Red and near infra-red light at-home devices have grown in popularity over the past few years. I will discuss LED low-level light therapy or LLLT, the technology behind these devices, the touted benefits, and my first impressions of one such device, CurrentBody’s LED face mask.
I have a CurrentBody 10% off discount code to offer for this product as well as any of CurrentBody’s other products: MAESTRACB.
This article is not sponsored.
CurrentBody LED Face Mask
Many of you have inquired about red light devices and their efficacy for the face. Until this point, I was reticent to jump into the fray and do a review despite the popularity. I won’t name names but my experience with at-home beauty devices had been less than stellar and more expensive than I’d like to admit.
Yet, when CurrentBody reached out to send me an LED face mask in return for a review, I did my research, read up on the company (yes, they are legit, and more on that later), and chose to move forward. And hey, the list of celebrities that use and love this CurrentBody mask is long. I figured if Emily in Paris can use this, so can I.
At the core of the credibility of these devices is the technology. Let’s start by talking a bit about that first. I will then move on to my first impressions.
Facial LED Light Therapy
Almost all of the light therapy in-home devices, including Currentbody’s, use a technology that leverages LED light. LED is short for Light Emitting Diode, a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. This light therapy is also called low-level light therapy (LLLT) and involves the use of specific wavelengths of light to deliver therapeutic benefits to the skin.
While the technology is relatively new to the field of dermatology, it has been around since the late 1960s. As with many breakthroughs, it was discovered quite by accident first by a Hungarian scientist and then further developed by NASA in the 1980s.
What is LLLT?
Different colored light at specific wavelengths was observed to stimulate cellular activity and enhance cellular repair processes. Some of the positive effects included stimulation of hair growth, tissue/wound healing, reduced inflammation, and cell regeneration.
While the application of this technology is relatively early days, a surprising number of studies have been done over the past 10+ years proving its efficacy and more are ongoing. I have listed a couple at the end of this post.
Today, we know enough about how all of this works to state that different colors of light (those that are on the light spectrum) each have different “healing” properties for the skin as long as they are within a specific wavelength range. I have compiled an overview chart with all of the wavelength colors and their benefits. You can find it in The Beauty Maestra Resource Library here.
The CurrentBody LED face mask employs red light and infrared light. These are the best colors for anti-aging benefits. See the chart below for the specific benefits.
We also see that the CurrentBody face mask wavelengths fall well within the effective ranges.
In addition to wavelength and light, other factors determine efficacy such as power density, treatment duration, and energy delivered (joules). These specific attributes are more difficult to quantify than wavelength since each of the factors is dependent and influenced by the other.
CurrentBody LED Face Mask Impressions
We can talk about technology all day, but in the final analysis, the questions to answer are whether the mask really does provide red light and near infra-red light anti-aging benefits and whether it is worth the price tag.
Let’s walk through the fundamentals and my experience.
Who is CurrentBody
CurrentBody is an e-commerce company headquartered in the UK and focused on the technology of health and wellbeing. It was founded back in 2009 and today they have an impressive array of devices for at-home use. Many of the products are typically only seen in physio rooms and homes of elite athletes.
I invite you to check out their website here.
What is in the LED Light Therapy Mask Box
The product is easy to use, simple, and complete with a great, easy-to-understand user guide and manual.
You receive the mask, flexible and made of silicone, a detachable and adjustable strap, a carrying pouch, a lithium battery, cables to charge the battery, a user manual, and eye goggles. The goggles are not necessary but great if the red lights bother your eyes.
Warranty/Guarantee
The mask comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee along with a liberal 2-year workmanship warranty.
Customer Service
In my experience, this aspect of a device company doesn’t just improve the consumer experience, it also is typically an indicator of product quality.
High marks in this regard.
I approached CurrentBody’s tech support with a couple of questions while researching this. Despite the time difference (CurrentBody’s agents are located in the UK I believe), their staff was knowledgeable and responsive.
