Red Light Therapy for Face: How to Use It and What to Expect
Use red light on clean, dry skin with your eyes covered, keep to the set session length and give it months: a home-mask trial saw clear changes by week 8.
Key takeaways
- Most face research on red light measured the eye area, where wrinkles tend to show first.
- Use red light on clean, dry, makeup-free skin, and wear the eye protection the device provides every time.
- Keep the session length the directions give; more light or longer sessions are not automatically better.
- In a sham-controlled home-mask trial, investigators' crow's feet scores pulled clearly ahead of sham from week 8.
- Do the LED session first, then serum, moisturizer and, in the morning, SPF.
In this guide
Red light therapy for face care works best as a short, regular habit: clean skin, eyes protected, a set session length, several times a week, for at least two to three months. In a sham-controlled trial of a home LED mask, investigators' crow's feet scores pulled clearly ahead of the sham group from week 8 (Park et al., 2025).
We make the LumaCloud Pro™ LED light therapy mask, so its protocol is our worked example below.
Which areas of the face have red light research?
Red light therapy for the face has the most research around the eyes. Several trials measured crow's feet or wrinkle volume next to the eyes, and others scored the whole face for fine lines, roughness and complexion. The forehead, cheeks and jawline are covered by full-face masks but are rarely measured on their own.
The eye area makes sense as a test zone. Park and colleagues note that wrinkles tend to form there first, where skin is thinnest (Park et al., 2025). In a split-face trial of 137 women aged 40 to 65, eye-area wrinkle volume fell 31.6% on the red-light side after 10 sessions (Mota et al., 2023).
The same trial found no improvement in hydration or elasticity, so keep your moisturizer in the routine. For the full list of what the evidence supports, see our guide to red light therapy benefits for skin.
How do you prepare your face for a session?
Prepare your face for red light therapy by cleansing, drying it and taking off all makeup so the light reaches bare skin. Put in the eye protection that came with the device every time. Leave serums and creams for after the session, and skip it on any patch that is broken, irritated or infected.
- Remove makeup completely and pat your face dry, as the LumaCloud Pro™ directions ask.
- The American Academy of Dermatology says to wear the eye protection the directions recommend, and not to swap in sunglasses (AAD, 2024).
- The AAD also flags light-sensitive conditions such as lupus, and medicines that make skin more sensitive to light.
How long should a red light face session last?
A red light face session should last exactly as long as the device directions say. The face studies used fixed 9-to-12-minute doses, and longer or stronger sessions are not automatically better. A mask sits at the same spot every time, which keeps each session consistent.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital describe a biphasic dose response, where low levels of light often work better than higher levels (Huang et al., 2009).
More colors are not automatically better either: in a controlled trial of 136 volunteers, broadband light "showed no advantage over the red-light-only spectrum" (Wunsch & Matuschka, 2014).
With a panel or wand, the dose the maker tested only applies at the distance it states. A LumaCloud Pro™ session is 15 minutes and switches off on its own. If you are prone to dark marks, especially with a deeper skin tone, start at the lowest setting and check with a dermatologist.
Still choosing a device? Our guide to comparing red light therapy masks covers wavelengths, power and fit.
What should you expect, week by week?
Expect slow, cumulative changes. Short clinic courses measured softer-looking lines after four weeks, while the one sham-controlled home-mask trial saw investigator scores separate from sham at week 8. Home masks are gentler than clinic devices, so plan on two to three months of regular use, and results vary.
| Study | Face area and light | Sessions | When a change showed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park et al., 2025 | Crow's feet; home mask, 630 + 850 nm vs sham | 9 min, 5 times a week, 12 weeks | Not at week 4 on investigator scores; better than sham from week 8 |
| Mota et al., 2023 | Eye-area wrinkles; 660 nm red, split face | 10 sessions over 4 weeks | Wrinkle volume 31.6% lower at 4 weeks |
| Lee et al., 2007 | Facial wrinkles; 633 and/or 830 nm vs sham | Twice a week, 4 weeks, then 3-month follow-up | Wrinkles up to 36% lower vs baseline over the study |
| Couturaud et al., 2023 | Crow's feet depth; 630 nm mask, no control group | 12 min, twice a week, 3 months | 15.6% shallower at day 28, 34.7% at day 56, 38.3% at day 84 |
Couturaud's study had 20 volunteers, no control group and authors from the brands behind the mask. In Park's trial, 89.3% of the mask group improved by week 12 versus 16.7% on sham (per-protocol), yet participants' own ratings did not differ between groups. None of these studies tested LumaCloud Pro™.
