Which is better, panel or mask?

It is hard to say that one is superior to the other because it is very much a lifestyle choice. The best device is the one that you are going to use consistently!

Many people believe that panels are better because they offer higher dosing, but this is not necessarily relevant to skin rejuvenation. The irradiance (power density) of Maysama’s Pulse40 LED panel is over 200mw/cm2 at 3 inches, relative to 40-45mw/cm2 with Maysama’s PRANA LED Mask. There is an optimal dosing window for healing and biostimulation, of 2-10 joules/cm2. To fall within this window with our Pulse40 panel, it is necessary to sit at a distance of 9-12 inches away, rather than close up to the panel. With the mask, it is automatically achieved within the 6 minute treatment time. The message here is that, when it comes to treating superficial tissue, less is definitely more. 

Understanding that optimal dosing can be achieved with either panel or mask, where does that leave us?  

For me, the main benefit of the panel is the convenience of treating face, neck and decollete in one hit.  I prefer panel over mask, but that is because I have rosacea and I'm not a fan of things touching my skin! But, as I travel a lot, I love that I can pack my PRANA LED mask with me every time!

Many of our brand partners, on the other hand, prefer Maysama's PRANA LED mask over our LED panel, because they love the versatility of using a mask, whilst they make dinner for the kids, iron or watch TV!

From a development point of view, our PRANA mask gives us more versatility to include additional wavelengths, which may bring some benefit, but this is not proven. I believe the benefits of additional wavelengths, relative to the importance of pulsed light, are marginal gains.

Our mask also includes magenta (red + blue) which is advantageous for those who may have acne or want to share their mask with their teenage kids!

Regarding pulsing,  which brings the benefits of ;

• improved skincare absorption
• accelerated cell regeneration
• upregulated ATP production (more than static red light)
• mitigating free radical build up / reduced oxidative stress
• better skin penetration

The pulse light frequencies differ between panel and mask, with the panel offering lower frequencies of 10, 20 and 30 Hz and the mask offering 100Hz.  There is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that one frequency is necessarily better than another (medical studies support all pulsed light frequencies promote the above benefits) but we chose the higher frequency for the mask as this is invisible to the naked eye, which we believe is better suited to mask wearers, as the LEDs are directly situated next to the eyes. If you have both Maysama’s panel and mask, you will have the benefit of wider pulse frequencies, which may bring additional biostimulatory benefits, in the same way that some of us may respond better to additional wavelengths. 

We recommend wearing goggles with pulsed light, as whilst rare, some people can be sensitive to 'flicker vertigo' which can cause disorientation. However, whilst this is important with our Pulse40 panel because of the higher light intensity, it is not so important with our PRANA LED mask because of the higher pulse frequency and because the LED light is not directed into the retina. 

Maysama’s Pulse40 LED Panel also offers the versatility of using it for applications other than skin rejuvenation, such as pain relief and muscle recovery.  Pulsed LED light will bring you the benefit of deeper light penetration for these applications. Red plus near infrared is the desired setting for these applications.

Choosing one or the other is a little bit like asking me to choose my favourite child, which is impossible, so I would encourage you to make the best comparison you can with the information provided and decide if the mask offers you sufficient additional versatility/benefits to justify an additional purchase.  

Benefits

Our LED mask fixes a lot of the issues with other LED masks which our customers requested, so we believe it is the best value LED mask on the market. 

• mouth area is covered - to treat lips simultaneously
• 3 in 1 treatment modes: red only, red + near infrared and magenta (red + blue) - for anti-aging and to treat blemishes/ acne. Red only mode suitable for individuals sensitive to melasma/pigmentation
• pulsed light technology - improves uptake of skincare / increases collagen production
• smart controller - select mode, pulsing and treatment time
• supersoft silicone and double straps - comfortable to wear

If you are still in doubt, please read this blog; https://maysama.com/blogs/news/which-is-better-led-mask-or-led-panel