Skin appearance
Pulsed 660 nm LED: collagen regulation in vitro and a split-face clinical study
Barolet et al. · 2009 · Journal of Investigative Dermatology
Barolet D, Roberge CJ, Auger FA, Boucher A, Germain L. Regulation of skin collagen metabolism in vitro using a pulsed 660 nm LED light source: clinical correlation with a single-blinded study. J Invest Dermatol. 2009;129(12):2751-2759.
What they found
In a reconstructed-skin model, pulsed 660 nm light raised type-1 procollagen by 31% and lowered MMP-1 (a collagen-degrading enzyme) by 18%. In the clinical split-face arm, more than 90% of participants showed reduced wrinkle depth and roughness and 87% improved on the Fitzpatrick wrinkling scale after 12 treatments.
Evidence grade
low
Effect direction
positive
Panel relevance
partially replicable
Key outcomes
- +31% type-1 procollagen and -18% MMP-1 in reconstructed skin
- >90% showed reduced rhytid depth and surface roughness
- 87% improved Fitzpatrick wrinkling severity score after 12 treatments
Protocol details
| Device | Pulsed 660 nm LED source (LumiPhase-R) |
|---|---|
| Wavelengths | 660 nm |
| Irradiance | Not reported |
| Dose (fluence) | Not reported |
| Session time | Not reported |
| Frequency | Not reported |
| Sessions / course | 12 sessions |
| Study length | Not reported |
| Treatment area | Face (split-face) |
| Pulsing | Proprietary sequentially pulsed illumination |
| Study size | Reconstructed-skin (in vitro) model plus a clinical split-face, single-blinded arm |
Caveats
- Clinical fluence/irradiance are not reported in the abstract, and the proprietary pulsed protocol is hard to reproduce on a continuous-wave consumer panel.
- Strong mechanistic (in vitro) component; the clinical arm was small and only single-blinded.
- Lead author has commercial ties to LED skincare devices.