Blue and near-infrared light: mixed acne results

How the study worked

Seventeen people received alternating 415 nm blue and 830 nm near-infrared treatments. Sessions lasted 20 minutes, twice weekly for four weeks. Other acne treatments were not allowed. Results were checked 1, 4 and 8 weeks later.

The results

Six participants left the study. Of the eleven who finished, improvements ranged from none to 83%. Overall acne grades fell. Blackheads and whiteheads increased in four people and roughly halved in seven. No side effects were reported.

The author reported less improvement in inflamed spots than in earlier blue-plus-red studies.

What is still unclear

The group was very small, many participants left, and there was no untreated or sham group.

What to take from this

This study gives no clear reason to treat near-infrared as a replacement for red light in an acne routine.

Devices that list similar light

Two of the 5 masks in the comparison list a wavelength in every band used here (blue near 415 nm and near-infrared near 830 nm). They are examples, listed alphabetically, each with our specification page and the manufacturer’s own product page. Related devices are examples, not evidence that a study tested that retail model.

• CurrentBody Skin LED Face Mask Series 3415 · 532 · 590 · 633 · 830 · 1072 nm · CurrentBody product page
• Shark CryoGlow FW312415 · 630 · 830 nm · Shark product page

These masks list one of the bands, but not all:

• Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro415 · 630; page also lists 605 · 880 (unresolved) nm · Dr. Dennis Gross product page
• Dr. Renú SpectraLift Advanced465 · 530 · 630–660 · 850 nm · Dr. Renú product page
• Omnilux Contour Face633 · 830 nm · Omnilux 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.