Is crimson mild secure for hyperpigmentation and melasma?

May 1, 2025

How one can cite:
Wong M. Is crimson mild secure for hyperpigmentation and melasma?. Lab Muffin Magnificence Science. April 26, 2025. Accessed Might 1, 2025.
https://labmuffin.com/is-red-light-safe-for-hyperpigmentation-and-melasma/

Since my submit on the science behind crimson mild therapies, many individuals have requested me if mild therapies make hyperpigmentation worse.

It is a bit sophisticated to untangle, given the relative lack of knowledge and the massive variety of crimson mild merchandise. So this submit is considerably speculative – however I hope it’s useful in the event you’ve been questioning!

Notice: I’m utilizing “crimson mild” as a normal time period for low stage photobiomodulation (PBM) therapies (e.g. masks and panels, not excessive powered lasers). These normally additionally use infrared mild, and typically different wavelengths (blue, yellow, inexperienced) too.

What do we all know?

Photobiomodulation’s mechanism of motion

Purple and infrared mild appear to principally work by rushing up organic processes, equivalent to by rushing up respiration within the mitochrondria. Infrared penetrates deeper than crimson mild, however each attain the dermis, so each can get to the melanocytes which sit within the basal layer on the backside of the dermis.

Associated submit: The science of crimson mild masks

Mechanistically, this implies photobiomodulation may pace up the manufacturing of melanin by melanocytes, nevertheless it may additionally pace up the turnover of pores and skin and cut back irritation, which might assist with hyperpigmentation.

Respiration additionally causes oxidation, and in extra this might overwhelm the antioxidant mechanisms in your cells – that is considered a purpose why the advantages of sunshine begin reducing at larger complete doses and brightnesses. Antioxidants are one of many foremost ingredient classes for stopping hyperpigmentation.

It’s additionally price remembering that mild therapies are type of finnicky – in addition to dose being sophisticated (mentioned intimately right here), completely different wavelengths inside the buckets of “crimson” or “infrared” can have very completely different potencies.

Medical information

Like with most skincare therapies, there’s rather a lot much less proof on crimson mild therapies and hyperpigmentation (how melanin-producing pores and skin tends to age) in comparison with advantageous strains and wrinkles. There’s additionally much less information on darker pores and skin. However there are some medical trials displaying that mild therapies can cut back hyperpigmentation, together with in darker pores and skin.

Particularly, one South African examine reported efficiently treating 60 topics with melasma, with Kind V and VI pores and skin (ethnicity reported as principally black and Indian). They used 633 nm (crimson) and 830 nm (infrared) from an Omnilux panel, at 105 mW/cm² and 55 mW/cm² depth – far larger than any masks. (See this overview from Galache et al. for extra particulars, and this submit from Gembared for a complete checklist of research.)

The identical researchers additionally performed a pilot examine with 6 topics, all with melasma and sort VI pores and skin. 5 confirmed enhancements, whereas one topic had darkened hyperpigmentation. The researchers famous that it appeared like she was utilizing abrasive scrubs at house, which might be aggravating the melasma.

There’s additionally analysis on utilizing crimson and infrared mild to efficiently deal with hypopigmentation (lighter patches of pores and skin), equivalent to in vitiligo.

Blue mild

It’s fairly nicely established that blue mild can improve pigmentation in darker pores and skin (Sorts IV to VI). Tinted merchandise which comprise blue light-absorbing iron oxides also can assist cut back hyperpigmentation from solar publicity, which is the overwhelming supply of blue mild for most individuals.

Associated submit: How one can Defend Your Pores and skin In opposition to Blue Gentle: an Replace

Anecdotal proof

As I’ve mentioned earlier than, anecdotal proof may be very helpful for much less studied therapies, particularly when there’s plenty of variation in merchandise and routines, nevertheless it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Associated submit: Science vs Anecdotal Proof and Critiques

In opinions and discussion board posts, there’s a mixture of individuals claiming their hyperpigmentation obtained darker, whereas others say it’s gotten lighter. The place there’s further particulars, a couple of individuals have acknowledged that this occurred after one remedy, however normally individuals have mentioned they used the merchandise greater than really helpful (e.g. every single day or 20 minutes a day, as a substitute of 10 minute therapies 3-4 instances every week). Most appear to be treating their hyperpigmentation with different skincare merchandise.

Curiously, some individuals have talked about their pigment darkening earlier than getting lighter, which may sign that PBM therapies are working by rising pores and skin turnover and shedding pigment, just like laser therapies.

My pores and skin may be very vulnerable to hyperpigmentation, and during the last 4 months the place I’ve used crimson mild masks a couple of instances every week, my spots appear to have gotten lighter.

