Red for collagen, blue for acne, near-infrared for depth. Here is how to match the wavelength to your actual concern.
Red light reaches into the dermis: a 2017 paper in Lasers in Medical Science describes it as extinguished some 4-5mm beneath the skin surface. It is the wavelength every anti-aging mask in this catalog uses. It stimulates fibroblasts to produce collagen and elastin, reduces inflammation, and improves skin texture.
Best for: Fine lines, wrinkles, skin firmness, redness reduction, overall skin rejuvenation.
Blue light stays near the surface, barely 1mm into tissue according to the same paper, and kills acne-causing bacteria (P. acnes) inside follicles. It also helps regulate sebum production and reduces inflammation.
Best for: Active acne, breakouts, oily skin, post-acne redness.
Near-infrared reaches deeper than red: penetration increases with wavelength, and in the studies the 2017 paper cites, 1064nm laser light went deepest of the wavelengths tested between 532 and 1064nm. It energizes mitochondria, improves cellular repair, and reduces inflammation at a deeper level.
Best for: Deep wrinkles, skin healing, inflammation, recovery after procedures.
No depth figure here, on purpose. For wavelengths above 1000nm, the 2017 paper notes that there is not a great amount of information on how deep they reach. In this catalog only CurrentBody advertises it, for the Series 2, and the FDA 510(k) filing for that mask lists 633nm and 830nm only.
Best for: We have no source we can point to for what 1072nm does in a consumer mask.
One more caution about depth numbers in general: they depend on how depth is defined. In the 2017 paper’s own skin model, the intense pulsed light it simulated reaches 5mm if you count down to 1% of its intensity, and 0.37mm if you count down to 13.5%. Source: Ash C, Dubec M, Donne K, Bashford T. Effect of wavelength and beam width on penetration in light-tissue interaction using computational methods. Lasers in Medical Science, 2017; 32(8): 1909-1918.
Match the combination to the concern. For anti-aging, red plus near-infrared: CurrentBody Series 2 runs 633nm and 830nm per its FDA filing; the 1072nm wavelength CurrentBody also advertises is not in that filing. For active acne the combination has to include blue, and CurrentBody does not emit it: iRestore Illumina is the one device in this catalog carrying red, near-infrared and blue together (635nm, 830nm, 415nm).
CurrentBody Series 2 - red and near-infrared per its FDA filing; the maker also lists 1072nm Check price on Amazon ↗ (paid link)
iRestore Illumina - the only device in this catalog with red, near-infrared and blue together Check price on Amazon ↗ (paid link)