Dosage Estimator³

This goal mirrors the gentle, frequently used doses from LED facial rejuvenation protocols. Clinical LED face studies using 633 nm and 830 nm often sit in the tens of J/cm² per session, with good safety for repeated use and gradual improvements in wrinkles, elasticity and texture.

Supported by LED facial studies and reviews:

• Split-face LED RCT using 633 nm and 830 nm showed significant wrinkle reduction and increased elasticity with repeated low-level sessions (Lee et al., 2007).
  
• Red + NIR facial LED treatment improved fine lines, roughness and collagen density in a controlled trial (Wunsch & Matuschka, 2014).
  
• Reviews of LED-LLLT for the aging face summarise non-ablative, low-fluence LED protocols as effective and well tolerated (Calderhead & Vasily, 2016).
  

Best for: Daily / frequent facial use, glow, tone, mild pigmentation, fine lines.

This sits around the middle of the “effective window” for both skin rejuvenation and musculoskeletal recovery, assuming ~1:1 red:NIR (≈30 J/cm² each).

Supported by PBM research:

• 830 nm LED phototherapy around 60 J/cm² per injury reduced pain and significantly shortened return-to-play time in injured university athletes (Foley et al., 2016).
  
• Biphasic dose-response review shows many successful deep-tissue protocols in roughly the 10–60 J/cm² range, with reduced benefit at much higher doses (Huang & Hamblin, 2009).
  
• Facial LED rejuvenation studies using red/NIR also cluster in the 20–60 J/cm² session range with meaningful cosmetic improvements (Lee et al., 2007; Wunsch & Matuschka, 2014).
  

Best for: Combined skin anti-ageing + muscle recovery, tendons, “feel it working” sessions without going into extreme high-dose territory.

This goal is modelled on high-fluence clinic-style protocols, mainly for short courses rather than daily use.

Supported by high-fluence LED trials:

• Combination 633 nm (≈126 J/cm²) + 830 nm (≈66 J/cm²) LED therapy significantly improved wrinkles, elasticity and skin roughness in a facial rejuvenation trial (Russell et al., 2005).
  
• Red + NIR LED protocols in similar ranges have shown improvements in photoaged skin and dermal collagen (Wunsch & Matuschka, 2014).
  

Best for: Short, targeted programs for stubborn wrinkles, deeper photoageing or thicker tissue.

Not something to run daily on the face.

A low, frequent-use dose for maintenance, glow and subtle repair.

Supported by tissue-repair and PBM dose data:

• Meta-analysis of LLLT for wound repair found beneficial effects mostly at relatively low fluences, with clear evidence that over-dosing is less effective (Woodruff et al., 2004).
  
• Biphasic dose discussions emphasise that surface tissues often respond best to modest doses, not extremely high ones (Huang & Hamblin, 2009).
  

Best for: Frequent “skin health” sessions: glow, fine lines, mild tone/pigmentation support.

This is chosen to mirror landmark scalp hair studies.

Supported by androgenetic alopecia research:

• RCT in males with AGA using 655 nm lasers/LEDs showed a ~35% increase in hair counts vs placebo after 16 weeks, with fluences in the ~60–70 J/cm² range per session (Lanzafame et al., 2013).
  
• Systematic review of LLLT for AGA summarises multiple trials with effective doses around 60–100 J/cm², delivered with combs, caps and helmet devices (Pillai & Mysore, 2021).
  

Best for: Scalp-focused sessions for hair regrowth and density support.

This is aligned with the red component of a major facial rejuvenation trial.

Supported by high-fluence red LED:

• Combination protocol delivering 126 J/cm² at 633 nm plus 66 J/cm² at 830 nm improved wrinkles and skin elasticity in photoaged facial skin (Russell et al., 2005).
  

Best for: Short, time-limited programs targeting photoaging, coarse wrinkles and more resistant skin changes, especially when combined with NIR sessions.

A well-supported “workhorse” dose for deeper tissue.

Supported by deep-tissue PBM studies:

• 830 nm LED used around 60 J/cm² per injured area reduced pain and return-to-play time in athletes with soft-tissue injuries (Foley et al., 2016).
  
• 830 nm LED system delivering ~60 J/cm² per session has also been used to accelerate healing in various acute and infected wounds, with good safety (Min et al., 2013).
  
• Dose–response review highlights 30–60 J/cm² as a common effective window for deeper tissues before the “too much” zone (Huang & Hamblin, 2009).
  

Best for: Muscle recovery, tendons, joints, inflammatory soft tissue, and deeper-target NIR sessions.

This reflects the upper end of what’s been explored in some nerve/muscle and rehab-style PBM protocols. Evidence here is more mixed, and it clearly sits near the top of the biphasic curve.

Supported (cautiously) by higher-dose PBM literature:

• Reviews of LLLT in sports and rehab note that some trials have used higher-fluence NIR (100+ J/cm²) for large muscle groups, with benefits in certain settings but also a real risk of diminished or reversed benefit at very high doses (Mussttaf et al., 2019).
  
• Biphasic dose-response analysis emphasises that once you pass the “optimal window”, more energy can give less benefit, especially for repeated treatments (Huang & Hamblin, 2009).
  

Best for: Short-term programs on large muscle groups for experienced users who specifically want to push toward high fluences – not a default or daily setting.

This mirrors the NIR part of the well-known combined facial rejuvenation study.

Supported by red+NIR facial LED research:

• The Russell protocol used ~66 J/cm² at 830 nm plus 126 J/cm² at 633 nm, with significant improvements in wrinkles, roughness and elasticity (Russell et al., 2005).
  
• This provides a template for pairing a NIR-only session (~66 J/cm²) with a high-dose red-only session (~126 J/cm²) when you want to emulate that clinic-style protocol using separate modes.
  

Best for: Advanced skin programs where you pair NIR-only and Red-only sessions to emulate clinic-style red+NIR protocols.