These Cold Laser Therapy Devices Will Help Transform Your Skin

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In a world where potent and easy-to-use products are commonly used to address common skin concerns like acne, dark spots, and wrinkles, light therapy is likely the last thing you'd turn to. But don’t knock it ‘til you try it—the red and infrared lights involved in these devices, especially cold laser therapy, have a host of benefits for your skin and beyond.

“Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), or cold lasers, are not actually new. They’re used in sports rehab centers across the world to rebuild cartilage, heal tendons, and treat sprains and pains across the world. In fact, LLLT technology has been in hospitals for more than 60 years,” says Lucy Goff, the founder of LYMA. And now, devices like the LYMA laser use that technology to heal and transform our skin, too, by “emitting one or several wavelengths of light to calm skin inflammation, boost skin rejuvenation, promote hair growth stimulation, and or reduce acne,” adds Dr. Kseniya Kobets, a board-certified dermatologist and the director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Advanced Care in Elmsford, NY. The bottom line is that the best cold laser therapy devices allow you to reap all of those benefits from the comfort of your own home.

Another major perk of cold laser therapy is that there isn’t any downtime involved. While traditional lasers rely on heat to injure the skin and encourage it to repair itself, “cold lasers” use a lower-level light to emit energy into the tissue. “This high-energy state causes gene expression responsible for tissue repair and regeneration to be dialed up, and genes associated with tissue breakdown and aging to be switched off,” explains Goff. You may feel or see results in a matter of hours.

Ready to start your own journey with laser therapy? We spoke to the above experts and pored over countless online reviews to bring you the six best cold laser therapy devices for everything, from wrinkles to joint pain. Let us light the way, ahead.

Red Light Therapy Device

You can pretty much use this user-friendly device anywhere on your body, from your ankles and knees to your neck and shoulders. It makes relaxing after a workout or finding relief from arthritis that much simpler.

Wavelengths: 650 nm, 808 nm

Best for: Body

Amazon rating: 4.3/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer says: “I have had severe muscle burning, heaviness, and some weakness since taking statins for at least eight years. I thought that I would never get back to normal, and that my condition would only worsen. I have used this laser device now for three days, and I sense an almost normal feeling, allowing me to do heavy work on my property already.”

Laser Starter Kit

There’s nothing like the LYMA laser when it comes to cold laser therapy for your face and neck. The undeniably powerful, FDA-cleared device is both a jack-of-all-trades and a master-of-all. In just a few months, many see a visible improvement in the evenness, texture, and elasticity of their skin.

Wavelength: 808nm

Best for: Face

Lyma rating: 4.5/5 stars

A Lyma reviewer says: “Been using the laser every day since three months ago and have seen fantastic results, with skin glowing and wrinkles a lot less visible. The result is so good that I’m gonna keep using it every day even past the first three months. Definitely the best at-home beauty device I’ve ever used!”

Tendlite™ Pro

If you often struggle with soreness and pain, keeping a cold laser therapy device with you wherever you go can make a big difference. This one is not only compact and lightweight but also accompanied by a carrying case for easy transport. The extra security allows for seamless travel, so you can live your life without worry that inflammation might catch you off guard.

Wavelengths: Red Light- 660 nm; Infrared Light- 850 nm

Best for: Body

Amazon rating: 4.2/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer says: “I have arthritis in my hand. Sometimes the pain is screaming at the base of my thumb or top of my hand. I get my light and use it several times, and the pain is gone. I do feel I have to be consistent and use it almost daily to keep ahead of the pain. Same thing with the top of my right foot. Screeching pain on the instep, and yet this red light will take it away.”

Red Light Therapy Device

There’s nothing like a cold sore to ruin your day. However, this device is designed to zap away sores or blisters on your lips. The detachable tip allows you to focus the light on small, specific parts of your body and face, and you can remove it to target larger areas that need help healing as well.

Wavelengths: 940nm, 660nm, 850nm, 810nm, 660nm

Best for: Face and body

Amazon rating: 4.2/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer says: “Simply put, this device WORKS. I noticed significantly marked improvement less than eight hours after the first treatment! When I first received this device, I was in so much pain, and there was a huge lesion on my lip and some redness. After using this device, the lesion has mostly dissipated, the redness has significantly reduced, and there is no more pain.”

AllevaRed Light Therapy Belt

Snap this belt around your waist and experience the euphoria of pain melting away. Some have even reported that it eases digestion issues, too, likely due to the device's ability to promote blood circulation. The best part? It’s hands-free, which means you can use it while doing chores around the house (or lazing around your living room).

Wavelength: Red Light- 660nm; Infrared Light- 850nm

Best for: Body

Lifepro rating: 4.8/5 stars

A Lifepro reviewer says: “My husband and I have been using our red light therapy belts for four months and absolutely love them! I have Hashimotos and have experienced a lot of relief with my fatigue and digestion issues. My husband is a cyclist (road, mountain bike, and gravel biker), and the red light therapy helps his muscles to recover quickly and relieves his aches and pains.”

The MOVE+ Pro LED & Laser

Your joints will be overjoyed once you invest in this cold laser therapy device. It wraps around wherever you need it to with six beams of light encouraging healing and decreasing inflammation within minutes. Reviewers rave about its “life-changing” effects and ability to let them live their lives again pain-free.

Wavelength: Red Light- 650nm; Infrared Light- 808nm

Best for: Body

Kineon rating: 4.5/5 stars

A Kineon reviewer says: “Two words…it works. Used the Move + Pro daily and could immediately feel relief from day one. The application was on my left knee which has been sore since last ski season. Using it daily this season and staying ahead of any pain. Also tried it on a nerve pain that comes on now and then in my anterior right shoulder. Relieved pain during first treatment. Great product!”

Meet the Experts

Dr. Kseniya Kobets is a board-certified dermatologist and the director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Advanced Care in Elmsford, NY.

Lucy Goff is the founder of LYMA.

What should you look for in a cold laser therapy device?

It goes without saying that you should do your research, especially since this is a device that can affect both your skin and the tissues underneath. “Since there are so many devices on the market that claim such benefits, it’s important to choose a device that has science behind it. Do not opt for a cheap device that emits too much heat—that can cause more damage, causing skin redness and hyperpigmentation. Many devices will claim to have a range of wavelengths and not a specific wavelength, which can emit more heat than the effect of the specific wavelength.”

Who can benefit from using cold laser therapy devices?

Pretty much anyone can benefit from cold laser therapy. In terms of the body, they’re especially helpful for those who are particularly active or prone to muscle or joint pain. As for skin, they’re suited for “anyone who is looking for decreasing skin inflammation like in acne or rosacea, want to get started on anti-aging, or want to stimulate hair growth (or at least start to prevent hair loss related to androgenetic alopecia, which is where a lot of the LLLT research has shown great success, but the devices needed to be used many times and consistently),” explains Dr. Kobets. “They are also great for post-procedure anti-inflammation,” she adds.

Why Trust Elle Beauty

As a leading publisher of fashion, lifestyle, and beauty content, ELLE.com is committed to highlighting the best products in various categories by personally testing the latest and most innovative products, interviewing countless experts, and vetting customer-loved items. For this piece, beauty writer Carol Lee spoke with trusted cold laser therapy experts about the best at-home devices. Lee also searched the internet for the top-rated cold laser therapy devices, perused reviews for dozens of popular options, and evaluated each based on its features and customer reviews.

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