Investment-Worthy Red Light Therapy Devices for Head-to-Toe Rejuvenation (2024)

Of all the skincare gadgets that are readily available today (dermaplaning tools, microdermabrasion kits, jade rollers, etc), we’d prioritize a red light therapy device. While it was once only available via doctors, red light therapy has now become widely accessible to the masses, and the benefits are endless—from increased radiance to reduced signs of aging. Whether you're looking for a tool that will treat your entire body or a small area on your face, there's an option for you. Scroll on to learn all about red light therapy and the best at-home devices to shop now.

What is red light therapy?

Red light therapy, also known as LED light therapy or RLT, is a treatment that uses a very specific and low wavelength of energy—called infrared light—for therapeutic purposes, says Nina Desai, a board-certified dermatologist in Manhattan Beach, California. In this therapy, red light penetrates both upper and deeper levels of the skin, where it’s absorbed by skin cells and turned into energy. With this influx of energy, skin cells have an improved ability to repair themselves, minimizing visible signs of aging, among other benefits.

What are the benefits of red light therapy?

"Clinically, we can use red light therapy for several different purposes," explains Desai. Anti-aging is the most widely known benefit of LED light use. "Because of the way red light therapy improves cellular function, studies show it can be used to increase the production of collagen and elastin in the skin, which helps with tone and texture, as well as fine lines and wrinkles," she says.

But red light therapy is also a great treatment for the blemish-prone. "Low-energy red light can help calm redness and inflammation associated with mild to moderate acne," says Desai. (Blue light therapy helps kill the bacteria associated with acne.) There are other applications that are often used as adjunct treatments for conditions like male and female pattern hair loss and precancerous lesions.

Can you use red light therapy at home?

Yes, for the more standard-use cases—aging, acne, and hair loss—you can experiment with red light therapy at home. "Red light therapy is considered relatively safe, because the spectrum of light is not in the UV spectrum," says Desai. Many at-home red light therapy tools are also FDA-approved for your peace of mind.

What's more, you can't really overuse red light therapy at home. While most devices will provide a recommended time frame, Desai says treatments generally range from about five to 30 minutes.

How long does it take for red light therapy to work?

These treatments are cumulative, so don't expect results overnight, says Desai. It takes time and multiple treatments to see results—especially with at-home devices that aren't typically quite as intense as medical-grade devices in dermatologist offices.

What to consider when buying a red light therapy device

At-home treatments can still be very beneficial if you use the right device and are consistent, says Desai. First and foremost, "look for a device that has a wavelength of somewhere between 600 and 900 nanometers," she says. And make sure it's easy to use, since this will help you use it consistently.

Just like the rest of our face, our lips can age, too. Luckily, you can now get the fullness and smoothness of fillers without the use of needles. This compact and easy-to-use tool helps combat fine lines and preserve plumpness and reduce the look of wrinkles around the mouth thanks to 56 deep-penetrating LED bulbs that also help stimulate collagen production. Over time, you'll notice softer feather, smile, and marionette lines.

With nine LED light settings, this device helps stimulate collagen and elastin production, resulting in skin that is plump, radiant, and healthy. It's made to deliver the same treatment as professional-grade in-office devices but in the comfort of your home. You can use it as a handheld device or completely hands-free to target anywhere on the body. And while the LED lights are frosted and designed to protect the user's eyes, protective goggles are included in case you're very sensitive to lighting.

This sheet-mask-like red light therapy tool has a unique, patented flexible silicone design that wraps around the face to make more direct contact with your skin in order to deliver maximum results. It has both red and blue light options, too, so you can choose whatever setting best suits your area of concern, such as red light for aging concerns or blue to help reduce and target acne.

With some of the larger red light therapy tools, it can be difficult to target the smaller areas of the face, like crow's-feet, without disrupting delicate areas like the eyes. Luckily, this tiny razor-like tool helps you target all of those smaller areas more easily but still works just as well on bigger surfaces, like the forehead. In addition to LED therapy, it offers galvanic current to help skin better absorb skincare, therapeutic warmth to soothe and reduce the look of dark circles, and facial massage to reduce puffiness.

Of medical-grade caliber and from a very reputable company, you can be sure this red light therapy tool is both safe and effective, says Desai. And though it's pricey, it has both red light and blue light therapy, offering a slew of benefits. It helps boost collagen, improve skin density and firmness, smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles, remove discoloration, and clear acne and breakouts. Check out more LED face masks, here.

This 2023 Oprah's Favorite Things winner allows you to create a custom treatment utilizing red, blue, and red-plus-infrared light therapies. What's more? It has percussive massage heads and cleansing head options. "It’s for anyone looking for lifting and tightening but afraid of needles," says Oprah.

Expensive? Absolutely. But the great thing about this red light therapy tool is that it is large enough to target very large chunks of the body—like the entire back—at a time. And there's no need to fiddle with it during treatment, since it conveniently mounts to the back of a door or a wall, depending on the mount kit you select at checkout. Alternatively, you can also get one of two floor stand options.

In case you didn't know, the skin on your neck is very thin and lacks oil glands, making it prone to early signs of aging. Consider this your skin to invest in the skin below your chin and get this LED, FDA-cleared device that helps reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and improve overall skin tone and firmness. Throw it on for 10 minutes up to five times a week for the best results.

If you're new to red light therapy tools, you'll love how easy this one is to hold and its soothing gentle warming sensation. The tapered design makes it comfortable to grip, so you can effortlessly target all areas of your face, including crow's-feet, forehead, nasal folds, jawline, and lips. Over time, it helps to target loss of firmness, reduce the look of wrinkles, and calm redness and irritation.