Red Light Therapy And Nasolabial Folds: Can LEDs Really Soften Deep Smile Lines?

As someone who spends most days tuning LED systems for homes, clinics, and commercial spaces, I am always interested in what happens when we bring those same diodes close to the skin. Red light therapy sits right at that intersection: it is still light engineering, but the “room” we are illuminating is your dermis, not your living room.

Nasolabial folds—the creases that run from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth—are among the most stubborn marks of facial aging. The question I am asked more and more, often by dermatology partners and med‑spa owners choosing LED fixtures, is simple: once those folds are clearly etched in, can red light therapy actually make a visible difference?

The research we have, including a rare clinical trial that directly measured changes in nasolabial folds, offers cautious but real encouragement. At the same time, it sets important limits. Red LEDs can remodel texture and soften folds; they cannot replace lost bone, lift heavy jowls, or fully substitute for fillers or surgery in deeply carved lines.

This article walks through what the science shows, how device design and protocol matter, and how to realistically integrate red light therapy into a plan for established nasolabial folds.

What Nasolabial Folds Really Are (And Why They Deepen)

To understand what any light‑based treatment can do for nasolabial folds, you need to know what you are trying to change.

Harvard Health and Michigan Medicine describe facial aging as a multilayer problem rather than just “wrinkled skin.” Over time, three major things happen around the midface and smile lines.

First, the skin itself thins. Collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid decline, so the dermis loses its spring and moisture, becoming drier, less elastic, and more prone to creasing. Fine lines become easier to imprint and harder to erase.

Second, facial fat pads shift. Michigan Medicine explains that the fat that once plumped the cheeks and areas around the nose and mouth loses volume and slides downward. That exposes bone in some areas and piles extra fullness into others, which makes the groove between the cheek and upper lip look deeper.

Third, the underlying bone remodels. Harvard Health notes that facial bones slowly resorb and recede. When the maxilla (upper jaw) and midface lose support, overlying tissue has less scaffolding to rest on, and folds and jowls become more pronounced.

On top of this structural story, lifestyle choices accelerate the process. Michigan Medicine highlights a twin study where the twin who smoked longer had significantly deeper nasolabial creases and jowls than their genetically identical sibling, even with just a few years’ difference in smoking history. Ultraviolet exposure has a similar effect, breaking down collagen and causing pigment changes that visually emphasize folds.

In other words, an established nasolabial fold is not just a surface crease. It is a visible line drawn by skin thinning, collagen loss, fat descent, and bone change. Any therapy, including red light, needs to respect that anatomy.

How Red Light Therapy Acts On Skin

Red light therapy, also called low‑level light therapy or photobiomodulation, uses specific wavelengths of visible red and often near‑infrared light to trigger biological changes in cells without burning or ablating the skin.

Cleveland Clinic and WebMD describe the core mechanism this way. When red or near‑infrared light hits the skin, chromophores inside cells—especially within mitochondria—absorb that light. A key chromophore is cytochrome c oxidase in the respiratory chain. Absorption leads to a bump in ATP production, shifts in reactive oxygen species, and downstream signaling that can:

• Stimulate fibroblasts to produce more collagen and elastin.
• Enhance blood flow through vasodilation, delivering more oxygen and nutrients.
• Reduce inflammation by modulating immune cell activity.
• Support faster tissue repair and remodeling.

A Stanford Medicine news feature on red light emphasizes that this is not speculative anymore. “Photobiomodulation” became an official term in the National Library of Medicine’s vocabulary in 2015, after decades of lab and clinical work. The same piece notes hundreds of clinical studies showing red light can increase collagen, plump skin, and soften wrinkles, although optimal parameters are not fully standardized.

From a lighting-engineering perspective, three variables matter most.

The wavelength determines depth and type of interaction. Many dermatology and device sources, including Skintherapeutics, CurrentBody, and major health systems, converge on visible red in roughly the 630–670 nm range for surface and mid‑dermal effects, and near‑infrared around 800–880 nm for deeper penetration.

