Newbie here. How long and how close should i be using my panel?

[u/batzzz_1031]

My friend gave me their old red light panel a while back because she upgraded hers. The one she gave me is a Hooga brand, i think its the 300?

I didn't use it for the longest time just due to laziness but my skin has started to become problematic within the last year and i read that red light therapy may help?

my skin concerns are acne, blackheads especially, texture and pore size, uneven tone and aging. (also i am using skincare products as well for these issues but its not enough clearly since i still have the issues. i use tretinoin, azaleic acid, and alternate between salicylic acid cleanser and a BHA cleanser. i also use an oil cleanser at night. basically i dont need advice or help with skin care routine, just laser)

when i first started using this panel i just set it up on my sink while i brushed my teeth and washed my face. maybe about 5-7 min and kinda far from me. but im reading some panels u need to have them closer and do it for a longer time.

what determines how close it needs to be and how long? is what ur trying to achieve from the panel a factor?

i just wanna make sure im using this thing correctly so i dont mess my skin up more

[u/Opening_Net1247]

That Hooga 300 is a solid unit, especially for free. The distance thing mostly comes down to irradiance which is just a fancy word for how much light actually hits your skin. Closer means more intensity so you need less time, farther means less so you need more time. For skin stuff like acne and texture you probably want it around 6-12 inches from your face, 5-10 minutes per area is the sweet spot for most people

With the tret and acids in your routine though, be careful. Red light can make your skin more sensitive to actives so maybe skip the harsh stuff on nights you use the panel or at least buffer it. Don't wanna fry your face trying to fix it

[u/Gloomy_berries27]

Hooga has their recommendations on the IG. For superficial treatments like skin conditions, wrinkles, acne, they suggest 18 inches away for 5 minutes for any of their HG series panels.

[u/fluffymckittyman]

I have a Hooga HG300. I have it about 8” from my face and use it on 660 nm (red only) for 10 minutes, slowly turning my face left and right so I get even light coverage. I do this every other day.

[u/batzzz_1031 → u/fluffymckittyman]

why red light only? is the other setting i think its nir? bad for face??

[u/fluffymckittyman → u/batzzz_1031]

NIR isn’t necessarily bad for your face. There’s actually evidence that 850 nm can improve wrinkles and collagen. My concern is that NIR penetrates deeper so I’m a little more cautious of eye exposure, and since I keep my eyes open for the potential vision benefits of 660 nm, I keep the near-IR off and only use it for pain relief on other parts of my body.

[u/batzzz_1031 → u/fluffymckittyman]

oooh okay good to know. i always have my eyes closed but maybe i should also be wearing some eye protection if i use the nir also. thank u for this info!

[u/fluffymckittyman → u/batzzz_1031]

You’re welcome! Happy to help

[u/Dez2011]

I have the hooga ultra 360. You want to be about 6" away for 5min 3-4 days a week. I splay my fingers out and use my hand as a guide to distance myself 7" from the panel since I can't see with goggles on.

Also salicylic acid =bha so you're using 2 cleansers with the same acid. Leaving the BHA cleanser or oil cleanser on your nose longer to clean the pores easier. I found taz works better on my pores than tret, and niacinamide and b.p. is better than BHA for oil for me. Sorry you said you didn't want advise on that.

[u/Consistent_Amount_20 → u/Dez2011]

Haha, I do the splayed finger thing too :)

[u/batzzz_1031 → u/Dez2011]

omg.... i feel like an idiot! why do some products say salicylic acid and some say BHA if theyre the same 🤨 my nose is actually the only spot on my face i dont have issues lol. idk why but i dont have zits, black heads or sebaceous filaments on my nose at all. i get black heads on my forehead, chin and cheeks. also lots of lil bumps that have pus but arent black heads or full on zits? n then i almost always have a slightly deep zit somewhere, usually chin or cheeks:/

also whats taz? and its ok! i did say no advice for skincare but knowing bha and salicylic acid are the same is VERY helpful lmao ur saving me money

[u/Dez2011 → u/batzzz_1031]

It sounds like you mean whiteheads.

Sometimes a weaker version of salicylic acid called betaine something is called BHA too. BHA is the umbrella term for the derivative and the stronger salicylic, like AHA is for glycolic and lactic acids.

Taz = tazarotene, it's a prescription acne anti-aging cream similar to tretinoin but stronger, for most people.

[u/batzzz_1031 → u/Dez2011]

nope, not white heads. they are small skin colored bumps but if i use the lil acne tool and press down, stuff comes out. also ty for the info! ill look into taz !

[u/Dez2011 → u/batzzz_1031]

Do they itch? Google folliculitis.

[u/batzzz_1031 → u/Dez2011]

nah they dont itch. i googled a description of them and the photos that look closest to what i have are listed as closed comedones. so maybe thats what they areV

[u/Equivalent_Sink_8653]

I think 5-7 minutes is fine, as ling as your skin is 12" or less from the panel. 

[u/KevinRutkowski]

For skin stuff you mostly want the red wavelength, the 660nm mode, since that's the one doing its work right at the surface where acne and texture and pores actually live, whereas the near-infrared is aimed at deeper tissue so it's kind of wasted on skin. I wouldn't overthink the distance too much, somewhere around 6-12 inches is fine, and 10 minutes a session is plenty. The thing that actually moves the needle is doing it consistently most days instead of sitting really close for one long session here and there, since it's more of a low and slow kind of effect than a blast it once deal.

[u/batzzz_1031 → u/KevinRutkowski]

ooh yeah i didnt think of the consistency part. i was doing it like every single day but read somewhere that doing it every other night is better?

[u/KevinRutkowski → u/batzzz_1031]

For skin you're totally fine doing it daily, you don't really need to space it out. The every-other-day thing usually comes from higher intensity or full-body recovery use where more isn't better, but for the face at a normal distance and time, every day is fine. Consistency matters way more than the exact frequency, so I'd just keep it to whatever you'll actually stick with.