What order should a red light face routine follow?
A red light face routine runs cleanse, LED session, then the rest of your skincare. Use it on bare skin, then apply serum and moisturizer, and finish with sunscreen in the morning. The American Academy of Dermatology calls it "not a one-and-done treatment", so the routine matters more than any single session.
- Cleanse and dry your face. Remove all makeup.
- Do your LED session. Insert the eye protectors and wear LumaCloud Pro™ for 15 minutes: five to seven sessions a week for the first four to eight weeks, then three to five a week.
- Apply your serum. Radiant C-F Glow Drops vitamin C + ferulic serum is the one we pair with each session.
- Add a sculpting pass if you like. Glide our GlowLift™ Infinity face sculpting device upward over the serum on Level 1 for five to seven minutes: warm mode, then cold mode, then EMS.
- Moisturize and protect. Use moisturizer, and in the morning, broad-spectrum SPF.
Step 4 is optional. GlowLift™ is there for contour and a de-puffed look on the day, while the mask works on texture over months. The LED on GlowLift™ is an accent and does not replace a mask session.
Do not use an EMS device if you are pregnant or have a pacemaker, implanted defibrillator or other active electronic implant, or on broken, irritated or infected skin. If you have epilepsy or a diagnosed skin condition, check with your doctor first.
Who should not use red light therapy on the face?
Do not use red light therapy on your face if you are pregnant, have an active electronic implant, a light-sensitive condition, or broken or infected skin. See a board-certified dermatologist first if you take photosensitizing medicine, have melasma or a diagnosed skin condition, or notice a new or changing spot. At-home LED is cosmetic care.
Deeper skin tones need a careful start. In 20 volunteers with skin types IV to VI, visible light caused darker and longer-lasting pigmentation than long-wave UVA (Mahmoud et al., 2010). That study used a broadband lamp on the lower back, not a mask, but it is why we suggest the lowest setting first and a word with your dermatologist.
The AAD notes that in-office red light is more powerful than home devices. Questions about LumaCloud Pro™? Use our contact form.
The bottom line
Red light therapy for the face needs regular sessions over months, and longer or stronger sessions do not make up for missed ones.
Prep bare skin, cover your eyes, keep to the stated session length and give it two to three months before you judge it, since the studies measured change over weeks and months. Start with a 15-minute LumaCloud Pro™ session before your serum.
It is one piece of a skin longevity routine, with daily sunscreen first.
Sources
- Park SH, Park SO, Jung JA. Clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of home-used LED and IRED mask for crow's feet: a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2025;104(7):e41596. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000041596. PubMed 39960921
- Mota LR, Duarte IDS, Galache TR, et al. Photobiomodulation reduces periocular wrinkle volume by 30%: a randomized controlled trial. Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2023;41(2):48–56. doi:10.1089/photob.2022.0114. PubMed 36780572
- Lee SY, Park KH, Choi JW, et al. A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and split-face clinical study on LED phototherapy for skin rejuvenation. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2007;88(1):51–67. doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2007.04.008. PubMed 17566756
- Couturaud V, Le Fur M, Pelletier M, Granotier F. Reverse skin aging signs by red light photobiomodulation. Skin Res Technol. 2023;29(7):e13391. doi:10.1111/srt.13391. PubMed 37522497
- Wunsch A, Matuschka K. A controlled trial to determine the efficacy of red and near-infrared light treatment in patient satisfaction, reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness, and intradermal collagen density increase. Photomed Laser Surg. 2014;32(2):93–100. doi:10.1089/pho.2013.3616. PubMed 24286286
- Huang YY, Chen AC, Carroll JD, Hamblin MR. Biphasic dose response in low level light therapy. Dose Response. 2009;7(4):358–383. doi:10.2203/dose-response.09-027.Hamblin. PubMed 20011653
- Mahmoud BH, Ruvolo E, Hexsel CL, et al. Impact of long-wavelength UVA and visible light on melanocompetent skin. J Invest Dermatol. 2010;130(8):2092–2097. doi:10.1038/jid.2010.95. PubMed 20410914
- American Academy of Dermatology. Is red light therapy right for your skin? Last updated 2024-09-13. aad.org
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This guide is for general education and isn't medical advice. If you have a skin condition or a health question, please speak with a dermatologist or your doctor.
