp. Laser Therapy, 14(4), 153-159. Gold, M. H., Andriessen, A., Biron, J., & Andriessen, H. (2009). You can find this in both Shape A or Shape B. Hope this was helpful! I have focused this review on skin rejuvenation, but there is a huge body evidence looking at LLLT on wound healing and reducing inflammation. If no, I would pass. ) You can see that since the LG Beauty Mask doesnt have to have the EXACT same specs to be deemed substantially equivalent. Comparison of the low level laser therapy effects on cultured human gingival fibroblasts proliferation using different irradiance and same fluence. Prospective randomized study on the efficacy of blue light in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. The only difference is it is missing the strap for the top of the head and it is, Then for other territories, pricing varies a bit depending on where you are so Current Body gave me a code to just give people. If the device has an imprecise wavelength, then that means you arent getting as pure or high quality a light. Then you can compare those specs with this list to see how it stacks up. So it could make it easier to find a good deal (or at least see which store has the best Rakuten cash back). (Calderhead & Vasily 2016). (2016). Available at, unconfirmed, but someone said it had a 2 year warranty, This is not available for those in the states. 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). And its cheaper. 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). 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. (Note that if any new mask comes out that happens to look like these, you cant judge equivalence just by how it looks! 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). Greaves, A. J. But it is helpful to know what it is to either calculate the power density or to identify the ideal treatment time. I found two journal articles that provided some information but otherwise the company declined commenting. Visible radiation affects epidermal permeability barrier recovery: selective effects of red and blue light. In: Madan V. (eds) Practical Introduction to Laser Dermatology. Gupta, A., Dai, T., & Hamblin, M. R. (2014). Here are a few snippets: Some other interesting applications that still have very little research on them were outlined in Barolet (2008). 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). If the medicine is incorrect, i.e., an irradiance which is too low (resulting in no effect) or too high (resulting in photothermal damage), no amount of playing around with the dose will achieve the optimum result. Nam, C. H., Park, B. C., Kim, M. H., Choi, E. H., & Hong, S. P. (2017). Photobiomodulation in dermatology: harnessing light from visible to near infrared. Majima, K. Watanabe, T. Ueda, H.P. Then you take 18/600 = 0.03 W/cm2 and multiply that times 1000 to get 30 mW/cm2. AlmeidaLopes, L., Rigau, J., Amaro Zngaro, R., GuidugliNeto, J., & Marques Jaeger, M. M. (2001). Enwemeka, C. S., Parker, J. C., Dowdy, D. S., Harkness, E. E., Harkness, L. E., & Woodruff, L. D. (2004). Three wavelengths of light that have demonstrated several therapeutic applications are. Lightemitting diodes in dermatology: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. 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). So take claims about the benefits of green, orange and yellow light with a grain of salt. Regulation of skin collagen metabolism in vitro using a pulsed 660 nm LED light source: clinical correlation with a single-blinded study. It has been reported for a continuous wave system that shorter irradiation times with a higher intensity (irradiance) got significantly better results in first passage human gingival fibroblast proliferation. But right now it is available on. Is light-emitting diode phototherapy (LED-LLLT) really effective?. Efficacy of homeuse lightemitting diode device at 637 and 854nm for facial rejuvenation: A splitface pilot study. However, the energy density is not the key determinant of the devices efficacy. One good sign was that it comes with eye protection (as it should since it uses blue wavelengths). 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). This has good wavelengths and irradiance, but it is super expensive. Does the mask use wavelengths with published scientific evidence showing its effectiveness? 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. Since I talked about this at length above, I wont say much more. 2013 Mar;32(1):41-52. However, if you live in the US, because of the exchange rate (they are based in the UK), this one may end up being pricier than some of the other ones that are identical to it (i.e., CurrentBody, PRIORI). Photobiomodulation or low-level laser therapy. 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. Some of the limited studies using yellow light were not able to be replicated by different researchers. Lasers in medical science, 20(1), 6-10. And 415nm appears to be best and many recommend using it in combination with red or NIR (but blue +red has more evidence). This is the most gimmicky LED maskapparently this one also has rose quartz crystals. Photomedicine: Advances in Clinical Practice. T. Nakanishi-Ueda, H.J. Lowlevel laser therapy for closedhead traumatic brain injury in mice: effect of different wavelengths. Although a more recent in vitro study by Chen at el (2018) offers very preliminary evidence that LLLT with yellow light at 585nm can help reduce pigmentation.