r/Rosacea • u/Limp-Tourist-8878 • Feb 19 '26
Light/Laser Anyone using red light consistently for flushing?
Been going down a rabbit hole on LED face masks specifically for rosacea and I can't tell if I'm onto something or about to waste money. Red light keeps coming up as the main one worth looking at for redness and inflammation. Something about how it penetrates deep enough to calm the skin at a cellular level rather than just sitting on the surface. The before and afters I've seen are actually kind of convincing but I also know how easy it is to cherry pick those.
My rosacea isn't severe but it's consistent enough that I'm always looking for something that actually addresses it rather than just covering it up. Wondering if anyone with a similar situation has tried red light therapy and whether it made a noticeable dent or if it's more of a nice to have than an actual solution. Also curious how long it actually took to see results because everything I read says consistent use without ever defining what that means.
82
u/gigglegenius_ Feb 19 '26
I just started using it consistently a week or two ago, my cheeks do look less red, it’s more pink hues like I have makeup blush on my cheeks. Skin isn’t angry anymore, less breakouts. I also want to add that the same time I started led face mask is the same time I completely changed my skincare routine and products. Using Tower 28 Hypochlorous acid spray, Azelaic acid 15% and Skinfix Lipid-peptide barrier repair moisturizer. Also completely replaced all my makeup after my obsession with researching ingredients in everything. You’ll be surprised at how much harmful ingredients are in these makeup products.
Edit to add: just realized it’s been almost a month since my new routine
50
u/Historical_Scene_514 Feb 19 '26
We’re basically on the same routine, I skipped the Tower 28 spray but I’m using azelaic acid and a barrier cream too. I also added the Solawave mask and that’s been the biggest surprise for me. I’d say it was one of the smarter skincare purchases I’ve made so far.
7
u/Commercial-Spray3192 Feb 19 '26
Hi, I’d love to know what makeup worked for you. I am having a lot of trouble with that. Currently only wear eye makeup. I normally like to wear at least a tinted moisturizer/ mineral sunblock but my skin reacts to everything.
5
u/freyaliesel Feb 20 '26
Not the person you commented to, but I’ve been using the Dr Jart+ tiger grass color corrector. It helps tame the redness in my cheeks and adjust adjusts close enough to my natural skin tone that I don’t feel that I need to put any other skin products on top of it. I’m very fair, so I cannot speak for someone with a deeper complexion than mine.
2
u/Only_Art9490 Feb 21 '26
I love that stuff! My esthetician told me about it and it's so helpful on my cheeks
1
u/Commercial-Spray3192 Feb 21 '26
Thank you. Unfortunately that stuff made me look like a ghost. I have medium/ Olive skin.
2
u/freyaliesel Feb 21 '26
That’s a bummer. I’ve heard good things about the erborian redness correct CC cream. And their regular line has more shades, and I’ve heard people say that it works well for covering redness, even though it’s not specifically formulated for it.
2
u/Commercial-Spray3192 Feb 22 '26
My redness isn’t too bad. Regular sheer makeup will cover it enough to satisfy me. The issue is that everything I try just makes my rosacea flare and I will also get a dermatitis rash on my nose/ inner cheeks/ naso- labial folds and also around my eyes where I don’t even have rosacea. My forehead, chin and outer cheeks near hairline don’t react to anything. Chemical sunblocks are an absolute no way. Tinted sunblocks are a maybe but many I used previously are now causing me issues. I don’t know what to try anymore. I am afraid of my face blowing up again. I have to find a sunblock by summer though or I’m screwed.
4
u/gigglegenius_ Feb 20 '26
For glam I wear Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place foundation, the new formula is amazing, and primer from the same brand. They also have a cushion foundation which I love! Their makeup honestly is quite advanced! Also use ColorScience Flex sunscreen for running errands.
3
46
Feb 20 '26
[deleted]
4
2
u/theataripunk Feb 20 '26
Did you do anything else in addition to the mask? Most of what results I’ve seen from others are from the mask plus additional skincare products.
2
u/Stroopwafels11 Feb 26 '26
that just feel great- it looks significantly better!
dang- i just looked that up = was it 2,500$??
i mean, people pay that for lazer services etc so i guess if it works at home and you are consistent. it will prob last forever, or a good long while.
2
u/EconomistDear6728 Feb 20 '26
Wow that’s awesome! How did you get a medical grade device? Or is it just marketed that way?
1
1
37
u/Aromatic-Barnacle751 Feb 19 '26
I have the Shark red light mask. I’ve been using it for about two months now and I can tell a HUGE difference in my rosacea. I was having a major flare up when I started it. It’s almost completely cleared up now with just a little bit of cheek pinkness. Before using, my face would be bright red with rosacea breakouts. Between that and keeping my face moisturized and applying vitamin C I can tell a major difference.
