Walk into the LED skincare space in 2026 and you will notice a new number appearing on product pages: 1072nm. Marketed as deep near-infrared, it promises greater tissue penetration than conventional near-infrared wavelengths. But science-led beauty company Maysama is raising a question the industry has largely avoided: if water absorbs a significant proportion of 1072nm light before it reaches its cellular targets, does the depth advantage actually materialise in practice?
A Wavelength With Genuine Promise and a Known Problem
The interest in 1072nm is not unfounded. Longer near-infrared wavelengths do penetrate tissue more deeply in theoretical optical models, and early research has identified potential anti-inflammatory effects and collagen-stimulating activity. One commercially available device for men incorporated 1072nm specifically on the rationale that it might better traverse the thicker epidermis characteristic of male skin. The concept is logical.
The problem is water. Bulk water, which makes up a large proportion of human tissue, has a pronounced absorption peak at approximately 980nm, and above 1000nm, its absorption of light energy increases steeply. At 1072nm, a meaningful share of the light energy entering skin is absorbed by water molecules and converted to heat, rather than reaching the mitochondrial targets, primarily the enzyme Cytochrome C Oxidase, that drive photobiological response.
The Physics of Absorption vs. The Promise of Penetration
There is a critical distinction that rarely surfaces in product marketing: structural penetration depth and effective biological penetration are different quantities. A wavelength can travel deeply through tissue while delivering diminishing useful energy, if that energy is progressively absorbed by non-target chromophores along the route.
A 2025 study by Zhang et al. on transcranial photobiomodulation put numbers to this distinction. Measuring actual penetration depths across wavelengths, the study found that 810nm near-infrared reached 7cm through tissue, while 980nm and 1064nm, the wavelengths most comparable to 1072nm, reached only approximately 5cm. The shorter, more biologically efficient wavelength outperformed the longer ones in real-world conditions, contrary to what optical theory alone would predict.
The caveat is important: this was transcranial research, not facial skin research, and the tissue profiles differ. But the water absorption physics underlying the result is not tissue-specific; it is a property of the wavelength itself.
So, Why 1072nm Entered the Market?
Part of the explanation for 1072nm's rise is commercial rather than clinical. LEDs at this wavelength have been cost-effective and accessible for laboratory use for some years, which helped fuel early academic interest, including early studies on applications such as herpes simplex management. That body of exploratory research has, in turn, given brands a foundation on which to build positioning claims. It is not dishonest; it is how technology markets often develop. But it is worth consumers understanding the sequence: availability drove research, and research is now being used to justify adoption, not the other way around. Is this the tail wagging the proverbial dog?
Where the Evidence Currently Sits
For facial applications targeting the upper dermis, where collagen remodelling, fibroblast activity, and pigmentation all occur, the wavelengths with the deepest evidence base remain 810–850nm. Decades of peer-reviewed research map their biological mechanism clearly, their safety profile is well characterised, and comparative penetration data now suggests they outperform longer wavelengths under real tissue conditions.
1072nm research is at an earlier stage, and the comparative efficacy data with and without the wavelength remains limited. One commercially available mask study demonstrating skin rejuvenation included 1072nm but lacked a control group without it, meaning its specific contribution to the result cannot be confirmed.
A Different Approach to Penetration
Maysama's AURA LED Face Mask takes a different approach to the penetration question. Rather than extending wavelength to drive light deeper, the device uses Intelligent Micro-pulsing Technology (IMPT) to increase peak power during the active phase of pulsed light delivery, compensating for the off-periods while maintaining equivalent total energy dose. AURA's pulsed light delivers a peak power of 46mW/cm² compared to 26mW/cm² for continuous wave, while both deliver the same energy dose of 6 J/cm² over a six-minute treatment. Higher peak power enhances photon density at depth, without the need to move into wavelength territory where water absorption becomes a limiting factor.
Quote
"The question of how light reaches deeper tissues is one of the most important — and least transparently communicated — topics in this category. There are multiple routes to better penetration, and not all of them involve going to longer wavelengths. We think consumers deserve to understand the trade-offs, and the science exists to inform them."
Bev May - Maysama Founder
About Maysama
Maysama is a science-led beauty technology company specialising in clinically-informed LED light therapy devices for home use. Maysama's latest AURA LED Face Mask incorporates Intelligent Micro-pulsing Technology (IMPT), designed to optimise cellular light response through precision-engineered pulse structures and a 3D-contoured fit developed using AI facial geometry data. Maysama does not make clinical outcome claims; all product science is grounded in peer-reviewed photobiomodulation research.
Media Contact
Press enquiries: Claudia@maysama.com
For scientific background and supporting references, please contact the Maysama science team directly.
