How Red Light Supports Collagen & Healthy Aging
Your Skin Isn’t Just Aging. It’s Losing Energy
What if healthier-looking skin isn’t about another serum, but about giving your cells the light and energy they need to function at their best? We spend a lot of time talking about aging from the inside out: protein, collagen, exercise, metabolic health, sleep and hormones. But there’s another piece of the healthy-aging puzzle that deserves more attention: Your skin is living tissue.
It needs nutrients, circulation, cellular energy. And it responds to environmental signals including light. That’s one reason I’ve become so interested in the use of red light therapy over the years.
Rather than thinking about red light as simply another “anti-aging” beauty treatment, I think it’s more interesting to look at what may be happening at the cellular level, and what human clinical research actually shows. And the research is surprisingly encouraging!
What Is Red Light Therapy?
Red light therapy uses specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to interact with biological tissue. Unlike ultraviolet light, which can damage skin, red and near-infrared wavelengths are being studied for their potential effects on cellular signaling, mitochondrial function and tissue repair, The goal isn’t to “stop” aging. It’s to support the biology of healthy skin as we age.
Researchers have investigated red and near-infrared light for everything from skin texture and elasticity to wrinkles and collagen-related changes. And importantly, there are human clinical trials; not just laboratory studies.
Does Red Light Therapy Support Collagen?
This is one of the reasons I find red light therapy so fascinating. Collagen is one of the primary structural proteins in our skin. It helps provide firmness, strength and structure. As we age, collagen production and the way our skin remodels collagen change. That contributes to some of the visible changes we associate with aging skin. So researchers have asked a very interesting question:
Can specific wavelengths of light influence the skin’s collagen-producing machinery?
A 2007 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled split-face study included 76 people with facial wrinkles. Participants received 633 nm red light, 830 nm near-infrared light, a combination of the two, or sham treatment twice a week for four weeks. The researchers reported significant reductions in wrinkles and increases in skin elasticity. They also observed increased amounts of collagen and elastic fibers in treated skin. (PubMed)
That’s particularly interesting because the study didn’t rely solely on participants saying their skin looked better. Researchers also used objective measurements and examined tissue changes.
What About Wrinkles?
Another study looked specifically at photodamaged facial skin. Thirty-six participants received nine treatments using a combination of 633 nm and 830 nm LED light over five weeks. Researchers found statistically significant improvement in wrinkles, while participants reported improvements in softness, smoothness and firmness. Examination of collagen fibers also showed thicker collagen fibers after treatment. (PubMed)
A separate study involving 31 people with facial wrinkles also evaluated 633 nm and 830 nm LED treatment. At the 12-week follow-up, 52% of participants showed a 25–50% improvement in photoaging scores, while 81% reported a significant improvement in the appearance of periorbital wrinkles (think crow’s-feet). (PubMed)
Of course, these studies don’t mean that every red light device will produce the same results. Wavelength, dose, irradiance, treatment time and consistency all matter. But they do provide a compelling reason to keep studying photobiomodulation for skin health.
An At-Home Red Light Mask Was Put to the Test
Here’s a study I think is particularly relevant if you’re considering an at-home mask.
A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical study evaluated an at-home device using 630 nm red light and 850 nm near-infrared light. Participants used the device for nine minutes, five times per week, for 12 weeks. The researchers found significant differences between the active and sham groups in measures related to crow’s-feet and wrinkle improvement. (PubMed)
That’s important because we’re not talking about a theoretical laboratory experiment. Real people were using a light-based device at home, and that’s what makes this technology so appealing to me. The best wellness tools aren’t necessarily the most complicated ones. They’re the ones you can actually incorporate into your life consistently.
Why 630 nm + 850 nm?
You’ll notice a pattern in the research provided: 630-ish nm red light + 830–850 nm near-infrared light.
That’s also the combination used in the BON CHARGE Red Light Face Mask. The mask uses 630 nm red light and 850 nm near-infrared light, with 240 LEDs and adjustable 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-minute treatment settings. (Bon Charge)
The Bon Charge Red Light Face Mask is a flexible, portable device designed for at-home use, so you can incorporate your session into your normal routine. And that’s one of my favorite things about it. I am a worker bee and I do not like to be tied down. With the mask don’t have to schedule an appointment. I don’t have to spend an hour doing a complicated skincare routine. I can put on the mask and keep living my life!
Your Skin Needs More Than a Serum
Here’s where I think we sometimes miss the bigger picture. We tend to separate beauty from health. But your skin doesn’t know the difference. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. What you eat, how you move, how you sleep, how you manage stress and how well your body is functioning metabolically can all influence how you feel AND look. That’s why I’m much more interested in a whole-body approach to healthy aging than chasing the newest miracle cream or serum. For me, that means supporting my skin from the inside with adequate protein and nutrients, including collagen, and supporting it from the outside with things like red light therapy.
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Red Light Therapy Isn’t Magic
I’m not saying red light therapy will erase all your wrinkles or stop chronological aging because alone it will not. And I don’t think we should promise that any single device can do that. But the human evidence we have so far suggests that red and near-infrared LED therapy helps support improvements in wrinkles, elasticity, skin texture and collagen-related changes. (PubMed) That’s enough evidence to make me interested. I want my skin to look healthy, vibrant and strong at the age I am.
My Red Light Face Mask Routine
I’ve added the BON CHARGE Red Light Face Mask to my healthy-aging routine because it’s simple enough that I can actually be consistent with it. That’s a big deal! You can have the most sophisticated wellness routine in the world, but if you don’t do it consistently, it isn’t doing much for you. The BON CHARGE mask is cordless and designed to be used while you’re going about your day. I love being able to put it on while I’m cooking my boys breakfast, working at my computer or watching Netflix with my son Kai. 5 days a week I simply put on my mask, carry on with my tasks for about 20-30 minutes, and done. No messy creams. No driving to the salon. Zero down time. It’s that easy!
Want to Try Red Light Therapy?
I love Bon Charge! They are always striving to create new, quality technology that elevates our health and wellness. I love my Red Light Face Mask and I use it almost every day. I feel like my skin’s overall appearance has definitely improved!
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