5 February 2020

Red Light Therapy for Wrinkles At-home Devices

By Marie Davis Beauty

Published 5 February 2020

Last updated 15 June 2021

Red light therapy is an inexpensive option for anyone who is looking for ways to help reduce wrinkles. This technology was once only available at clinics and through dermatologists, but now there are easy-to-use devices that let you perform the treatment in the comfort of your own home. They work by helping to boost collagen, making your skin look younger by reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

Red light therapy products also help to fight dullness, while also improving rough texture, giving you smooth and soft skin.

In this buying guide, you will learn:

Why you may want to consider using red light therapy
Does it work?
What should you be looking for in an at-home device
Are there any side effects?

Reviews and Recommendations

Project E Beauty 7 Color LED Mast

The Photon Beauty Device is a mask that uses natural light waves, from LEDs to treat various skin conditions. Each color of LED has different benefits to the face from improving skin elasticity to help with inflammation, and of course, red light LED to help reduce and prevent wrinkles. This device has 150 LED lights. Sixty are above the eyes, and ninety are below the eyes. Some users find the mask to be a little heavy.

Check the price on Amazon

Silk’n FaceFX Anti-aging Device

The Silk’n FaceFX is an excellent choice if you are looking to test out at home red light therapy devices, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money doing it. You can buy it in a lot of different places, including drug stores and major retailers. The Face FX uses a deep, dermal heat in combination with the red light therapy that can help give you beautiful, radiant skin. It comes with a handheld device, a charging stand, an electrical cord, and a training manual.

Check the price on Amazon

Quasar MD PLUS

The Quasar PLUS is one of the most powerful at-home devices on the market. It’s not cheap, but it will give you the closest results to getting a professional treatment. It has a large treatment head and four times more power than its competitors. The more massive treatment head will save you time, as it will cut the amount of time you will have to spend treating your face. The Quasar is an FDA-cleared Class II medical tool.

This device is dermatologist recommended and comes with a lifetime “No Questions” warranty, as well as a 90-day “Money Back” guarantee.

Check the price on DermStore.com

LightStim for Wrinkles

LightStim for Wrinkles uses an LED light that reduces wrinkles and enhances collagen production; it was one of the first devices on the market to use red light therapy to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. It FDA cleared for the treatment of periorbital wrinkles. It uses something called multi-wave technology that emits four wavelengths (colors) of therapeutic light, which is a little different than some of its competitors. As well as its anti-aging benefits, it can help minimize the appearance of pore size, smooth out the texture of your face, making your skin tone a bit more even, and even ease under-eye puffiness.

Check the price on Amazon

Rika LED Facial Massager

The Rika LED Facial Massager is a combo red light therapy and a massaging tool that are used together to increase blood circulation and generate reliable anti-aging results. This device comes with other colors therapy lights like blue for acne and green that are useful for anti-aging. You can use this device with your favorite products, and it helps to get your creams and serums deeper into your skin to be more productive.

Available on Amazon

True Glow by Conair Light Therapy Solution

The True Glow by Conair Light Therapy Solution is another excellent option if you aren’t sure red light therapy is right for you. With this Conair system, you get three LED treatment heads that you can use to treat wrinkles as well as acne and hyperpigmentation. It is much less expensive (less than $50) than other options. Like most of the devices on this list, the reviews are a little mixed, but depending on what you are hoping to achieve and if you manage your expectations, it may be a good option for some users.

Check the price on Amazon

What is Red Light Therapy for Wrinkles?

NASA initially developed red Light therapy as a way to help improve tissue growth and help heal wounds and burns for astronauts while they were space. It turns out that it is also great to help your body naturally produce elastin and collagen, as well as increasing circulation. As you age, your skin begins to lose volume, which causes wrinkles. As your skin deteriorates, it can start looking dull, and the texture of the face starts to look rougher. The loss of volume and deterioration occur because of a reduction in collagen levels. When you use red light therapy, you are helping to produce more collagen, and improve the overall look of your appearance.

Who would benefit from this treatment?

For anti-aging benefits and skin rejuvenation, red light exposure therapy is okay for almost everyone to use. It is particularly beneficial for people over the age of 25. After the age of 25, we gradually start to lose the ability to make collagen, so our skin begins to show the signs of aging.