The dose, typically expressed as energy per unit area (J/cm²), must land in a “just right” biologic window. A clinical study published in the National Institutes of Health archive evaluated a Dior × Lucibel full‑face mask delivering around 15.6 J/cm² at 630 nm in a 12‑minute session, twice weekly. Users saw progressive improvements in wrinkles, firmness, pores, and overall texture over three months, with benefits persisting about a month after stopping.

The irradiance and time—how intense and how long—shape whether cells respond or become overstimulated. The same Dior × Lucibel study used an average irradiance of about 21.7 mW/cm², and a large German trial of lamp‑based red and red‑plus‑near‑infrared systems operated in a similar low‑milliwatt range. These levels are far below ablative lasers and are designed to be non‑thermal.

The key distinction is that red light therapy aims to gently steer cellular behavior, not to vaporize tissue or create controlled wounds. That is why it offers almost no downtime, but also why its effects are more gradual and generally more modest than those of more aggressive procedures.

Evidence For Red Light Therapy In Wrinkles And Folds

Most clinical data for red light therapy focuses on overall wrinkles, skin texture, and collagen density rather than specific folds. Still, several studies help set expectations for what light can realistically do.

A randomized controlled trial in Germany, archived by the National Institutes of Health, enrolled more than 120 adults and treated them with large‑area red light (around 611–650 nm) or a broader red‑plus‑near‑infrared spectrum, while another group remained untreated. Participants received thirty sessions, typically twice weekly, with energy doses comparable to those discussed earlier.

After the course of treatment, both actively treated groups reported better skin feeling and complexion scores. Objective measurements told a similar story. Skin roughness decreased, intradermal collagen density increased on ultrasound, and blinded dermatologists rating photos judged wrinkles as improved in roughly two‑thirds to three‑quarters of treated subjects, compared with only about four percent of controls. Six months later, some benefits persisted, though they softened over time. No significant differences emerged between red‑only and red‑plus‑near‑infrared devices within the tested range.

The Dior × Lucibel mask study, which followed twenty volunteers in their mid‑forties to late sixties using an at‑home mask twice weekly for three months, also reported progressive improvements. According to the published summary, users and investigators saw anti‑wrinkle, firming, smoothing, complexion‑evening, and pore‑refining effects, with improvements still present a month after stopping treatment. The mask’s higher irradiance and well‑mapped LED layout likely contributed to those outcomes.

Taken together with reviews discussed by UCLA Health, Cleveland Clinic, and WebMD, the broad theme emerges clearly. Red light therapy can measurably improve fine lines, overall wrinkling, texture, and collagen density, especially in patients who start with more photodamage. It does so safely, without the downtime associated with lasers or deep peels.

But what about the specific question you care about: established nasolabial folds?

The Split-Face Trial That Targeted Nasolabial Folds

One small but important study looked directly at nasolabial folds and compared red light to a conventional light‑based workhorse: intense pulsed light (IPL).

A split‑face clinical trial, reported on Academia.edu, enrolled ten healthy women in their late forties to late sixties with Fitzpatrick skin types I through III and visible photoaging. Each participant had one side of the face treated with IPL and the other side treated with visible red light.

The protocol reflected how these technologies are used in real clinics. One facial side received six IPL sessions four weeks apart, using a flash‑lamp device that delivers broad‑spectrum light between about 515 and 1,200 nm, with topical anesthetic and post‑treatment cooling. The other side received thirty red light sessions, twice weekly, using a medical‑grade red LED system that delivered a constant dose of 96 J/cm² per session.

One month after the final treatment, blinded dermatologists evaluated standardized photographs. They graded nasolabial fold depth, wrinkles around the mouth and eyes, and overall lifting or tightening on a four‑point scale from no effect to excellent improvement. Skin elasticity was also measured instrumentally using a device that tracks how quickly an acoustic wave travels through the skin.

For nasolabial folds, improvement was seen on eight of ten IPL‑treated sides, but on all ten red‑light‑treated sides. On the red light side, sixty percent of patients were rated as having mild improvement, ten percent moderate, and thirty percent excellent improvement in nasolabial fold severity. On the IPL side, the distribution skewed more modestly.

Fine peri‑oral and peri‑orbital wrinkles improved on both sides in most participants, but in this small group IPL seemed slightly stronger for fine wrinkles, whereas red light outperformed IPL for nasolabial folds and overall lifting and tightening. Importantly, both modalities significantly improved skin elasticity, and the difference in elasticity between the two was not statistically significant.