Effectiveness and Technical Specs
It’s hard to measure this just because there are so many integrated factors on the technical side that relate to effectiveness. As mentioned previously, CurrentBody’s red and infra-red wavelengths are well within the recommended efficacy wavelengths (see chart above).
Here are some other statistics:
- Contains 56 LED lights for both red and infrared combined
- Each socket contains the 2 wavelengths
- Both (red and infrared) deliver wavelengths at the same time (never on their own)
- The battery is pre-programmed to automatically turn off after 10 minutes
- A single 10-minute treatment delivers 18 joules/cm2 which equates to 30 milliwatts/cm2
How to Use
It’s really as easy as slipping the mask on and pressing a button on the battery.
Each session is automatically programmed for 10 minutes and will automatically shut off. It requires the battery to be attached to the mask but not to an outlet while operating so you are free to move around.
The mask itself is flexible and the strap is thick enough so that it can be easily moved on the head to adjust how close you want the mask lights on specific areas of your face. Great feature.
My Results
Here are unedited photos I took over a few weeks:
What I Have Noticed
I have been using the mask now for a little over 5 weeks, once a day 4 times per week for 10 minutes per session. The literature states that 2 months is optimal to start seeing results.
While shy of the 2 months, here is what I have noticed beginning week 2 and growing over time:
- Skin tightening; I feel this after every treatment
- Skin thickening. It’s hard to believe but it certainly feels that way
- Reduced wrinkling on the face, around the mouth a bit, and very noticeable to me on the “11s” on the forehead
- Some reduced redness particularly on my left cheek where I have mild rosacea and under my right eye where I have sporadic mild eczema
- Increased glow to the skin
What I Have Not Noticed
- I don’t look younger (just setting expectations)
- While there is definitely skin tightening and some thickening, this does not give a dramatic lift such as one would get from surgery
- While there absolutely is wrinkle reduction overall, it is relatively subtle (at least at 5 weeks)
My First Impressions
I am pleasantly surprised by my first 5 weeks using the mask. The mask, though, is not a fix-all. Here is a summary of my thoughts and suggested use cases:
- If you are using active ingredients/skincare, the mask will enhance and elevate what you are already doing. It does not replace those things.
- Getting benefits from the mask requires consistency of 10 minutes 3-4 times per week. It’s not worth considering if you think you won’t do that
- If you typically do Botox, using the mask could potentially eliminate or perhaps more realistically reduce the number of Botox treatments you get; this can more than offset the price of the device
- I am amazed at what it has done to eliminate my mild eczema and is worth considering just for that
- A great device to use to get a glow on before a big event (with a couple of weeks’ notice)
- The product is flexible enough to pack and travel with
- Other solutions are better than this to tighten and lift very lax skin.
Price
Is it worth the price? I’d like to know your thoughts after reading all of this.
The product retails for $380. Not inexpensive for sure. On the other hand, it is a “one and done” capital expenditure (unlike skincare that’s ongoing) that provides real skin benefits.
In the larger scheme of at-home masks, this product falls within a mid-range price point (they range from $100-$800+) utilizing the benefits of both red and infrared technology. I question whether some of the lower-priced models actually work.
I liked it well enough to (eagerly) request a neck mask and will be doing a review and update in the next couple of months. Some of you may know that I wrote about my neck lift on this blog. My hope is that this device will build collagen, thicken my skin a bit, and improve the longevity of the surgery. It could be another use case.
Stay tuned!
Thank you for reading!
xO
Andrea
This article discussed and defined LLLT technology specifically red and infrared and its benefits for the skin. I also shared my impressions of one such at-home device, the CurrentBody LED Face Mask as well as the Currentbody company. You can use my 10% off discount code for any CurrentBody product. It is MAESTRACB. July 4th Sale is underway now.
OTHER ARTICLES ON LLLT THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST:
A Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Red and Near-Infrared Light Treatment
Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring
subscribe and stay in tune!
Thank you for visiting! If you would like more articles that focus on beauty transformation after 50, please subscribe to get the latest information and offers.
Leave a Reply