If you’re always on the lookout for the latest skincare gadget, you may have already tried facial rollers, sculpting wands, and dermaplaning devices. And you may be curious about the red-glowing masks that you’ve seen making the rounds on social media.

Red-light masks use low levels of light-emitting diode, or LED, to stimulate skin cells, says Dr. Jennifer Sawaya, a dermatologist at U.S. Dermatology Partners Scottsdale in Arizona. “Red light is a type of visible light that has been clinically shown to rejuvenate the skin.” 

Instagrammers and TikTokkers claim the masks—which, face it, do make you look like a character from a sci-fi film—can minimize wrinkles, smooth your complexion, and even improve acne. But these masks can be pricey, costing anywhere from $100 to thousands of dollars, and similar but stronger treatments are available at spas and dermatologists’ offices.

So, do at-home red light masks actually work? Sawaya says studies have shown red-light therapy can benefit the skin, but seeing results depends on using the devices regularly. Here’s what you should know about red-light masks. 

What can red-light masks do for your skin? 

Red-light therapy has been used for decades in a variety of treatments. NASA first began using it to boost plant growth in space in the 1990s and then to speed up wound healing. The light’s ability to penetrate the skin was shown to help promote collagen and tissue growth. 

It’s also used in photodynamic therapy, which utilizes low-power red laser light to drive a cell-destroying chemical reaction that can treat conditions like skin and other types of cancer, psoriasis, acne, and warts, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

As an anti-aging treatment, low-level light therapy with red and infrared wavelengths can improve how skin cells work, explains Dr. Heather Rogers, a dermatologist at Modern Dermatology in Seattle. Cells absorb energy from the light, which makes them more efficient in using oxygen and producing the compounds cells use for fuel. 

“With more fuel, the cells become more active and better at doing their jobs, including DNA repair, collagen synthesis, and calming inflammation,” she says. 

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As you age, you start to lose collagen, a protein that gives your skin structure and elasticity. Sun damage can also deplete it. So boosting collagen production can make wrinkles and fine lines less apparent. 

A 2019 company-sponsored study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology suggested that low-level red and infrared light stimulate biomarkers that are linked to anti-aging skin benefits, and daily at-home treatments could improve the signs of early aging and sun damage. 

In other words, red light can help “rejuvenate” your complexion, Sawaya says. “Specifically, studies have shown that red-light therapy can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, pigmentation, broken blood vessels, and improve the skin’s elasticity and hydration.” 

Red light isn’t the only color of visible light that can benefit the skin. 

Another company-sponsored study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in 2018 found that red- and blue-light therapy could help treat mild to moderate acne. The research suggested that blue light may reduce acne-causing bacteria on the skin, while red light minimized inflammation. Sawaya says blue light may also decrease the activity of oil glands, which encourages acne.

Blue light may also help treat mild psoriasis, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. 

How to get the best results from an at-home red light mask

It can take time to see results from red-light therapy, and it may not work for everyone, says Dr. David Kim, a dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology in New York City. He recommends consistently using a red-light mask three to five times a week for at least a couple of months if you’re interested in minimizing the signs of acne, treating acne, or smoothing your complexion. 

“Figure out your habit and stick to it,” suggests Rogers, who wears a red-light mask before her morning skincare routine and before bedtime.

Read More: What’s the Best Skin-Care Routine?

The masks are most effective when used on clean, dry skin so the light can be well absorbed by the skin, Sawaya says. Sometimes, the masks can dry out your skin, so Rogers suggests moisturizing afterward. 

When purchasing a red-light mask, make sure the product has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which classifies medical devices, including light therapy masks, into different categories, and follow the manufacturer’s directions, Sawaya adds. Most products state whether they’re FDA-cleared. You should use the mask for only the time recommended; most brands suggest using products for about 10 minutes at a time. 

For skin improvements, the ideal wavelength for red light is about 640 nanometers and about 830 nanometers for infrared light, Rogers says. 

How at-home masks differ from in-office versions

At-home red light masks can be beneficial, but Kim says they’re not as “robust” as the LED therapy offered in dermatologists’ offices or spas.

“At-home red and blue light LED masks use much lower energy levels than what you would expect in an in-office treatment,” Sawaya explains, so you likely need to use them daily to see results.

Still, at-home versions can complement in-office light treatments, Rogers says, adding that if you use your mask at home—while also taking good care of your skin by moisturizing and diligently wearing sunscreen—you may need fewer in-office treatments.

There are several red-light masks available. Rogers says her favorites are by Celluma and Omnilux, and she suggests choosing a full-face mask or ones with larger panels instead of handheld wands for more uniform treatment. 

“For best outcomes, the device needs to be touching or nearly touching your skin to ensure the energy is being absorbed into your skin,” she explains. 

Are red light masks safe? 

At-home LED masks are generally safe for most people, as they use relatively low levels of energy, Sawaya says. 

