The science
Fine lines are a structural change. Understanding why is the fastest route to understanding what red light can and cannot do about them.
Collagen is the protein that gives skin its density, and elastin is what lets it return to shape. Both are produced by fibroblasts living in the dermis, the layer beneath the surface you can see.
From the mid-twenties onward, fibroblast output falls by roughly one percent a year. The dermis thins, loses its scaffolding, and the skin above begins to fold along the lines your expressions use most. Those folds stop springing back. That is a wrinkle.
Anything applied to the surface is working several layers above where the problem is. That is not a criticism of skincare, it is a description of where it can reach.
Mechanism
01
Red light at 630 and 660 nanometres passes through the epidermis and is absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase, an enzyme in the energy-producing structures of the cell.
02
That absorption increases the cell's available energy. Fibroblasts are metabolically expensive cells, and collagen synthesis is one of the first things they scale back when energy is short.
03
With more energy available, fibroblasts increase production of collagen and elastin. Dermal density rises, and the skin above regains some of its ability to resist and recover from folding.
The evidence
These are independent studies of red light on facial skin, not minara’s own. They are cited because the wavelengths and protocols overlap with ours, and because you should be able to check the claims yourself.
01
Twenty women used a 630 nm device delivering 15.6 J/cm² for twelve minutes, twice weekly. Ultrasound measured dermal density rising 26.4% at 28 days, 41% at 56 days and 47.7% at 84 days. Crow's feet depth fell 38.3% and surface roughness 23.8% over the same period. Measurements taken 14 and 28 days after treatment stopped showed the gains held.
Couturaud V, Le Fur M, Pelletier M, Granotier F. Reverse skin aging signs by red light photobiomodulation. Skin Research and Technology, 2023. [doi:10.1111/srt.13391]02
A randomised controlled trial of 136 volunteers across four groups, treated twice weekly for 30 sessions. Outcomes were measured by blinded evaluation of clinical photography, ultrasonographic collagen density and computerised digital profilometry. Treated groups showed significant improvement in complexion, skin roughness and intradermal collagen density against controls.
Wunsch A, Matuschka K. A controlled trial to determine the efficacy of red and near-infrared light treatment. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, 2014;32(2):93–100. [PMID 24286286]03
A multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial of a home-use 630 nm and 850 nm device over sixteen weeks. Neither participants nor the independent raters scoring the photographs knew which device was active. Independent raters recorded improvement in 86.2% of the treated group, against the sham control.
Park J, et al. Clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a home-used LED and IRED mask for crow's feet: a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study. 2025. [PMC11835066]04
Pulsed 660 nm light applied to tissue-engineered human skin raised type-1 procollagen production by 31%, with the laboratory finding carried through to a single-blinded split-face clinical study where each participant served as their own control.
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. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2009;129(12):2751–2759. [J Invest Dermatol 2009]These trials trialled other manufacturers’ devices. They are evidence for the mechanism and for the wavelength range minara operates in. They are not measurements of the minara panel, and the figures above should not be read as results you will obtain from it.
Our own results
Photographed under fixed lighting, at a fixed distance, without retouching. Published here once our own participants complete the full protocol. We would rather show you nothing than show you somebody else’s face.
Results vary between individuals. Published protocols generally run two to five sessions per week across eight to twelve weeks before a visible difference is recorded.
Why these wavelengths
630 nm
Surface and upper dermis. The band most closely associated with tone, texture and collagen activity.
660 nm
Reaches the fibroblast layer directly. The most studied wavelength for skin outcomes.
810 nm
Deep soft tissue. Where the recovery and inflammation literature concentrates.
850 nm
Denser tissue and joints, beyond the reach of visible red.
940 nm
Extends the delivered spectrum with gentle thermal effect at depth.
1060 nm
The panel's upper boundary. Broadens coverage rather than concentrating it.
Red light therapy is a wellness practice, not a medical treatment. minara is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition. Speak with a healthcare professional about your own circumstances.