If you want to dress up like Jason from Friday the 13th for next year’s Halloween and boast beautiful skin underneath the mask, you just might be in luck. The Magic LED Beauty Mask, outfitted with an array of flexible LED lights that bend over the shape of your face, is manufactured in China and claims to improve skin elasticity and appearance by “stimulating fibroblast activity.” When worn for seven to 21 days for an hour at a time the red LED ribbon lights are said to fire up collagen and elastin production, rejuvenating the skin’s youthful look. With all of the get-pretty-quick scams out there these days, who wouldn’t be skeptical of this product? I know I am, but I also know that red LEDs have proven healing and health benefits, so I decided to dig a little deeper. NASA, sports physicians, surgeons and pain specialists have used red and infrared LED light therapy for its healing benefits for years. Independent studies have found that skin cells grow 150-200 percent faster when exposed to LED light wavelengths at 630-660 nanometers and Infrared diodes at wavelengths of 880 nanometers. These wavelengths have been found to penetrate tissue to a depth of 8-10 mm, and help to repair damaged cells, heal scars and reduce chronic pain. For instance, a 2005 study published in The Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy found, “Key profilometry results…showed significant differences at week 12 follow‐up; 52% of subjects showed a 25%–50% improvement in photo aging scores by week 12; 81% of subjects reported a significant improvement in periorbital wrinkles on completion of follow‐up.” And, a device developed by NASA is being used to aid the healing of bone marrow transplant patients, with encouraging results.
Though it looks a little scary, the technology behind this device just might be legit. Sure, some red flags went up when I read about it, but after learning about the well documented benefits of red LED lights, I’m not so sure they should have. What do you think?
Thanks to Trendhunter for the image
