830 nm, 633 nm or both? A double-blind, sham-controlled LED trial
Short answer
Seventy-six people with facial wrinkles were randomised to 830 nm, 633 nm, both combined, or a sham light, twice a week for four weeks. Treated groups showed wrinkle reductions of up to 36% and elasticity gains of up to 19% compared with baseline, plus more collagen and elastic fibres under the microscope.
- Study
- Lee SY, Park KH, Choi JW, et al. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2007;88(1):51-67.
- Design
- Randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, split-face
- People
- 76
- Topic
- Facial wrinkles
Why it matters
It is one of the best-designed early LED trials, with a sham group, blinding and skin biopsies.
What they did
- Randomised 76 people to four groups: 830 nm, 633 nm, 830 + 633 nm, or sham.
- Treated half the face twice weekly for four weeks with three months’ follow-up.
- Used photos, profilometry, elasticity measures and biopsies.
What they found
- Wrinkles reduced by up to 36% and elasticity increased up to 19% versus baseline in treated groups.
- Biopsies showed more collagen and elastic fibres and activated fibroblasts.
- No adverse effects.
What it cannot tell you
- Headline improvements are reported versus baseline in the abstract.
- Clinic LED devices.
- Short treatment period.
Takeaway
Red, near-infrared and combined LED light produced measurable skin changes in a controlled trial. All three settings worked; the combination was not clearly superior in the abstract.
Matching devices
Devices whose published technology and wavelengths match this study (red + near-infrared): CurrentBody Series 3, Dr. Renú SpectraLift, Omnilux Contour and Shark CryoGlow. Partly matching: Dr. Dennis Gross FaceWare Pro. None of them was the device tested unless the study names it.
Not medical advice. Summary based on the published abstract; read the full paper for detail.