Cassandra has spent way too much money on LED devices, and she has even been scammed by some! As an esthetician though, she loves to use LED and looks for the best devices. So, let’s rank the best and worst LED product treatments. We’ll specifically be talking about red light devices because red LED has the most data on it.
How does red LED light work?
Numerous studies demonstrate how red LED helps to reduce inflammation and boost collagen production. LED is also fantastic for muscle tension. And depending on how strong the LED is, it can stimulate hair growth too.
The following devices are not powerful enough to stimulate hair growth. So, they won’t grow anything on the face. But, some of these are powerful enough to help with the skin while some aren’t even powerful enough to be considered a real LED device.
Project E Beauty LED Light Therapy Mask:
This is one of the worst things that Cassandra has ever used. To her, it was a complete scam. When you plug it in, it barely lights up. It also kind of shocks your face and sends some electrical pulses through.
This barely worked, and the “nodes” press too deeply your face. So, they might give you a headache. Also, the strap doesn’t even keep it on your face. There’s also a neckpiece that doesn’t have a clear purpose.
This mask also has a clear remote that allows you to control the settings. There’s also a facial whitening device. But, first off, facial whitening – are you serious? Fascist beauty standards strike again. But anyway, even if that was someone’s problematic goal, that’s not what LED does.
This is a handheld device, and it’s supposed to do more than LED. It’s supposed to be cryotherapy. More simply, it’s supposed to warm up and cool down. This also has a small, little strip of LED, and they claim it benefits the skin. However, this thing is barely powerful enough to penetrate the skin.
Now, Foreo does have a few, good cleansing devices, but this UFO LED device was a disaster. They also try to sell you face masks that goes on the UFO device, and you have to repurchase them. To Cassandra, they don’t truly do anything, and this is an unnecessary upsell.
A mask similar to the Lumm LED Mask
This one is not worth it at all. There are no eye holes. Secondly, this is not bright enough to make an impact on this skin. Thirdly, it doesn’t even penetrate that deep, and the color illuminates more as an orange. Red LED performs best between 630 and 710 nanometers, but a strength of 655 or 660 is great.
When Cassandra looks at LED, she looks for the “light emitting diode” bubbles underneath that actually disperse the light, and this one did not meet that standard.
Next, let’s start getting into the more effective devices.
CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Face Mask:
This one is not terrible, but it wasn’t great. This melds to the contours of your face. They also have a body version that Cassandra thinks is more powerful. However, the face device only has a few diodes.
They’re not the bubbled type, meaning they don’t have the round domes on them that compress the skin. And to truly get the benefits of red LED, the diodes have to be compressed on the skin.
Nevertheless, some of the red wavelengths from this device will still penetrate the skin. So, it could probably still work, but it’s not going to work as quickly or as effectively as other devices.
If you have a specific wound or blemish, and you hold it on that area, it can be quite helpful. Cassandra loves this for traveling cause it’s very compact too. It’s less expensive than many other LED devices on the market, and it has truly helped Cassandra heal a huge burn scar on her chest.
But, if you’re looking for all-over benefits, this probably isn’t going to be your best bet. They also say this device offers a microcurrent. But, for something to have microcurrent, there has to be two microdiodes. You would need a circuit of electricity that connects at two different points. But, this does not have the two different probes needed to create an electrical current.
Cassandra really likes this for fine lines, wrinkles, and targeting specific areas. It’s probably the least expensive version, and this is also good for someone who’s just trying red LED.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
These are two of the best options, but there are some differences between them. The Dr. Dennis Gross one is one of Cassandra’s favorites, and when you turn this on, it goes through multiple LED options. But, we’re just going to focus on the red wavelengths. The wavelengths are powerful and strong enough to impact the skin, and furthermore. On the other hand, she likes the Dermabeam one because it has little glasses that protect the eyes whereas the Dr. Dennis Gross doesn't have this feature.
The Derma beam protects the eyes too, but it doesn’t seal them off. It contours the face, and it has light-emitting diodes on the nose. Both devices have a good amount of light-dispersing diodes, and you'll get a good amount of red LED dosage, but the Dr. Dennis Gross one is easier to wear even though it's more expensive.
The Dr. Dennis Gross one is also supported by studies, and they provide excellent before and afters.