Safety profiles, however, differed. Two participants experienced severe but short‑lived redness and burning on the IPL side, while the red light treatments were essentially painless with no reported complications.

For someone designing or selecting LED systems, this study is a crucial proof of concept. Even in the context of established folds in middle‑aged women, visible red light alone—not combined with photosensitizers or more aggressive technologies—produced measurable softening of the nasolabial crease, and in that small sample it exceeded IPL specifically for that feature.

At the same time, it is a small study without sham treatment, and the evaluation window was limited. It should be seen as encouraging evidence, not definitive proof that red light therapy is universally superior to IPL or other modalities.

How Much Change Can You Expect In Established Nasolabial Folds?

Once you combine the nasolabial‑specific split‑face trial with broader wrinkle and collagen studies, a realistic picture emerges.

Red light therapy can:

• Increase dermal collagen and elasticity in a way that translates into smoother, more even skin.
• Soften the transition between the cheek and upper lip, making the nasolabial line look less harsh.
• Deliver mild to, in some patients, excellent visible softening of folds over a series of weeks to months, with virtually no downtime.

Red light therapy cannot:

• Rebuild bone or lift significant volume descent on its own.
• Provide the immediate, dramatic effacement of deep folds that hyaluronic acid fillers or surgical lifts can offer, as described in Harvard Health and Michigan Medicine resources.
• Replace long‑term sun protection, dental and skeletal support, or lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking.

Michigan Medicine notes that hyaluronic acid fillers injected into the nasolabial area can last about six months in that zone, with sometimes longer duration after repeat treatments. The same article and Harvard Health explain that fillers and structural surgical lifts directly add or reposition volume, which is why they can substantially reduce deep folds after just one procedure.

Red light, in contrast, works with the tissue you already have. In someone with shallow to moderately deep nasolabial folds primarily from collagen loss and sun damage, red light can make that tissue behave more like younger skin. In someone whose folds are being driven mainly by bone loss and large fat descent, the effect will be more limited, because the “curtain” of soft tissue still hangs over a recessed frame.

For that reason, the most responsible way to position red light therapy for established nasolabial folds is as a collagen‑boosting and texture‑smoothing adjunct, not a singular fix. In the split‑face trial, the red‑light‑treated side often showed clear but not complete improvement. That pattern echoes what we see in broader wrinkle studies.

Still, in practice, many dermatologists and aesthetic practitioners now combine red light with other interventions, using it to optimize skin quality before fillers or surgery, and to maintain results afterward with a gentle, low‑risk modality.

How Red Light Compares To Other Options For Nasolabial Folds

A good way to place red light therapy in context is to compare it with other common approaches used for nasolabial folds.

Red light therapy lands in the “gentle but meaningful” category. It is attractive for patients who want to improve the quality of the skin across the entire midface, are comfortable with gradual change, and either are not ready for injectables or want to support the results of more structural treatments.

Designing A Red Light Routine For Nasolabial Folds

Once you decide red light therapy has a role in your plan, the next questions are very practical: which device, how often, and what else should happen around it.

Choosing The Right LED Device

Dermatology‑oriented sources such as Cleveland Clinic, AARP, BSW Health, Skintherapeutics, and UCLA Health consistently recommend devices that are cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for safety and that publish their wavelengths.

For collagen and wrinkle work, many in‑clinic and at‑home systems center around visible red near 630–670 nm, sometimes combined with near‑infrared around 800–880 nm. Devices like the Dior × Lucibel mask (studied in France), CurrentBody’s facial systems, and Omnilux masks all use combinations of these wavelengths and have clinical data behind them.

From a lighting‑design standpoint, the most important thing for nasolabial folds is coverage. The diodes must be close enough and arranged so that the entire midface—from the sides of the nose down to the corner of the mouth—is evenly illuminated. Poorly designed masks or panels may leave the fold itself in a shadow created by the nose or cheek, which is a waste of exposure.