Who should not use red light therapy systems?

Light therapy is generally considered safe with few or no side effects. At-home devices are much less potent than what is used by dermatologists, where negative issues from professional light therapy can include irritability, headaches, eye strain, sleep disturbances, and insomnia. As red light therapy is a relatively new technology to use for anti-aging purposes at home, long term testing and results have not been determined. Most manufacturers recommend avoiding these products if you have any of the following health issues.

If you are pregnant
People who have photo-sensitivity
If you are taking antibiotics
If you have epilepsy

Benefits

Not only does red light therapy help to stimulate collagen production to help with the look of wrinkles and fine lines, but it also plumps the skin as well as improving elasticity and firmness. Some of the other things that it works for include:

Broken capillaries
Age Spots
Cuts
Wounds
Scars
Joints
Bones
Deep muscles
Acne (reducing inflammation)

Does it work?

There have been a few studies that have shown positive results with the use of red light therapy for anti-aging treatment. The concentrated red light absorbs into the cells of the skin, which in turn helps to stimulate the production of more collagen. At-home devices haven’t been as heavily tested as the physician-administered laser therapy, although clinical trials from the manufacturers indicate that most individuals are noticing a significant improvement with their skin. For example, clinical tests for the FaceFX system show age-defying results after just eight weeks, with 91% of testers showing an improvement of texture, 69% of testers have a reduction of lines and wrinkles, and 78% of testers have a reduction of the pores.

During studies conducted by NASA on the effects of red light therapy, scientists found that it can accelerate the growth of healthy skin cells by 150-200 percent, creating quick improvement in the appearance of the skin.

Side effects

The FDA has indicated that there are very few side effects with using this technology. Some scientific studies have shown this technology to be a safe and effective way to treat many different conditions.

To be on the safe side, you may want to protect your eyes and not shine the LED light or look directly into the light, although LED lights are not considered damaging to the eyes, the glare can be somewhat bright for some users. If you have any photosensitivity or light sensitivity, you should follow any instructions in the manual on how to test for light sensitivity.

How long will it take to see results?

Results vary depending on your skin type and your age. Most users will see a visible reduction of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes after around four weeks of treatment. Many users will also see an overall better skin condition compared to before treatment. It includes an improvement in the healthy appearance of the face and a reduction in the signs of aging, including firmness. While at-home treatments don’t work as quickly as professional treatments, a lot of users have found that they can see an improvement to their skin texture within the first week of use.

Cost of At-Home Devices

The price of at-home devices are much more economical than professional treatments; you can get very inexpensive bulbs that cost around $30 if you are interested in trying this type of therapy out. Or, if you have more money to invest, the Quasar MD PLUS Skincare Therapy Device is considered one of the most powerful products available. On average, you can expect to pay somewhere between $200 and $300 for an effective, FDA approved device from a reputable brand.

Common Questions:

Can the LEDs used in Red Light Therapy damage skin?

Under normal operating circumstances, it is difficult to damage your skin using one of these products. Except for the RubyLux, these types of devices generally include a built-in temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the treatment surface to ensure it does not exceed a safety limit. For any beauty product like this, it is essential to read all of the operating instructions before use to avoid damaging your skin.

Is there any UV danger when using Red Light Therapy?

No, it does not use UV light. Generally, it uses a 660nm red LED light, which is not a UV wavelength.

Are they safe to use on all skin types and tones?

Red LED light technology can be used safely, without side effects, on all skin types

Can the LEDs used by right light therapy devices be harmful to the eyes?

As long as you are using the device for its intended use, and are following all directions, there is no risk of damaging your eyes. As a safety precaution, many users wear goggles to avoid any potential harm to the eyes.

The Bottom Line

These Red light therapy devices are well worth investing in if you are looking for new ways to help fight the sign of aging on your skin, in addition to giving your skin an overall glow and even tone. Many individuals have gotten great results from at-home devices. The only downside to at-home treatments is that they are time-consuming, and it may take a while before you see results, they are a great alternative to costly professional services, for a fraction of the price.