This is your Definitive TT Guide to everything you’re (probably) asking
I think we can all agree, if there is one skincare category that has absolutely exploded over the last few years, it’s LED.
Red ones. Near-infrared ones (more on that later), every colour of the Chakra rainbow ones. Some that cost £80 and some that cost well north of £800. And ALL of them basically promise wonderful, wonderful skin and all your concerns solved while you sit on the sofa watching telly.
So, understandably, one of the questions I get asked, constantly, is: do these things actually work? Are they worth it.
My short answer is yes, good LED does bloody wonders.
But then my longer and slightly more annoying answer is that not all LED is created equal, by any stretch.
I’ve been using LED professionally for years, and if you’ve been to see me in my clinic then you’ve most likely been under one. I bought my first Dermalux device about a year after the company launched around 13/14 years ago, and now have seven of them, because I am obsessed. We use LED in virtually every facial we do, so I had been waiting for them to make one for home so I could share the love, but first, let’s do this properly.
As ever in my skincare practice, knowledge and understanding is everything. So here are the LED questions I hear all the time, all answered in one handy place, and the things I think you actually need to know about it.
1. Does an LED face mask actually work?
Yes, it actually does. But it depends on what it is you want working on! And, the device matters.
LED phototherapy uses specific wavelengths of light to interact with biological processes in the skin. The different wavelengths are where the different colour lights come in, and the different things they interact with, and research supports potential benefits for things like skin rejuvenation and acne. But the evidence isn’t equally as strong for every claim you’ll see on the internet...
Fundamentally, red light is not just red light.
The literal wavelength, the dose, the treatment time and also how effectively the light reaches your skin all matter in terms of the results you’ll see. Which is why I would much rather you bought one properly engineered device and actually used it, rather than bought the most hyped or marketed mask on Instagram because somebody said it gave them glass skin or something.
My advice is always to look at the technology before you look at the marketing!
The Dermalux home mask I use has three wavelengths: red 633nm, near-infrared 830nm and deep near-infrared 1072nm. Those are the three important ones in my book, the rest isn’t really necessary. BTW, Dermalux only ever sold to clinics globally and this is their first time entering the consumer market and so it’s mega!
2. What does LED actually DO to your skin?
Well this depends on the wavelength. You’ve got to think of them as doing different jobs rather than “LED” being the one universal treatment.
Red light is the one we tend to associate with ‘anti-ageing’, (I’d call it rejuvenation). It supports the processes involved in skin repair and helping improve the appearance of firmness, elasticity and fine lines.
Near-infrared penetrates more deeply and is used to boost repair and recovery, brilliant for anyone with sensitive or reactive skin.
Blue light is generally associated with acne because of its effects on acne-associated bacteria, although the research is more nuanced than some marketing would have you believe. Reviews have found promising results, but also limitations in the quality and size of studies. Also, there’s great topical treatments that may work better, so I’m not sure it’s ultimately necessary.
This is why I’m much more interested in which wavelengths a device delivers rather than how many different colours it can make. 7 x colours does not automatically equal 7 x better.
3. How often should I use an LED mask?
The biggest, deeply unexciting secret to successful LED is consistency.
You cannot use it twice. You mustn’t forget about it for three weeks and then complain to me that it doesn’t work. Course it doesn’t! That’s like watering your garden twice during a heatwave and wondering why it’s not growing much.
Home LED is cumulative. First off, you need to follow the protocol for your own device, because they really do differ, but the main thing is not assuming more is better. The Dermalux treatment is designed to be 10 minutes for example, versus half an hour treatment times of other competitor ones, which is one of the things I like about it most. Ten minutes is realistically achievable. ‘Cos you’re not going to be able to look at your phone, or the TV FYI. You need to just lie down and close your eyes and chill! (Or, if you’re like me, you’ll still be peaking your eyes out to check if the world has ended as you’re lying down for 10 minutes without checking your phone…)
Clean face, mask on, ten minutes, skincare afterwards. I can manage that
4. Do I still need professional LED if I own a mask?
YES. big fat yes.
This is probably the misconception I want to clear up most, ‘cos I have the LED in my clinic, and people either think it’s a waste of time because they have a mask at home, or they don’t think they need one at home cos they’re doing it in my facials.
Your home mask doesn’t make professional LED redundant any more than owning good skincare means you’ll never benefit from a facial.
Professional LED equipment and home devices aren’t interchangeable: the treatment parameters and protocols differ, and in clinic we’re using LED as part of a treatment designed around what your skin needs that day, to a professional clinical level.
I often use it after more active stages of a facial because it’s a lovely way to finish, and to support recovery and calm the skin, especially after lasers and Microneedling.
The home mask is what happens between those appointments, to keep up the good work. That’s actually where I think it becomes really useful.
Think of it like clinic + consistent home care. Not one versus the other.
5. Should LED go before or after skincare?
Clean, dry skin first. Please don’t put on six serums, an oil and your favourite moisturiser and then strap the mask over the top, just keep the protocol is simple:
Cleanse → LED → skincare.
I actually love this because LED becomes part of your normal routine rather than another elaborate thing you have to find time for.
Cleanse your face, put your mask on for ten minutes, do absolutely nothing - revolutionary, I know - then carry on with your normal skincare.
6. Is LED safe for everyone?
LED is generally considered a non-invasive treatment with a positive safety profile, but that doesn’t mean every device is suitable for every person or every skin condition. If you have a medical skin condition or take medication that increases light sensitivity, I’d always want you to check with a doctor or dermatologist.
Remember that just because something is available to buy for your bathroom, we’ve got to remember it is technology, and so you read the leaflets and check with the professionals.
7. Is an LED mask actually worth the money?
For me, hard yes, if you buy a good one and you’re actually going to use it.
I don’t think you need every gadget that comes onto the market. My thing is that less is more, so my whole approach to skin has always been about finding the things that genuinely earn their place.
And yes, LED has earned its place in my clinic over many, many years. With bells on!
And that’s why I’ve been so particular about what I’d recommend for home. I’ve been waiting ages for Dermalux to bring out the home version of what I choose in clinic. This one is genuinely brilliant. The Dermalux LED Face Mask is giving you access to a technology I’ve already believed in for years (and I’ve tried them all). I’m that exited, I begged them to let me sell it in my clinic because I genuinely believe in it. It’s here, and it is amazing.
Right. What haven’t I answered?
Leave your LED question in the comments. Give me the really specific ones, or the ones you’ve been too embarrassed to ask - there’s no silly questions when it comes to your skin!
I’ll answer them.
Results with Love x
Teresa