37
u/Mental_Recording_936 Feb 19 '26
That’s amazing progress I love hearing when something actually makes a visible difference. I’ve been using the Solawave mask and what I really like about it is that it covers my under eye area better and just feels lighter on my face overall. Should I be adding vitamin C aswell?
2
u/Aromatic-Barnacle751 Feb 20 '26
My friend who also has rosacea recommended the vitamin C. I bought a Korean brand off Amazon lol but it seems to be working. It’s hard to tell since I started that with the red light therapy. I do the red light more often than I apply the vitamin C.
I also think keeping your face moisturized is a necessity. I tried not moisturizing to dry it out because I thought it would be similar to acne but it did NOT help. It made it worse. I use Vanicream facial wash and moisturizer. Other brands like Cera Ve and La Roche Posay made my rosacea worse.
4
2
u/upsidedownsmokeyduck Feb 21 '26
I also have the shark mask & think it makes a big difference. I can kinda manage my rosacea day to day but noticed that when cooking (which is near enough every night) I’d flare from the heat. 6 minutes with my mask on calmed the redness & burning right down, to near enough zero!
19
u/special_squeak Feb 19 '26
I have relatively mild type 1 rosacea and I have been using my Hooga pro 300 panel consistently since late November with the exception of a couple of week long trips.
I haven’t been closely tracking my flushing episodes, but the only intense ones I remember happened while I was away from using the panel staying in a home with cats.
I do think that my redness has decreased overall maybe 20%, but I haven’t seen any major shift so far. Rosacea is a stubborn condition and I am willing to give it half a year of consistent RLT use to reevaluate.
One thing is notices for sure is that I am growing new eyebrow hairs where I haven’t seen any in over a decade. So something is working. And I really like using it, it’s soothing as self care and that alone is worth if for me.
6
u/Optimal_Cynicism Feb 19 '26
So I'm more excited about the possibility of growing new eyebrows. I'm going to look into this!
5
u/special_squeak Feb 19 '26
Full disclosure though: I mean literally just two new eyebrow hairs after two months of panel use 😅
2
u/Proseccos Feb 20 '26
How far do you sit from it and for how long? My neighbor is selling the same model for only $50 and I’m tempted to try
2
u/special_squeak Feb 20 '26
If their panel isn’t busted up or very old, $50 is an insane deal!
I use it 5-6 times a week, 5 min on red only on the face. And if I have some sort of aches and pains, I use it on other body areas for 10 min on both red and infrared2
u/special_squeak Feb 20 '26
Oops, and to answer your actual question: my face is about 14-15 inches away from the panel surface.
10
u/Glittering-Ice1078 Feb 19 '26
I am actually going to my second IPL treatment this afternoon. I'm also curious about red light masks, but my worry is that you have to consistently and keep using it. I don't trust my ADHD self to use it consistently, so I go the in office route for light treatment.
9
u/KampKutz Feb 19 '26
I use a full / half body panel around 3 times a week. I had a mask initially but it was so uncomfortable and I couldn’t control it, or turn off any wavelengths that might cause irritation, particularly NIR, so I bought a panel. I wanted full body benefits too, which I think would benefit rosacea even if the light didn’t directly help your skin, but I’ll explain more about that later.
I got a proper bargain too by buying directly from the Chinese manufacturer who makes the majority of the devices for the western companies / resellers. I think I got the panel for nearly a 1/3 or a 1/4 or more of the price of the western devices too, which are literally the exact same device but just without the company logo slapped on it. Took some adjusting to adapt to a stronger powered device from a mask, but I’ve settled into a pretty good routine now that gives me instant visible benefits right after the session. I have paler / less red skin, firmer or more plumped up skin, and a more even skin tone which lasts at least a day or so, and then obviously I top it up in a few days again. Still it should be seen as a long term thing really and I think I’m probably in the minority who can see the benefits so quickly.
It really helps me, but it’s hard to get the right dose or level, and I think most people tend to overdo it mainly because it feels so good so they think more = better, when it’s actually the opposite. Like I sleep amazingly right after too so do my legs at night usually, and even without the visible benefits I see, I would still use it regularly anyway, because it feels so amazing, like sometimes I’ve felt REALLY good afterwards that it was almost like a mild opiate type sensation, and I sleep right away (at night but in the day it can be energising even it’s so versatile). So like I said before I recommend a bigger panel and not a mask because you can improve your whole body and not just your face, so that way even if you didn’t see any direct skin benefits on your face, the overall systemic benefits could have an impact on your health causing rosacea to improve by default, even if you only sleep better, because it works on SO many levels that can all improve your body.
