Beauty trends on social media come and go, but it’s my job to figure out which ones are worth your time and money. Dermatologists often tell me that they see patients who have had problems because they followed bad beauty advice on TikTok. That being said, red light therapy feels different. I’ve been a fan of it for a long time, and it’s been going around in the beauty world for a long time.
I use a red light mask a few times a week (Shark Beauty is my favorite), I’ve tried red light spa treatments, and I even recently put a shower filter with a red light in it (thanks to HigherDOSE for helping this busy mom do more than one thing at once). Red light therapy is now a regular part of my self-care routine. It calms me down, and my skin, which is 41 years old, really glows.
I still wanted to make sure those results weren’t just a placebo effect so I talked to three dermatologists to get their professional opinion on whether red light therapy really works and how to get the most out of it.
Mona Gohara MD, is an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. Hallie McDonald MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Austin, Texas, and one of the founders of ERLY. Ellen Marmur MD, is a board-certified dermatologist, the founder of Marmur Medical in New York City, and the creator of MMSkincare.
What is red light therapy?
The American Academy of Dermatology says that red light therapy is a noninvasive treatment that uses red or near-infrared light to get cells in the skin to work harder. Dermatologists use it to help with acne wrinkles hair loss, and other skin problems. It is also called photobiomodulation therapy treatment. Office red light treatments are stronger than most at-home devices, which use lower-level light that is meant to be used regularly for a long time.
How does therapy with red light or LED work?
Red light in the 630–660 nanometer wavelength range goes about 1–2 millimeters into the skin’s dermis where it is taken in by mitochondria in fibroblast cells. That absorption increases the production of energy in cells, which in turn helps make collagen and elastin, the proteins that keep skin firm and looking young.
What a Red Light Mask Can Do for You
I started with Ellen Marmur MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Marmur Medical in New York City. I knew she liked them so much that she made her own line of red light masks. She says, “As a dermatologist, I use red LED light for three main reasons: it calms inflamed skin, which helps collagen repair and healing; it helps scars heal by aligning new collagen; and it promotes hair growth by making the scalp healthier.”
Dr. Mona Gohara, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, agrees that red light therapy can be worth the money. “It can smooth out wrinkles, help cells turn over more quickly, and calm irritation in the skin,” she says.
Dr. Hallie McDonald, a board-certified dermatologist in Austin, Texas, says that red light therapy isn’t a miracle cure, but it is based on real science research. She says, “It’s not magic, but it’s real science.” “Regular use can slightly increase collagen, reduce inflammation, and help hair follicles.” She does, however, stress how important it is to use it with other treatments. “It’s not life-changing on its own, but it can help.” It works best and is safest when used with other treatments not instead of them.
The best time to use your red light mask is after you wash your face but before you put on skin care.
How often you should use red light therapy
All three dermatologists stress how important it is to be consistent with treatments. Gohara says, “Think of these gadgets like gym memberships for your face—signing up doesn’t give you abs.” “You have to show up and do the work.”
McDonald agrees and says that results depend on using it regularly. She says, “Most studies say that you should use red light therapy three to five times a week for at least eight to twelve weeks to start seeing improvements in your skin.” “For hair growth, it usually takes about six months of regular use to see results.”
Why Good Masks Are Important
Gohara says, “Red light masks can smooth out wrinkles, promote healthy cell turnover, and calm irritation, but only if you’re willing to spend money.” “The number and quality of the bulbs make a big difference in results.” Masks that are cheap won’t help. In fact, using a low-quality device could do the opposite: it could even make facial hair grow instead of getting rid of fine lines and inflammation. She suggests looking for devices with at least 100 LED lights and two wavelengths. She likes the TheraFace Mask Glo the best.
McDonald agrees that quality is important. She says, “Higher-quality options with well-studied wavelengths tend to work better.” The Omnilux and Shark CryoGlow masks for skin and the HairMax LaserBand and iRestore for hair are her top picks for treatment. These devices are backed by strong science research and are meant to be used regularly for a long time.
Marmur says there are some important things to keep an eye out for. She says that “claims of laser-like strength in at-home devices are not based on science and can backfire.” “Laser-strong light makes things hot, and infrared devices go deeper than red light, which makes it more likely that tissue will get too hot.” That heat can hurt elastin and collagen, making skin look old before its time, especially on the neck arms and knees.
She also says that more people are using expensive infrared wands, beds, and saunas and then feeling like their bodies suddenly look older. She says, “A lot of people don’t know that red light only goes a little bit deeper into collagen, while infrared light goes much deeper.” “The great thing about low-level light therapy is that it works like homeopathic medicine: the lower the dose, the better the results, without the pain of heat.”
Lastly, Marmur says that it’s very important to think about where your technology comes from. “Your skin is a complicated organ, so I strongly suggest that you trust devices made by board-certified dermatologists over those made by nutritionists, pharmacists, or other non-experts.” We design for long-term biological health, not just to get people to buy things.
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