Red light and skin treatments: what the research looks at
Updated: 12 hours ago
A plain look at a few small controlled studies that used LED light after laser or IPL treatments, and what the researchers measured.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Based on the research available at the time of review
Red light often comes up in conversations about laser, IPL, peels and microneedling. A few research groups have tested LED light on skin that had just had a clinic treatment. This post sums up what those studies did and what the researchers measured. It is general information about research, not advice about your own skin.
If you've just had a clinic treatment, ask your clinic before booking a session.
Looking for skin research without clinic treatments? Read Red light and skin: what the research shows.
In plain words. Photobiomodulation (PBM) means using red or near-infrared light at low intensity. One of the studies below used yellow light. None of it is ultraviolet. These studies used LED panels in a clinic, with devices and settings that are not the same as ours. We report what the researchers measured. We don't present their results as something you'll get at AURORA.
What the studies looked at
Fractional CO2 laser. In a small split-face pilot study, Oh and colleagues (2013) followed 10 people with skin types III to IV after a fractional CO2 laser treatment. One half of the face also received 635 nm LED light; the other half didn't. The researchers measured redness on each side, with a doctor's assessment and a colour-measuring device (chromometer), and reported that redness faded sooner on the LED side.
Non-ablative fractional laser. Alster and Wanitphakdeedecha (2009) studied 20 people after a 1,550 nm non-ablative fractional laser. Yellow LED light at 590 nm was used on one half of the face. The researchers scored redness on both sides and reported less redness on the LED side the next day. By the fourth day neither side showed redness. Note that 590 nm yellow light is not one of the wavelengths in our pods.
IPL. Khoury and Goldman (2008) studied 15 people after a single facial IPL session, with LED light on one side of the face. Assessors who didn't know which side was which scored redness, and the LED side scored lower in the first 24 hours. After one week, neither side showed redness.
Peels and microneedling. We found no controlled human studies that tested red or LED light after chemical peels or microneedling, so there is nothing to report there yet.
These are small studies, with devices and protocols that differ from ours. Results vary from person to person, and research is ongoing.
Before you book. If you've just had a clinic treatment, ask your clinic before booking a session. If you've had photodynamic therapy (PDT), your skin can stay sensitive to light for a while, so check with your clinic first. The same goes if you're pregnant, take medication that makes you sensitive to light, or have a skin or medical condition: check with your doctor first.
At AURORA. Sessions are in a private room. You lie down in a ventilated full-body pod with red and near-infrared light at 633, 660, 810, 850 and 940 nm (see our wavelengths page). A session lasts 12 to 15 minutes, depending on your protocol. Every room has goggles in two sizes. They're optional: you can simply close your eyes, though if you're sensitive to light the goggles are usually more comfortable. Our pods are not the LED arrays used in the studies above, and a session at AURORA is not part of any clinic treatment.
Quick questions
Is a session at AURORA part of my clinic treatment? No. AURORA is a wellness and fitness studio, not a clinic. If you've just had a clinic treatment, ask your clinic before booking a session.
Did the studies use the same light as your pods? No. They used LED panels in a clinic, and one used 590 nm yellow light, which our pods don't emit.
What about peels or microneedling? We found no controlled human studies on red light after those treatments.
Come and see us. We're at Carrer del Comerç 31, in El Born. Come and see the pods, or see prices.
This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. AURORA is a wellness centre, not a medical clinic.
Sources
Alster TS, Wanitphakdeedecha R. Dermatol Surg. 2009;35(5):813–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1524-4725.2009.01137.x
Khoury JG, Goldman MP. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2008;7(1):30–4. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-2165.2008.00358.x
Oh IY, et al. Dermatol Surg. 2013;39(8):1171–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/dsu.12213
Last reviewed: October 2026. This post is based on the latest research available at the time of review. We follow new studies and update or correct this post when the evidence changes; outdated information is corrected or removed.
Changelog: Oct 2026 · Rewritten to focus on what the research measured.
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