I think most of you know by now that it takes some real proof (and a ton of research on my part) for me to get excited about a device, especially an LED device that isn’t Celluma! I’m so sick of low-quality products that make false promises. If you are as well, read on! If you just want to buy one now, click here!
I was recently contacted by a medical device company, Azure Medical Technologies, that was founded by an aerospace engineer who has a deep desire to engineer and design only true medical-grade light therapy products using only the latest and highest quality electro-optic components. He has reverse-engineered dozens of hand-held LED devices that would shock you with their simplicity, lack of quality componentry and lack of efficacy. His frustration with the lack of quality in these devices led to the creation of Azure Medical Technologies, and the manufacture of two (and soon to be three) medical quality, OTC LED Photo Therapy Devices.
Of particular interest to me is a hand-held device called the Radiance. The Radiance is a US FDA 510K OTC cleared collagen regenerating super-intense LED Photo Therapy device for the reduction of all types of facial wrinkles. The Radiance offers a 3-minute treatment time per 3-inch long area, 5 days a week for 2 months. It is gentle and safe for in-home clinical level treatments and can also be used in your clinic if you’re unable to afford a larger LED panel. It is cordless, rechargeable, and sleek, making it an extremely attractive at-home option for you to retail to your clients! And no, this doesn’t mean they won’t come to you for treatments!!! It just means they’ll get faster results, and will recommend that their friends go to see you because you’re OBVIOUSLY the expert!!!
But, I digress…. Back to why the Radiance is so amazing!
It’s because of science. Real science. Peer-reviewed science. Not the false and inflated claims of some handheld devices. We have purchased and tested many of the popular hand-held LED devices that are available. Some are ‘ok’, but nothing compares to the workmanship and quality of the Radiance. They proved this by testing several measurable variables with NIST certified laboratory equipment.
*NIST = National Institute of Standards and Technology, a US Government agency within the Commerce Department.
One of the measures that was performed was to compare the optical power output of several of the hand-held devices on the market, which is measured as a standardized unit of Watts / cm2. (Watts is a measure of power, and Joules are a measure of the rate of energy delivery. 1 Watt = 1 Joule/second. The minimum ‘clinical’ dose of light therapy is 65 milliwatts/cm2 of irradiated power.)
The results of these optical reports are summarized in Table 1 below. Please note that none of the measured devices, with the exception of the Azure Radiance, met the minimum clinical dose, EVEN THOUGH THEIR FDA 510K DOCUMENTATION FOR ALL OF THESE DEVICES STATE THAT THEY HAVE A POWER OUTPUT OF 65 milliwatts/cm2!!! (Check out an example of the documentation below!)
| Device Name | Cost | FDA cleared? | Power | Warranty |
| Radiance by Azure Med Tech | $299 | Yes | Minimum of 2.5 x the power of the highest device listed | 1 year, register online for an additional 1 year |
| Serious Skincare / DPL nuve | $199 | Yes | 48.97 milliwatts/cm2 | 1 year |
| Baby Quasar Plus | $249 | Yes | 46.73 milliwatts/cm2 | Limited Lifetime |
| NuFace Trinity w/ LED attachment | $474 | Yes | 15.52 milliwatts/cm2 | 1 year, additional year available for purchase |
| Lightstim AALS | $249 | Yes | 12.33 milliwatts/cm2 | 5 year |
| My Skin Buddy | $265 | No | .030 milliwatts/cm2 | ‘Happiness guarantee’ |
You know what I said when I started reading this information? Wow… just… Wow. I am blown away by the power output of the Radiance, and very dismayed by the deception of the other handheld companies on the market!
Moving on…
Another measurement of importance is the pattern of intensity along the treatment head. In order for the device to be maximally effective, the intensity of the device should be a uniform, tightly controlled emission of light under the dermis. The light has GOT to get through the dermis, and it has GOT to be uniform! If it isn’t, you won’t get the results that you SHOULD be getting in a handheld device!
Notice that in all of the other devices the energy output is spotty and scattered, and in some cases is it basically non-existent! You may as well rig a car taillight up to a battery and hold that up against your client’s face!! (yeah, don’t do that….)
Honestly, I am so sick and tired of manufacturers (and distributors) taking advantage of the difficulty the general public (and even estheticians) have in understanding why a device is efficacious (or not, as the case may be) and making wild claims without scientifically proven results that are published in a peer-reviewed journal. I have been researching the Radiance for 3 months now, and I am impressed. Very impressed. Is this going to replace my Celluma panel? No, not even remotely. I don’t have the patience (or the shoulder strength) to perform handheld treatments, but this is such an amazing way to get LED into the hands of your clients. An LED device that actually works, and has REAL SCIENCE to back that up! I will DEFINITELY be using mine on my commute to and from work!
The Radiance offers 4 distinct wavelengths in the red and infrared spectrum of light, 605 nm, 633 nm, 660 nm, and 830 nm. Infrared LED promotes collagen and elastin production for improved skin firmness, improves dermal oxygenation and detoxification, and stimulates tissue renewal, leaving skin with better tone and texture. Red LED also promotes elastin and collagen production, as well as decreases skin redness and inflammation, and increases microcirculation, stimulates tissue renewal, leaving skin with better tone and texture, and normalizes dermal oil production, which assists in helping pores appear more refined and smaller in size. All of these claims are well-founded and have been demonstrated in numerous peer-reviewed clinical studies that have been published in medical and scientific journals.
Another important comparison that I was shown was what some of the popular hand-held devices on the market look like on the inside, showing the interior componentry. OH MY HELL!!! One device even includes a metal bar inside so as to make the device ‘feel’ more substantial than it really was!!!! This is such an embarrassment to our industry, and I was shocked as this is a well respected ‘name brand’ that is VERY popular as a handheld skincare device!
There are numerous other ways in which this device outperforms EVERY SINGLE HANDHELD DEVICE on the market, but just suffice to say, this device does what it says it will do, and in a short amount of time. Period.
The MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for the Radiance is $179. There is also a smaller device, the Orion, for sale at $139. The treatment head of the Orion is 1/2″ smaller in diameter than the Radiance.
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