Red light therapy has become increasingly popular, especially for skin care.
In the following sections, we share information about some of the best LED facemasks.
Irrespective of the fact that they have a limited treatment area, RLT masks are convenient for travel.
We’ve provided some of the top LED facemask options below. For those seeking home red light therapy treatment, we also encourage checking out the BIOMAX Series panels, which offer full-body treatment.
What Are LED Facemasks?
LED face masks are wearable devices for therapeutic treatment. They use light-emitting diodes to treat skin conditions, including fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage, and other signs of aging.
The Best LED Facemasks
In the following sections, we provide more details about some of the most popular masks on the market. Read on to learn about some of their key strengths and weaknesses.
Artemis LED Mask - 2,500 to $4,000
Pros: This mask features 1,080 LEDs and a customizable app to adjust for emitting particular wavelengths and intensity. Its wavelengths include NIR (850nm), red (635nm), yellow (590nm), green (525nm), blue (470nm and 520nm) and violet (a combination of red and blue). This arguably offers quite a bit of versatility in non-red wavelengths.
Cons: The Artemis masks are powerful compared to some others. Some have expressed concerns about customer service. This product lacks FDA approval. There is also limited information on the website about the wavelengths and light intensities offered by this mask. At 45mW/cm² its light energy output is significantly less than the 160mW/cm² light energy output of the BIOMAX 300, which is the smallest of the BIOMAX red light therapy panels.
Celestalight - $888
Pros: This wireless face mask has 1200 LEDs for full-face coverage, and three wavelengths: 633nm red, 590nm amber, and 415nm blue. The automatic cycle takes your skin from blue to amber to red in a single treatment session to kill acne-causing bacteria, soothe redness, boost collagen production, and improve skin health.
Cons: This device is low on power at just 34mW/cm² and does not feature NIR wavelengths. The lack of a nose and mouth opening may make the mask uncomfortably hot during treatment. The mask itself looks a bit odd, and the product seems not to have many online reviews.
Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite Faceware Pro - $455
Pros: This hard-shell mask features 160 LEDs: 415nm blue, 605nm amber, 630nm red, and 880nm NIR wavelengths. It has a higher irradiance (60 mW/cm²) than most other masks and features nose and mouth holes for greater comfort during treatments.
Cons: This mask does not include light-blocking goggles and the hard shell may not be a great fit for all faces. It has no secure head strap, a shorter treatment time of three minutes, and is reported to have a more fragile build than some other competitors.
It may still be a good value for its price point, but buyers will have to accept some compromises on quality.
Shani Darden By Deesse Pro Led Light Mask - $1700
Pros: This celebrity-endorsed mask features 770 LEDs in 630nm red, 520nm green, 415nm blue, and 830nm NIR wavelengths as well as 6 treatment modes and a 2-year warranty. It also comes with protective eye goggles.
Cons: Aside from being expensive, this mask is reported to be heavy, to have no adjustable strap, to have a short battery life, limited wavelength options, a fragile build, and eye comfort issues.
Omnilux Contour Face - $395
Pros: This affordable flexible silicone mask features 132 LEDs (66 each, 633nm red and 830nm NIR). Both the device and the remote come with a 2-year warranty. There is also a ‘men’s version,’ which may actually be a better option even for women since it features red, NIR, and 1075nm infrared light.
Cons: The mouth opening is fairly large, which means that area around the mouth might not receive full light exposure. At just 30 mW/cm², this device’s light intensity is significantly weaker than some of its competitors. As a result, longer treatment times may be necessary to achieve the desired results, even with the mask’s deep-penetrating wavelengths. It also has a more limited wavelength spectrum. This mask also needs to be plugged in during use.
Therabody TheraFace Mask - $599
Pros: This cordless mask is unique in that it features 648 LEDs with a mix of 415nm blue, 633nm red and 830nm NIR light as well as applying massage vibration to 17 pressure points on the face and scalp. The vibration is designed to reduce stress and promote relaxation, but it may also stimulate circulation and lymph drainage. It comes with eye covers, unlike many masks. You can choose between light therapy only, vibration therapy only, or a combination.
Cons: Irradiance (light energy output) is 64 mW/m2 which is fairly high for a mask, but still nowhere near the power of an LED panel. There are on nose or mouth openings, which could cause a stuffy, hot, and claustrophobic feeling. The device only comes with a 1-year warranty.
How to Choose a Red Light Therapy Facemask
If you’re dead set on getting a mask for purposes of convenience while traveling, some of the important factors to consider are the following.
The mask should fit well and be comfortable. It should offer a wide variety of R+ and NIR+ wavelengths. Typically, the more wavelengths, the better. FDA approval is a plus. Wireless operation also adds to convenience. Price is clearly another important factor. You may not need the fanciest mask if you only plan to use it a few times per year while on vacation.
It would be hard for us to recommend a best all purpose mask based on the fact that they essentially leave out a key part of treatment, which is getting full-body exposure.
BIOMAX Series for Full Coverage
Although this article was mostly to provide information about some of the leading LED facemasks, it’s worthwhile to also consider whether this device category is optimal for red light therapy treatment.
There are a few inherent issues with LED facemasks.
No LED facemask can be used to treat widespread skin conditions, joint pain, lower back pain, hair loss, or to provide muscle recovery.
BIOMAX series panels feature two red wavelengths, three NIR wavelengths, as well as trace amounts of blue and infrared wavelengths to give you the most comprehensive treatment possible, from antibacterial properties on the skin surface to deep tissue healing.
Available in four sizes, BIOMAX panels are modular meaning you can link two or four panels together to increase coverage even more. Sizes range in price from $659 for the BIOMAX 300 to $699 for the BIOMAX 450 to $1049 for the BIOMAX 600 to $1199 for the BIOMAX 900: when you consider that some facemasks are priced nearly the same yet have just one application instead of dozens, it becomes clear where the real value is.
Panels also tend to be much more powerful than LED facemasks. The LED components in a facemask have to be smaller, more lightweight, and less powerful than the robust LEDs used in panels, so that the masks are light enough to wear comfortably.
Check out the industry-leading BIOMAX Series red light therapy panels and get your money’s worth with a far more powerful and versatile red light therapy device than any LED facemask: for full coverage, head to toe!
