Light Therapy For Skin: What Is It And Does It Work?

Last Updated on March 20, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

Who said that all light is bad for skin? Sure, you won’t find me sunbathing at the beach on a sizzling hot summer day. That’s a recipe for wrinkles, wrinkles, and more wrinkles. Oh, and cancer, too. But I do enjoy the odd LED light treatment every now and then. Or I did, before Covid-19 forced beauty salons to shut down and I wondered if I should switch to at-home devices? Here’s everything you need to know about LED light therapy for acne and anti-aging. Let’s find out:

Table Of Contents

What Is LED Light Therapy?

Did you know that LED Light Therapy was discovered by NASA? You know how there’s no gravity in space and you struggle to do normal, everyday things, like walking or drinking a glass of water? Your skin behaves differently in space, too. A paper cut that heals in a couple of days on Earth can take months to heal in space. While looking for something that would speed up the healing process, NASA stumbled onto LED Light Therapy. They discovered that red and infrared light therapy speeds up the growth of healthy skin cells by 150/200% – and without side effects, too!

But not all light will do. LED Light Therapy uses targeted rays of light at specific wavelengths that easily penetrate skin, reaching those deeper areas where they can boost collagen, treat acne, and work all kinds of magic. There are 2 kinds of LED Light Therapy that really work wonders for your skin. Red Light Therapy and Blue Light Therapy. Let’s take a closer look at them and what they can do.

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Can Blue Light Therapy Treat Acne?

It depends. Studies are promising, if mixed:

A 2002 study found that 2x weekly light therapy sessions reduced lesions by 64% in people with mild to moderate acne. Only two patients experienced dryness. In vitro investigation revealed this therapy reduces the amount of P.Acnes (the bacteria that causes acne) on the skin.
A 2004 study found that 8 sessions with ClearLight system improved acne lesions by 65% in patients with facial acne. This study mentioned that “there were no bacterial changes before or after the therapy, although damaged Propionibacterium acnes were observed at the ultrastructural level”.
A 2007 study found that using the MultiClear light therapy system once or twice a week significantly reduced acne severity in 8 out of 10 patients. Only 2 saw no results. None experienced any side effects.
A 2011study tested the effectiveness of self-administered blue light therapy together with a skincare regime that includes “a skin rebuilding serum containing 1.25% salicylic acid, 0.5% niacinamide, 0.08% liposomal-based azelaic acid and superoxide dismutase”. The results showed that 90% of the 33 parents reported an improvement in skin texture, clarity, tone, and smoothness.

All these studies show that blue light therapy can treat acne and reduce pimples. The catch? A lot of these studies are based on self-reported outcomes rather than scientific test. If you want to try it, make sure the device uses 404-420nm wavelengths. Anything higher or lower doesn’t seem to work as well.

Can Red Light Therapy Treat Wrinkles And Make You Look Younger?

Again, the research is promising, but not conclusive. Here’s what we know so far.

A 2005 study found that nine light therapy treatments using the Omnilux^TM LED system helped reduce wrinkles: “52% of subjects showed a 25%–50% improvement in photoaging scores by week 12; 81% of subjects reported a significant improvement in periorbital wrinkles on completion of follow‐up.”
A 2006 study found that it helps to speed up wound healing.
Another 2006 study found that 9 red light therapy treatments improve skin softness, smoothness, and firmness. Plus, “electron microscopic analysis showed evidence of post-LED treatment of thicker collagen fibers.”
A 2014 study found that participants treated with red light experienced an improved skin complexion, roughness, and collagen density. In other words, it helps boost collagen, the protein that keeps your skin firm.

Again, not all red light treatments are the same. For best results, make sure the device uses 630-660nm wavelength or it may not work at all!

What Else Does LED Light Therapy Do?

Turns out it’s not just acne and wrinkles. Here’s everything else it can do for your skin (and more):

Wound healing: This is actually where the whole thing started. Remember the NASA story from earlier? Healing wounds faster in space was the original goal, and that research has carried over into skin repair here on Earth.
Psoriasis: A 2018 systematic review covering 31 RCTs found blue LED significantly improved the inflammatory component of psoriasis plaques in four weeks. The catch is it didn’t touch the hyperproliferative part, and lesions came back after people stopped using it. So not a cure, but something.
Herpes simplex: Same review flagged this one. LED appears to help reduce outbreaks, though let’s be honest, this probably isn’t why most people are buying a device.
Hair loss: This one actually has decent evidence. A double-blind RCT on men with androgenetic alopecia found a 35% increase in hair count after 16 weeks of every-other-day LED treatments. Same results in women – a 37% increase in hair growth versus placebo. Not a miracle, but not nothing either.

