Red and near-infrared light on skin grafts in rats
Animal wound-healing research, not a face-mask trial. Red light did more in this particular animal model. That does not establish the better wavelength for human skin.
The main finding. Red light did more in this particular animal model. That does not establish the better wavelength for human skin.
How the study worked
Thirty rats with skin grafts were randomly assigned no light, 630 nm red light, or 850 nm near-infrared light. Treatment was daily for ten days from the time of surgery.
The results
The red group had higher healing scores than the near-infrared group. It also had more collagen fibres and more TGF-β, a protein involved in repair, than either other group.
What is still unclear
The subjects were rats with surgical wounds. The results may differ in people, in ageing skin, or with another dose.
What to take from this
Red light did more in this particular animal model. That does not establish the better wavelength for human skin.
Devices that list similar light
One of the 5 masks in the comparison list a wavelength in every band used here (red near 630 nm and near-infrared near 850 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.
- Dr. Renú SpectraLift Advanced465 · 530 · 630–660 · 850 nm · Dr. Renú product page
These masks list one of the bands, but not all:
- CurrentBody Skin LED Face Mask Series 3415 · 532 · 590 · 633 · 830 · 1072 nm · CurrentBody product page
- Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro415 · 630; page also lists 605 · 880 (unresolved) nm · Dr. Dennis Gross product page
- Omnilux Contour Face633 · 830 nm · Omnilux product page
- Shark CryoGlow FW312415 · 630 · 830 nm · Shark 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.
We rewrote the source edition’s abstract summary in simpler language. It is not medical advice, and it does not mean any mask reproduces this study’s results. Read the original record on PubMed, and talk to a qualified clinician about your skin.