The Science Behind ShimChingMD LED Therapy

The wavelengths used in Shim Ching MD LED devices are supported by 50+ peer-reviewed clinical studies on LED phototherapy and Photobiomodulation conducted at independent research institutions worldwide.

Red light (630-660nm): collagen, skin rejuvenation, wound healing

Wunsch A, Matuschka K. A controlled trial to determine the efficacy of red and near-infrared light treatment in patient satisfaction, reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness, and intradermal collagen density increase. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery. 2014;32(2):93-100.

Barolet D. Regulation of skin collagen metabolism in vitro using a pulsed 660 nm LED light source: clinical correlation with a single-blinded study. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2009;129(12):2751-2759.

Lee SY, et al. A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and split-face clinical study on LED phototherapy for skin rejuvenation. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B. 2007;88:51-67.

Russell BA, Kellett N, Reilly LR. A study to determine the efficacy of combination LED light therapy (633 nm and 830 nm) in facial skin rejuvenation. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy. 2005;7:196-200.

Bhat J, Birch J, Whitehurst C, Lanigan SW. A single-blinded randomized controlled study to determine the efficacy of Omnilux Revive facial treatment in skin rejuvenation. Lasers in Medical Science. 2005;20:6-10.

Baez F, Reilly LR. The use of light-emitting diode therapy in the treatment of photoaged skin. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2007;6:189-194.

Kim JW. Clinical trial of non-thermal 633nm LED array for renewal of photoaging: clinical surface profilometric results. Journal of the Korean Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. 2005;9:69-76.

Park SO, Jung JA. Clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LED/IRED light therapy masks for skin rejuvenation: a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study. Medicine. 2025;104(7).

Calderhead RG, Kubota J, Trelles MA, Ohshiro T. One mechanism behind LED phototherapy for wound healing and skin rejuvenation: key role of the mast cell. Laser Therapy. 2008;17(3):141-148.

Trelles MA, Allones I, Mayo E. Combined visible light and infrared LED therapy enhances wound healing after laser ablative resurfacing of photodamaged facial skin. Laser Therapy. 2005.

Takezaki S, Omi T, Sato S, Kawana S. Ultrastructural observations of human skin following irradiation with visible red light-emitting diodes: a preliminary in vivo report. Laser Therapy. 2005;14(4):153-160.

Trelles MA, Calderhead RG. Red light-emitting diode (LED) therapy-assisted healing improves results of Er:YAG laser ablation of plantar verrucae. Laser Therapy. 2005;14(4):179-183.

Kim JW, Lee JO, Calderhead RG. The improvement of hypertrophic scar and keloidal scar by combining drilling tiny pinholes with carbon dioxide laser and 830nm LED. Journal of the Korean Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. 2005;9:1-6.

Kim JW, Lee JO, Calderhead RG, Rhee CG, Ahn WS. Synergic effect of ablating erbium YAG laser skin resurfacing combined with non-ablating quasilaser light 415nm, 633nm, 830nm LED array in Asian patients. Journal of the Korean Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. 2005;9:15-23.

Minatel DG, Frade MA, Franca SC, Enwemeka CS. Phototherapy promotes healing of chronic diabetic leg ulcers that failed to respond to other therapies. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2009;41:433-441.

Ng JNC, Wanitphakdeedecha R, Yan C. Efficacy of home-use light-emitting diode device at 637 and 854-nm for facial rejuvenation: a split-face pilot study. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2020;19:2288-2294.

Near-infrared light (830-850nm): deep tissue repair, collagen, elastin

Li WH, Seo I, Kim B, Fassih A, Southall MD, Parsa R. Low-level red plus near infrared lights combination induces expressions of collagen and elastin in human skin in vitro. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2021;43:311-320.

Li WH, et al. Low-level red and infrared light increases expression of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid in skin. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2019;81(4):AB300.

Wang JY, Austin E, Jagdeo J. Near-infrared light does not induce DNA damage in human dermal fibroblasts. Journal of Biophotonics. 2023.

Wang JY, Austin E, Jagdeo J. Visible red light does not induce DNA damage in human dermal fibroblasts. Journal of Biophotonics. 2023.

Baxter GD, Bleakley C, Glasgow P, Calderhead RG. A near-infrared LED-based rehabilitation system: initial clinical experience. Laser Therapy. 2005;14(1):29-36.

Calderhead RG, Trelles MA. Combined infrared laser and LED therapy for post mastectomy pain and discomfort: a case report. Laser Therapy. 2006.

Blue light (415nm): acne treatment

Papageorgiou P, Katsambas A, Chu A. Phototherapy with blue (415 nm) and red (660 nm) light in the treatment of acne vulgaris. British Journal of Dermatology. 2000;142(5):973-978.

Goldberg DJ, Russell BA. Combination blue (415 nm) and red (633 nm) LED phototherapy in the treatment of mild to severe acne vulgaris. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy. 2006;8:71-75.