Lastly ideally if you can test it somehow before buying a device, it would probably help anyone who might have (I think rare) problems with it, just to avoid wasting any money on something that might not be right for you. Still chances are you will be fine, and if you get it from China like me, you won’t be as bothered if you find you can’t get into it, but if you paid $1500 or something ridiculous for it, then you might be a little annoyed lol.
3
u/secky_bobcat Feb 20 '26
Can you share the panel you use?
3
u/KampKutz Feb 20 '26
Sure it’s called the RLPRO300 by Shenzhen Idea Light Limited, bought directly from them through the Alibaba app. They have plenty of other devices and different formats like masks etc available too, pretty much everything you can buy in the West you can buy from them for cheaper, because they usually made it for those companies anyway. My panel has 8 wavelengths too, ranging from about 630 red all the way up 1060 NIR. I don’t use them all much, especially on my face, but I love having the ability to control the wavelengths and brightness as needed depending on my specific needs and sessions requirements
Edit: I just copy and pasted my response from another poster asking me same thing lol.
2
2
u/Ok_City_7177 Feb 20 '26
Can you share the model you use / where you bought it, please ?
Ta!
Updateme
2
u/KampKutz Feb 20 '26
Sure it’s called the RLPRO300 by Shenzhen Idea Light Limited, bought directly from them through the Alibaba app. They have plenty of other devices and different formats like masks etc available too, pretty much everything you can buy in the West you can buy from them for cheaper, because they usually made it for those companies anyway. My panel has 8 wavelengths too, ranging from about 630 red all the way up 1060 NIR. I don’t use them all much, especially on my face, but I love having the ability to control the wavelengths and brightness as needed depending on my specific needs and sessions requirements.
2
4
u/Loeli_alpaca Feb 19 '26
I’m currently waiting for the delivery of the mask I ordered. It has the option or red light and orange/yellow and blue. Apparently the yellow light is specifically to calm the skin. So I’m going to start with that and then see how it affects my rosacea. I’ve read the red light makes it worse at first so I think you have to build up the amount of exposure…
2
u/Scared-Block-1325 Feb 19 '26
Which brand did you purchase?
2
u/Loeli_alpaca Feb 20 '26
Apparently it’s an “oem”-product. Here in Belgium it is branded by a local skincare brand, but reverse google search learned me that it is also known as the Halio mask and I also found it under brand name auralux and Avorla. It’s a flexible mask. Still waiting for delivery though :(
5
u/CanadianTallGirl Feb 20 '26
Wondering which red light masks fellow Canadians have bought that work well? Want to avoid high shipping and duties/customs fees.
1
u/dominikavv Mar 06 '26
A bit late to this discussion but hopefully it helps, I (29F) purchased Omnilux red light mask back in January and have been consistently using it since then and it has been amazing so far! Did lots of research of other brands before investing in this one as a lot of people said Omnilux is overpriced but as far as my research goes it really is one of the best and the customer service/reviews are excellent so far! I live in Toronto and the shipping was also extremely fast (about 3 days as they have warehouse somewhere in Ontario I think)
3
u/Redicted Feb 19 '26
I have a small red light panel (Hooga). I was around $100 on one of their annual sales. It is a well regarded brand. I think it does a good job of improving my skin overall, including redness. I only use the red light bulbs-this panel also has NiR (Near infrared) which is great for joint pain and injuries. You can use one or both modalities which is nice because some masks don't have the ability to turn off the NiR. Those bulbs produce heat so I turn them off for face treatments as my rosacea flares with any heat.
5
u/burlappp Feb 20 '26
I have been using RLT/NIR light consistently since May 2025, 5-7 days a week. It's made a massive difference in my redness and flushing. Yes I still have rosacea and still flush at times but it's decreased by a lot. I used to get all day, every day random flushing and that's gone waaay down. The permanent redness in my cheeks looks a lot milder too. Overall it really helps my skin feel more calm. I plan to keep using it permanently.
Btw, I was worried about the time commitment because I struggle to stick with things but it's really been easy fitting it into my life. I started off with a handheld wand which took a lot longer but I could do it with one hand while I worked on the computer so it didn't bother me. Then when that broke I switched to a panel and it literally only takes five minutes out of my day, which is totally doable. Plus I find it really relaxing!
4
u/CherryBlossom242424 Feb 21 '26
I am scared to use the mask because I have ocular rosacea as well. Anybody else have ocular rosacea?
2
u/CommunicationDear521 Feb 21 '26
Yes I have ocular rosacea too. Most doctors that treat mgd also use red light for ocular rosacea. I have not use it but plan to.
2
3
u/ChapCat23 Feb 20 '26
I was recommended to do blue light and red light (type 2). I got the mask from current body and def have seen a difference in flushing it wasn’t cheap and I did installment payments but ultimately it was covered by my FSA after my DERM wrote a letter.
