You may have come across the term biphasic dose response when looking into red light therapy. It sounds technical, but the idea behind it is fairly simple: the amount of light you receive can affect the response your skin has to it.
Understanding this can help explain why dose matters when it comes to red light therapy.
What is biphasic dose response?
A biphasic dose response describes the relationship between the dose of a treatment and the biological response it produces. Simply put, there’s a sweet spot where increasing the dose can increase the response. Once you go beyond that point, the response can start to level off or even decrease. This is the principle behind the biphasic dose response in red light therapy. Too little light won’t produce results, but too much can limit them, or even harm the skin.
The biphasic dose response curve
As the dose of light increases, the response rises and reaches a peak, before declining. The first part of the curve is the stimulation phase, and the second is the inhibition phase.
What this means for red light therapy and your skin
Dose matters when it comes to red light therapy, and there are several factors that can influence the dose your skin receives:
- Wavelength: Different wavelengths penetrate the skin to different depths with different effects.
- Irradiance: The amount of light energy delivered to a given area, measured in mW/cm².
- Exposure time: How long your skin is exposed to the light.
- Frequency: How often you use your device.
- Your biology: Everyone responds to light differently.
That’s a lot to consider when you’re trying to figure out how much light your skin needs.
This is why at-home LED masks and other LED therapy devices are designed with specific wavelengths and recommended session times. The amount of light you receive matters just as much as the light itself.
If you're unsure how much red light therapy you should be using, we've covered what can happen when the dose is too high in our guide to whether you can do too much red light therapy.
Getting your dose right
Knowing that more light isn't always better is one thing. But figuring out exactly how much light you need can be a little more complicated. That's where MyDose™ comes in.
MyDose™ is our unique app-connected technology, only available with the CurrentBody Series 3 LED Red Light Therapy Face Mask and LED Neck & Décolletage Mask. It gives you control over every LED, across six clinically proven wavelengths.
Simply choose the wavelengths that match your skin concerns and goals, and MyDose™ automatically calculates the most effective dose for you. You can even build, save and share personalised treatments in the app, giving you more control over how you use your LED device.
More light doesn't necessarily mean better results. MyDose™ helps make sure you're getting the right light, at the right dose, for your skin.