Morton CA, Scholefield RD, Whitehurst C, Birch J. An open study to determine the efficacy of blue light in the treatment of mild to moderate acne. Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2005;16:219-223.

Tremblay JF, Sire DJ, Lowe NJ, Moy RL. Light-emitting diode 415 nm in the treatment of inflammatory acne: an open-label, multicentric, pilot investigation. Journal of Cosmetic Laser Therapy. 2006;8(1):31-33.

Lee SY, You CE, Park MY. Blue and red light combination LED phototherapy for acne vulgaris in patients with skin phototype IV. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2007;39(2):180-188.

Sadick NS. A study to determine the effect of combination blue (415 nm) and near-infrared (830 nm) LED therapy for moderate acne vulgaris. Journal of Cosmetic Laser Therapy. 2009;11(2):125-128.

Kwon HH, Lee JB, Yoon JY, et al. The clinical and histological effect of home-use, combination blue-red LED phototherapy for mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris in Korean patients: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Dermatology. 2013;168(5):1088-1094.

Li J, Li J, Zhang L, et al. Comparison of red light and blue light therapies for mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized controlled clinical study. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology and Photomedicine. 2022;38(5):459-464.

Ammad S, Gonzales M, Edwards C, Finlay AY, Mills C. An assessment of the efficacy of blue light phototherapy in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2008;7(3):180-188.

Ablon G. A 7-week, open-label study evaluating the efficacy and safety of 415-nm/633-nm phototherapy for treating mild-to-moderate acne in adolescents and adults. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2025;18(10):25-32.

Ashkenazi H, Malik Z, Harth Y, Nitzan Y. Eradication of Propionibacterium acnes by its endogenic porphyrins after illumination with high intensity blue light. FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology. 2003;35(1):17-24.

Kawada A, Aragane Y, Kameyama H, Sangen Y, Tezuka T. Acne phototherapy with a high-intensity, enhanced, narrow-band, blue light source: an open study and in vitro investigation. Journal of Dermatological Science. 2002;30(2):129-135.

Elman M, Slatkine M, Harth Y. The effective treatment of acne vulgaris by a high-intensity, narrow band 405-420 nm light source. Journal of Cosmetic Laser Therapy. 2003;5:111-117.

Wheeland RG, Dhawan S. Evaluation of self-treatment of mild-to-moderate facial acne with a blue light treatment system. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2011;10:596-602.

Noborio R, Nishida E, Kurokawa M, Morita A. A new targeted blue light phototherapy for the treatment of acne. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology and Photomedicine. 2007;23:32-34.

Shnitkind E, Yaping E, Geen S, Shalita AR, Lee WL. Anti-inflammatory properties of narrow-band blue light. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2006;5:605-610.

Yellow light (590nm): inflammation, redness, skin tone

Liu LH, Fan X, An YX, et al. Randomized trial of three phototherapy methods for the treatment of acne vulgaris in Chinese patients. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology and Photomedicine. 2014;30:246-253.

Calderhead RG. The photobiological basics behind light-emitting diode (LED) phototherapy. Laser Therapy. 2007;16(2):97-108.

Wound healing and post-procedure recovery

Trelles MA, Calderhead RG. Red light-emitting diode (LED) therapy-assisted healing improves results of Er:YAG laser ablation of plantar verrucae. Laser Therapy. 2005;14(4):179-183.

Minatel DG, Frade MA, Franca SC, Enwemeka CS. Phototherapy promotes healing of chronic diabetic leg ulcers that failed to respond to other therapies. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2009;41:433-441.

Calderhead RG. One mechanism behind LED phototherapy for wound healing and skin rejuvenation: key role of the mast cell. Laser Therapy. 2008;17(3):141-148.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Ngoc LTN, et al. Utilization of light-emitting diodes for skin therapy: systematic review and meta-analysis. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology and Photomedicine. 2023;39(3):211-231.

Barbaric J, Abbott R, Posadzki P, et al. Light therapies for acne. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016;9:CD007917.

Hamilton FL, Car J, Lyons C, Car M, Layton A, Majeed A. Laser and other light therapies for the treatment of acne vulgaris: systematic review. British Journal of Dermatology. 2009;160:1273-1285.

Scott JF, et al. Blue-light therapy for acne vulgaris: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Family Medicine. 2019;17(6):545-553.

Opel DR, et al. Light-emitting diodes: a brief review and clinical experience. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2015;8(6):36-44.

Ablon G. Phototherapy with light-emitting diodes: treating a broad range of medical and aesthetic conditions in dermatology. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2018;11(2):21-27.

Calderhead RG. Photobiological basics of photomedicine: a work of art still in progress. Medical Laser. 2017;6(2):45-57.

Mosca RC, et al. Unlocking the power of light on the skin: a comprehensive review on photobiomodulation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024;25(8):4483.

Safety Studies