When I evaluate or specify fixtures for clinics, I look for consistent irradiance across the midface, not just bright zones over the forehead and cheeks. For at‑home users, that translates into choosing masks that wrap well around the nose and mouth, or panels that can be positioned close and perpendicular to the folds without being blocked.

How Often, How Long, And For How Many Weeks

There is no single universal protocol, but the studies and clinical guidance we do have point to a fairly tight range.

The Dior × Lucibel mask study used twelve‑minute sessions twice a week for three months. The German lamp trial delivered thirty sessions, typically twice weekly, with total per‑session energies around eight to ten J/cm² in the core red band. Consumer and med‑spa guidance collected by BSW Health and The Wellness Club Tampa often suggests ten to twenty minutes per session, two to three times per week, with visible changes emerging over several weeks to a few months.

A practical pattern that aligns with this evidence looks like this when written out as a narrative rather than as a rigid schedule. Most people who see genuine improvements have used a properly specified device on clean skin for roughly ten to twenty minutes per session, several times a week, over at least eight to twelve weeks. In the split‑face nasolabial trial, thirty sessions were needed before evaluation, which is consistent with that timeframe.

For established folds, it is wise to think in terms of seasons, not days. Allow a full three months of consistent, correctly dosed treatment before judging your personal response, and understand that ongoing maintenance—perhaps once or twice a week—is usually needed to preserve gains, just as ongoing sun protection is essential to avoid undoing them.

Positioning And Technique Around The Smile Lines

Because light follows geometry, attention to positioning pays off.

For masks, ensure the mask sits snugly over the midface so that the LEDs adjacent to the nose and upper lip are as close as the cheek LEDs. Most high‑quality masks are designed to be worn at a fixed short distance (often fractions of an inch) from the skin, which ensures adequate irradiance without overheating.

For panels or wands, treat the nasolabial fold like a narrow architectural feature that needs task lighting. The panel should face it directly, at the manufacturer’s recommended distance, without obstructions from the nose or cheek. If you are using a wand, move it slowly along the fold and the adjacent cheek rather than hovering exclusively over the line itself; this respects the fact that the fold is the interface between two larger soft‑tissue structures.

Always start on bare, cleansed skin. Several consumer‑oriented dermatology sources emphasize that makeup or physical sunscreens can block light penetration. Active serums are usually better applied after light therapy unless the manufacturer’s protocol or your dermatologist advises otherwise.

Making Red Light Work Harder: Skincare And Lifestyle

Light is only one part of the equation. The same Harvard Health and Michigan Medicine resources that detail structural aging also highlight simple habits that dramatically influence how folds evolve.

Sun protection remains the single most important daily action. Broad‑spectrum sunscreen, worn regularly, helps prevent ongoing collagen breakdown and pigment contrast that make nasolabial folds stand out. Red light therapy may help repair some photoaging, as shown in clinical LED studies where wrinkles, roughness, and blotchy pigmentation improved in sun‑damaged skin, but new UV damage will undercut any gains.

Evidence‑based topical care, especially prescription retinoids where appropriate, can complement red light by stimulating collagen and normalizing cell turnover from the surface. Retinoids themselves have proven benefits for fine wrinkles and sun spots, and when used judiciously under a dermatologist’s guidance, they can sit alongside light‑based therapies.

Lifestyle factors such as smoking cessation and weight management also matter. Michigan Medicine’s twin study underscores how smoking uniquely deepens nasolabial creases and jowls, even among twins with identical genes. No amount of red light can fully undo that pattern if the exposure continues.

Finally, internal factors—nutrition, sleep, and systemic inflammation—shape how well the skin responds to any remodeling stimulus. UCLA Health notes that red light therapy shows promise across several indications but remains an adjunct, not a replacement for foundational health habits.

Safety, Side Effects, And When To Be Cautious

One of the reasons dermatologists are increasingly comfortable recommending red light therapy is its safety profile when used correctly.

Cleveland Clinic, AARP, WebMD, and BSW Health all converge on similar points. Red light and near‑infrared LEDs used for skin rejuvenation are non‑invasive, do not emit ultraviolet radiation, and have not been linked to skin cancer. Short‑term side effects tend to be mild: temporary redness, slight swelling, warmth, or irritation in the treated area. In the German full‑body trial and the Dior × Lucibel mask study, no serious or delayed adverse events were reported.