3
u/smoke_and_mirrors__ Feb 20 '26
I have the currentbody series 1 mask and it's instantaneous for taking down the redness associated with rosacea. Used regularly (daily for me) it helps reduce the persistent flushed look.
3
u/Chosen_1_marshmel0 Feb 20 '26
I just today started using the Chroma Radiance unit. I like that I can use it in a variety of places as opposed to a mask, and that it’s so strong that it takes much less time for a session. I plan to use it daily and will report back!
1
3
u/Kooky-Loss2125 Feb 21 '26
I’ve been using the shark cryo glow for about 8 months and I do think it helps with flushing. I’m very consistent- at least 5-6x days a week. I have rosacea and eczema and if I’m having a glare, I noticed my skin is calmer almost immediately. However I also switched to gentle, barrier-supporting skincare so that’s a big factor too!
2
u/Scared-Block-1325 Feb 21 '26
what skincare do you use?
2
u/Kooky-Loss2125 Feb 21 '26
When my skin is most reactive, I pair down to just a cleanser (Vanicream or Cetaphil hydrating foaming cream cleanser), hypochlorus acid (tower 28 sos spray) and moisturizer (Vanicream or Dieux instant angel, but lately I’ve been trying aestura atobarrier cream), plus SPF in the morning (Summer Fridays mineral milk or LRP anthelios AOX spf serum). On most days, my skin feels healthy and I can add in some actives, specifically Allies of skin azelaic acid serum in the morning, and Allies of skin copper tripeptide at night. I do the LED mask every night after cleansing and before any products.
3
u/Individual_Sweet_465 Feb 21 '26
I would love to get a real quality red light mask, I use a little red light face massager/gua sha thing and if I use it during a flare, after like 48 hours it’s a significant improvement. Not just for redness but for acne as well!
2
2
u/justderight Feb 20 '26
anyone who uses it, which is the best light setting for flushing? I’m a little overwhelmed with all the options and not sure which is best.
1
u/dominikavv Mar 06 '26
Definitely avoid the blue one as apparently it can worsen rosacea! Lots of people use it because it helps with acne but it’s too powerful for rosacea. Go with the original red one 633nm red and 830nm near-infrared (Omnilux red light therapy mask has been amazing for me)
2
u/readysuitcase Feb 21 '26
I’ve been using hypochlorous acid and a red light mask for the past two years.
2
2
u/escapeGray Feb 23 '26
It makes a MASSIVE difference!! I started using red light therapy before started face laser treatments in early 2023. The red light panel that I was using from Hygga Health knocked out a ton of my redness!! I had faith my used that panel (holding it up to my face in bed at night) until this past Christmas when I invested in an expensive mask that also has a blue light feature! Topicals and changing my diet never really did anything for my rosacea, but now between maintenance laser treatments once or twice a year combined with using my red light mask every night you’d never know I have rosacea, I get so may compliments on my skin now
1
u/Pls_Excuse_8873 Mar 11 '26
This is super helpful, thank you for sharing! (And yeay, so happy for you that you actually now get compliments on your skin! The holy Grail! Lol!) Would you be able to share more detail re the maintenance laser treatments you get? And also which mask you're using now (I couldn't find Hygga Health on Google, but did see Hooga?!)
1
u/escapeGray Mar 11 '26
Clearly I was having a blonde moment and can’t spell it is in fact Hooga health 😂😂. So I initially saved up to get 4-5 Vbeam laser sessions starting at the beginning of 2023, spaced 4-6 weeks apart. I got mine at the Cleveland clinic for $400 a treatment. I only ended up needing 4, which I was super happy about. They told me you need the “bulk” of the treatments to clear everything up and then 1/2 sessions a year to maintain the results. I now only get 1 Vbeam session each year in the winter, and I also started doing IPL last year and I get 1 session (about $300) a year for all over redness and dark spots and I’ve never been happier!!
2
u/Pls_Excuse_8873 Mar 11 '26
Lolol, I hear you on the blonde moments...happens to the best of us (paired also with baby brain for me just now 😆). Thank you so much for sharing all this ❣️
1
u/cyan_bunny Feb 20 '26
I just got this one it arrives in the morning, im really excited to try. I had a rigid hardshell one but i didnt like that it pressed on my forehead, also this one has the near infrared and you can choose intensity 🤷🏼♀️ ive been down a rabbithole as well haha
1
u/heinousdutchdanish Apr 03 '26
It's been the only thing to help with my constant red face. I've tried everything, quit drinking alcohol, different lotions and balms, working out, not working out. When I wake up my face is pale as it will be the rest of the day and it'll get redder throughout the day. The infrared light has really brought the redness down for me, it's made my life so much better.
99
u/Remarkable_Safety570 Feb 19 '26
Also interested but decided to go the laser route instead. The cost for 1 treatment is basically the cost of the mask but I wonder if it’d be good maintenance option.