It’s onerous to attribute this to crimson mild masks alone, since I additionally use plenty of pigment-fading topical skincare merchandise. However this was over the Australian summer time the place my pigment normally will get darker, and I haven’t made every other huge modifications within the substances I’ve been utilizing, so it appears to have been helpful for me. Vanessa of Objectives to Get Glowing additionally struggles with hyperpigmentation, and hers has gotten lighter as nicely.

Purple versus infrared mild

I’ve seen lots of people declare that solely infrared mild will worsen hyperpigmentation and crimson mild is totally secure, however sadly this doesn’t appear to be the case.

Generally the reasoning is that infrared causes warmth which causes hyperpigmentation, however this doesn’t actually make sense right here. Infrared and warmth do go hand in hand – infrared makes plenty of molecules jiggle, which is basically what warmth is at a molecular stage. Nevertheless, warmth itself doesn’t contribute a lot to melasma or hyperpigmentation till your pores and skin will get fairly sizzling (45 °C = 113 °F – for reference, sizzling water comes out of family faucets at about 50 °C).

Generally used crimson mild masks shouldn’t be making pores and skin that sizzling, despite the fact that some individuals have reported extra pigment with them (overheating is rather more doable with panels that are extra vulnerable to person error, or sure masks with larger irradiances). Some individuals have additionally reported darker pigment from utilizing simply crimson mild alone.

So it’s more likely that it’s an inherent impact of photobiomodulation, because of going previous the helpful “peak” – all these observations might be defined by, say, extra oxidation or overstimulation of melanocytes beating out the pigment-reducing mechanisms.

What to do?

I feel it’s clear that darkening of hyperpigmentation is a possible aspect impact of sunshine therapies, nevertheless it appears to be rather a lot much less frequent than enhancements, and it doubtless varies with particular person elements.

Some dermatologists advocate avoiding mild therapies utterly if hyperpigmentation is a priority – for my part it is a very legitimate selection. In case you’ve spent plenty of money and time on fading cussed hyperpigmentation (particularly melasma which might be tough to deal with), mild therapies won’t be well worth the threat.

In case you’re much less threat averse and nonetheless need to check out crimson mild therapies, these precautions ought to make it much less doubtless:

Keep away from blue mild (or use it sparingly). Blue mild solely actually helps with zits, and there are many different zits therapies with out this threat.

Take a look at the product on one other a part of your physique first. Most masks advocate a sensitivity check in your internal arm (i.e. run a full remedy on it earlier than utilizing it in your face). I’d advocate making an attempt it on an space that’s extra vulnerable to pigment as nicely, just like the again of your hand. Whereas this isn’t a assure since your face can react otherwise, it can provide you some concept. You may also need to check it on a much less seen a part of your face first (e.g. brow if in case you have a fringe, close to your ear…).

Follow the really helpful time, and even begin slower. For instance, as a substitute of utilizing the masks 3-4 instances every week for 10 minutes, think about using it just for 5 minutes at a time or twice every week, till you get to understand how your pores and skin responds.

Select a product with well-tested wavelengths and irradiances, and search for opinions of that particular product from individuals with the identical pores and skin tone and pores and skin issues as you. I’d keep away from merchandise from manufacturers that appear questionable – many merchandise don’t have correct specs, and irradiances can typically range extensively even inside the one product (some individuals have reported unwanted effects from “off-brand” masks that appear to supply larger irradiances than claimed).

Reduce on irritating pores and skin merchandise earlier than you begin. I feel it’s finest to deal with crimson mild like a probably irritating skincare product you’re including to your routine.

Apply it to naked pores and skin solely. Some individuals have reported crimson, irritated pores and skin from utilizing merchandise with mild therapies, which may improve the probabilities of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This may be because of substances breaking down below intense mild to kind irritants.

Get a product with an excellent return coverage, one thing that’s simple to promote on, or attempt a pal’s product first.

You can even experiment with crimson versus infrared mild – some individuals have reported that their pigment darkens with one however not the opposite (infrared appears to have much less wiggle room for error). The caveat right here is that only a few masks let you management wavelengths independently, so that you’d doubtless be utilizing a panel. Nevertheless, panels are rather more vulnerable to person error. For instance, it’s very simple to alter the dose by rather a lot, simply by leaning barely additional forwards or backwards. Most panels are additionally designed for physique remedy, so that you’d doubtless be utilizing wavelengths which might be much less examined for pores and skin. However I feel in the event you begin with very low publicity and improve it very very slowly, it ought to nonetheless be fairly secure.