That said, a few cautions matter, especially around the relatively thin skin of the midface.

Photosensitizing medications, including certain antibiotics and acne treatments, can make the skin more reactive to light. Multiple expert sources advise checking with a dermatologist or physician before starting red light therapy if you are on such medications, or if you have a history of skin cancer or significant pigment disorders.

The light used in consumer devices is generally not strong enough to damage the eyes, but because it is bright, most experts recommend wearing protective goggles, particularly for treatments near the nose and upper lip where light can leak toward the eyes.

People with darker skin tones may be more prone to hyperpigmentation or uneven tone if they develop post‑inflammatory responses. UCLA Health echoes guidance from dermatology associations that suggests consulting a dermatologist before using home devices on darker complexions, especially around areas prone to melasma or post‑inflammatory darkening.

Lastly, more is not always better. BSW Health notes that overuse or misuse of devices can irritate the skin and potentially blunt results. The Dior × Lucibel study explicitly used spacing of seventy‑two hours between sessions to respect cellular “recovery” time. Sticking to the manufacturer’s schedule, or your dermatologist’s customized protocol, is part of using LEDs like a calibrated therapeutic tool rather than a cosmetic gadget.

Quick FAQ On Red Light And Nasolabial Folds

Can red light therapy replace filler or surgery for deep nasolabial folds?

For deeply etched folds driven by significant volume loss and sagging, red light therapy is not a one‑for‑one replacement for fillers or surgery. Fillers physically lift and support the fold by adding volume where bone and fat have receded, and surgical lifts reposition tissue at a structural level. Red light improves the quality of the overlying skin by boosting collagen and elasticity, which can soften the fold and improve texture, but it will not fully erase a deep groove on its own. Many clinicians position it as a way to prepare the skin before structural procedures and to maintain results afterward.

How soon might I see changes along my smile lines?

Clinical studies give a reasonable timeline. In the Dior × Lucibel mask study, progressive improvements in wrinkles and firmness were seen over one to three months, with benefits persisting about a month after stopping. The split‑face nasolabial trial evaluated results one month after completing a thirty‑session course, which typically took several months. Consumer experiences summarized by dermatology centers and device makers often report subtle changes in glow and texture within a few weeks, with clearer softening of lines and folds after two to three months of consistent use. Think in terms of weeks to months, not days.

Is it safe to use an LED mask around the nose and upper lip regularly?

For most people, yes, provided the device is properly designed, cleared for facial use, and used according to instructions. Large clinical trials and health‑system reviews have not found serious safety issues with red light masks used on the midface. Still, you should patch‑test on a small area first, use eye protection, and talk with a dermatologist if you have photosensitizing medications, a history of skin cancer, or pigment disorders. If the skin around your folds becomes persistently red, sore, or darker, stop and seek professional advice.

Closing Thoughts From A Lighting-Centric View

When I evaluate a red light system, I approach your face the way I approach a lobby or a gallery wall: where does light land, how even is the wash, and what are we asking that light to do to the surface over time?

For established nasolabial folds, red light therapy is not a structural renovation, but it is very good architectural repainting. The best evidence suggests it can soften the crease, replenish some collagen, and make the skin that frames your smile look healthier and more resilient, especially when you pair it with sun protection and, where needed, judicious structural treatments. When you respect both the biology and the physics, an LED panel or mask becomes more than a trend; it becomes a finely tuned illumination tool that helps your face wear light—and time—a little more gracefully.

References

1. https://www.academia.edu/60501376/Intense_Pulsed_Light_and_Red_Light_Photo_Rejuvenation_for_Skin_Rejuvenation_A_Split_Face_Clinical_Trial
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-your-face-ages-and-what-you-can-do
3. https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1741&context=theses_open
4. https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3699&context=baylor_docs
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10311288/
6. https://llu.edu/academics/faculty/sasaki-gordon/publications
7. https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/02/red-light-therapy-skin-hair-medical-clinics.html
8. https://michigantoday.umich.edu/2019/07/18/facial-rejuvenation/
9. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22114-red-light-therapy
10. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/5-health-benefits-red-light-therapy