The honest take? The further you get from acne and anti-ageing, the thinner the evidence gets. Promising, yes. Proven enough to ditch your actual treatments? Not quite.

What Doesn’t LED Light Therapy Treat?

Blackheads and whiteheads – kind of. I know, I know. But here’s what the research actually says: when blue and red LED were tested together on acne patients, inflammatory lesions improved by 77.9% but non-inflammatory lesions only improved by 34%. So it’s not zero, but it’s nowhere near as dramatic. If clogged pores are your main issue, you’re better off with a salicylic acid cleanser or a retinoid than sitting under a red light.

Deep-set wrinkles and significant skin laxity are also out of LED’s league. It boosts collagen over time, yes, but it’s not going to touch the stuff that needs a laser or microneedling. Don’t go in expecting that.

Does Light Therapy Have Any Side Effects?

Not really. This is why light therapy has become super popular – even though science isn’t fully behind it, yet. While other common treatments like Tretinoin, chemical peels, and invasive procedures can be terribly drying, incredibly irritating, require days of downtime, and even aggravate pigmentation in darker skin types, light therapy is well-tolerated by pretty much everyone. Just make sure you pick the right device or you won’t see any benefits. That may not be a side effect for your skin, but it certainly is for your wallet!

Who Should NOT Have LED Light Therapy?

LED is about as low-risk as skincare treatments get – but there are real exceptions, and some of them will surprise you:

You’re on isotretinoin (Accutane) or other retinoids: This is a big one. Retinoids increase your skin’s sensitivity to light. Using LED on top of that is asking for a reaction. If you’re on Accutane, skip the light therapy for now.
You’re on certain antibiotics: Tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones are common photosensitising antibiotics – and those are the exact same antibiotics often prescribed for acne. Worth checking before you buy a device.
You have epilepsy: People with photosensitive epilepsy may experience seizures triggered by light exposure – and anyone with a seizure disorder should check with their doctor first.
You’re pregnant: There isn’t enough dedicated research to confirm LED is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding, so most practitioners recommend skipping it as a precaution.
You have active cancer: LED stimulates cell activity, which is great when your cells are behaving. When they’re not, it’s a different conversation. Get sign-off from your oncologist first.

One more thing that doesn’t get mentioned enough: eye protection is not optional. If you’re buying an at-home device, make sure it’s FDA cleared and that you wear proper eye protection every single time. A recalled Neutrogena mask years back was pulled specifically over eye safety concerns. Don’t skip the goggles.

How Do At-Home Devices Compare To Dermatologists’?

Deep down, you know this. Nothing that you can buy Sephora can ever be as powerful as a professional treatment at your dermatologist. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying at-home devices are completely useless. They’re just less powerful. Their only advantage is that you can use them every other day or so instead than every few weeks. If you use them consistently, you’ll see an improvement. But, will you?

I know myself. I’m too lazy to add an extra step to my skincare routine – especially when I know I can get better result if I visit my dermatologist. But if you love this kind of gadgets, and regular dermatologist’s treatments are out of your budget, getting an at-home light therapy device may be a good compromise. Just don’t believe anyone who says you’re gonna get professional-like results…

How Long Does It Take For LED Light Therapy To Work?

Longer than the before-and-after photos on Instagram would have you believe.

For acne: one study using narrowband blue light on 30 patients found an overall effect on inflammatory lesion counts at week 5, with a statistically significant decrease by week 8 that continued through week 12.
For anti-ageing: a clinical study using a red LED mask twice a week for 3 months found that all 20 volunteers saw an overall improvement in skin quality – and those results lasted up to a month after they stopped using it.
Crow’s feet: a study found a 15.6% reduction after one month, 34.7% after two months, and 38.3% after three months of twice-weekly sessions.

So realistically: give it 8 to 12 weeks before you decide if it’s working. At-home devices will take longer than in-clinic ones because the power is lower. If you’ve been consistent for three months and see nothing, it’s probably not working for you.

What Is The Recovery Time?

Zero. That’s the whole point. You can do a session on your lunch break and go straight back to whatever you were doing. Side effects from LED are rare, and when they do occur they’re mild – slight redness or stinging that clears within a couple of hours. No peeling, no downtime, no staying out of the sun for a week.

The Bottom Line

Light therapy works – if you get it right. Blue light in the 404-420nm range helps treat acne while red light in the 630-660nm boosts collagen and reduces wrinkles. For best results, visit a dermatologist. Most at-home devices are too weak to give you the results you crave.

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