However, if you have sensitive skin or are sensitive to light, you should avoid the masks unless your doctor gives you the OK, she notes. 

Read More: 5 Dermatologists on the 1 Thing You Should Do Every Day

Light therapy can also worsen melasma, a condition that causes blotches to form on the skin, Rogers says. Visible light, including red and blue, might also worsen hyperpigmentation or melasma for people with darker skin tones, Kim adds. 

If you’re using a red-light mask daily and not getting the anti-aging results you’re hoping for, or you’ve noticed dryness, pigmentation shifts, or other skin changes, Kim suggests seeing a dermatologist. Doctors can recommend the best treatments based on your skin type and individual needs. 

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From Lear stripping off in the storm, to André, in Florian Zeller’s The Father, lamenting “I’m losing all my leaves”, drama has powerfully portrayed the heartbreaking destruction of dementia. Now it’s the turn of Queenie in Tanika Gupta’s immensely poignant new play: a brilliant, tough Bengali matriarch (movingly portrayed by Meera Syal) whose fierce dismissal of her adult children’s concerns over her increasing forgetfulness is rapidly undermined by the onset of Alzheimer’s.  

It’s a painful subject, but theatre is a great space to discuss it. Here story can offer companionship to affected audience members and bridge the gap between the outside world and the world of the mind.

Gupta deftly feels her way along this tightrope. As Zeller does with The Father, she uses stagecraft to bring us into Queenie’s experience. But while Zeller deploys confusing shifts in time and character to express the disorientation of dementia, here Queenie’s experience is more varied. Certainly it’s grim. There is shock and bewilderment as Queenie, owner of a successful Michelin-starred restaurant in London, suddenly realises that she is planning for an event that took place months earlier. Then there’s denial and rage as she refuses to accept what’s happening. Finally there is terrifying confusion as her grip of who and where she is disintegrates.

But although the play is unflinchingly honest, there are also sharp shafts of humour and solace in the elision between memory and reality. Queenie’s long-deceased husband Ameet comes to visit her — episodes that we, like she, experience just as vividly as everything going on around her in the present day. As we skip back to Queenie’s early married life in Calcutta, we see her as she was: clever, passionate, determined. These scenes are often suffused with warmth, but Zubin Varla also makes Ameet an ambivalent figure as he coaxes Queenie to plunge with him into the sea of oblivion.

Pooja Ghai’s fluid staging guides us through this seesawing landscape, with Rosa Maggiora’s subtly lit, stratified backdrop rippling with blue like the sea, glowing red like the sunset, or flashing like electrical brain impulses.  We see what Queenie sees but also what her distressed children (Raj Bajaj, Natalie Dew and Marc Elliott) witness as they cope with her volatile mood swings and sometimes deeply hurtful behaviour.

There are many references to Lear, not least in the painful issue of who should look after the ailing parent — a question that highlights both clashing cultural expectations and the current crisis in care for the elderly. A desolate scene, with the family standing outside Queenie’s care home window mid-pandemic, reminds us of how many died, isolated, at that time. Stephen Fewell’s lovely performance as a gentle carer pays quiet tribute to this critical workforce.

It’s a play that tries to cover a few too many areas, but it’s honest, tender and moving. Syal is superb: an indomitable spirit to begin with, she dwindles before our eyes into a silent, crumpled shell. But she, Gupta and Ghai leave us with a version of rebirth, an image of Queenie in her prime. It’s a potent reminder that inside every frail elder is stacked a whole life: a person still to be cherished.

★★★★☆

To November 16, nationaltheatre.org.uk

Handelsblatt, Germany’s leading business and financial newspaper, faced challenges with a fragmented editorial workflow. To meet the demands of a digital-first environment, they undertook a major overhaul of their content planning process. Here’s how they successfully unified their editorial operations. 

Overcoming the challenges of fragmentation 

Before the overhaul, Handelsblatt’s editorial teams were using a combination of emails, Google Docs, and a self-developed scheduling tool. This decentralised approach created several obstacles: 

• Lack of a comprehensive overview: fragmented tools made it difficult to maintain a clear view on projects 
• Decentralised planning: using multiple tools led to no cohesive strategy, especially across digital platforms 
• Cumbersome long and short-term planning: short, medium and long-term content planning across separate systems added layers of complexity
• Disjointed print and digital processes: consolidating print and digital channels resulted in inefficiencies
• Unstructured editorial conferences: meetings often felt scattered making it difficult to keep participants aligned. 

Stefan Kaufmann, lead managing editor at Handelsblatt, noted: “We needed a unified platform that was accessible everywhere and on all devices. The merging of print and online editorial processes increased complexity and highlighted the need for better planning.” 

To address these challenges, Handelsblatt introduced Kordiam, a centralised content planning tool integrated with their content management system (CMS).  

A breakdown of Handelsblatt’s editorial process:

Story registration through author

At the first stage of Handelsblatt’s editorial process a story is registered on the system by the author. This includes the following steps: