What does an LED facial do?

What does each LED color do?

Each color reaches a different depth. Cleveland Clinic ranks them from shallowest to deepest: blue, yellow, red, then near-infrared. The wavelengths are the ranges used in the trials the 2018 review covered.

Wavelengths from Jagdeo et al., Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 2018. Depth order and uses from Cleveland Clinic, last updated December 2, 2021.

Do LED facial lights really work?

Somewhat, for some uses. The most cited review, by Jagdeo and colleagues in 2018, screened the randomized controlled trials on LED in dermatology and kept 31. Acne, cold sores and shingles, and acute wound healing earned a grade B recommendation. Skin rejuvenation got a C, and cellulite reduction a D. No use reached grade A, and the authors note that some studies had small numbers of patients.

Cleveland Clinic adds a practical point: results need regular sessions. In-office care often means a treatment a week for about a month, then upkeep every month or every few months. One session will not change much on its own.

In those trials, side effects were mild: pigment changes, dryness, redness, peeling and stinging, with no serious events reported. The review mentions a theoretical risk from blue light that has not shown up in the trials.

LED masks at home: what are the disadvantages?

Power, mainly. Cleveland Clinic says in-office devices are stronger and so more effective, and that with masks and other portable devices you likely will not see dramatic anti-aging or acne results. Some home devices also ask for a lot of time: Cleveland Clinic mentions 30 to 60 minutes, twice a day, for four to five weeks for certain models.

Eyes are the other concern. In July 2019, Australia's regulator for medicines and medical devices, the TGA, announced the recall of a home acne mask that combined red and blue LEDs. It said that for a small group of susceptible people, including those with retinitis pigmentosa or ocular albinism, repeated exposure could cause retinal damage that might be irreversible. Reported effects also included eye pain, tearing, blurred vision and seeing spots or flashes.

If you buy a mask, check that it is FDA-cleared for the use claimed, follow the time limits, and protect your eyes. Cleveland Clinic advises goggles or sunglasses.

Who should check with a doctor before LED light

Cleveland Clinic lists these groups as people for whom LED light therapy is not appropriate.

• People taking medicine that increases sensitivity to light, such as isotretinoin or lithium
• People with a history of skin cancer
• People with inherited eye diseases

Pregnancy is not covered on that page. Ask your doctor, and tell any provider before a session.

Before you buy an LED mask: five checks

• FDA-cleared, for what? A clearance covers a specific use. Read which one, and ignore claims beyond it.
• Colors and wavelengths listed. A box that only says "red light" without a number tells you little.
• A built-in timer. The mask in the 2019 recall used an activator limited to 10-minute sessions once a day. Limits like that exist for a reason.
• Eye protection. Goggles, or clear instructions to keep eyes closed and covered.
• A return window. Results take weeks of regular use, so you need time to judge.

LED light at Karisma

Karisma does not list an LED facial. It offers red light therapy, booked as the Red Light Recovery Reset: $99 a session, on its own or after a facial or an Endermologie session. It is offered for comfort and the look of rested skin, not to treat acne or any condition, and results vary.

Before you book, ask Kay the questions this guide raises: which device she uses, which colors and wavelengths, how long a session runs, and what eye protection you will wear. A session can follow either facial on the menu: the Signature Facial, $125, or the Advanced Facial, $225.