The Light Salon's Boost LED Collar helped reduce my rough neck texture and tighten the area overall. (Jennifer Romolini/Yahoo)
Last month, I caught a glimpse of my 51-year-old neck at an unflattering angle, and it made me feel, to steal a term from Nora Ephron, well, bad. There's no other way to say this but my neck looked old — crepey, saggy and extra wrinkly. I'd slacked off on skin care during the holidays, and it showed: My neck suddenly seemed particularly reptilian, like it was aging at warp speed.
The skin on our necks is thinner and more delicate than the skin on our face and loses collagen faster, which is why aging is more noticeable here than, say, our cheeks. I'm a beauty editor, and I've known for years that I need to maintain a serious skin-care regimen to keep my neck supple, soft and tight. While there's little I can do (outside of surgery) to fight gravity and "tech neck" lines, I've found I can improve my neck's look and texture with the right products and devices. One such device? My trusty Light Salon Boost LED Collar, on sale for $125 — the lowest price I've ever seen.
Though most commonly used on the neck, this light-therapy collar can help firm up the forehead and the decolleté too.
You rarely see any significant sale on at-home LED devices. They're expensive in part because (when designed thoughtfully) they actually work. At $125, this collar is an unheard of 50% off, and we all know that sum is a drop in the bucket compared with going under the knife.
I've tested a lot of LED devices. While my favorite light-therapy mask comes from Omnilux, The Light Salon makes the best anti-aging neck booster I've tried. Three weeks ago, I started using The Light Salon's Boost LED Collar again every night for 10 minutes. The difference is subtle but profound: The crepey texture of my neck is smoother, and the sagginess under my chin has visibly tightened. Plus, the flexible design means I can use the collar on other spots, like my forehead or decolleté.
Clinical studies have shown that red light therapy can rejuvenate older skin by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin and softening fine lines and wrinkles. After nearly 10 months of testing a variety of LED masks and collars last year, I can say that the best devices I tried delivered all of the above. "[LED light] therapy is non-invasive and leverages the natural healing and regenerative processes of the skin," confirms Dr. Melanie Palm, a board certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in San Diego.
LED devices come in a variety of light colors, though the most common are blue and red. Red light, as found in The Light Salon's collar, is the most effective for anti-aging skin care — as it improves skin elasticity and bounciness and reduces the appearance of lines.
Customers agreed that this collar helped brighten and tighten their skin, and they especially loved the versatility.
"I am really impressed with the quality of this product! It is made so well and is simple to use. Plus, it only takes 10 minutes!" said one happy shopper.
"Best product I've purchased in years," wrote another. "Two things to say about this product. 1) My skin is visibly plumper, less discoloration in my skin and my pores have reduced! Happy days! 2) I find this so relaxing, it helps me [de-stress] and lulls me to sleep. I use it at bedtime as the perfect way to fall asleep. Cannot recommend this product highly enough. It's also very versatile: I use it on my face, neck, scalp and décolletage."
One user consulted her own before-and-after photos to judge the device's efficacy: "After two and a half months, the lines were gone. The before-and-after pictures were really exciting because I could see the difference. I'm thrilled with my results. So easy to use first thing in the morning."
Some found fault with the battery charge time and unwieldy or broken cords (FWIW, I did not have an issue with either) while others thought the device was too expensive.
"Cord broke within days after purchase," grumbled one user. "It was an expensive purchase to not be able to use after two weeks."
"The face mask is wonderful and I notice that my skin looks bright and healthy, BUT the lithium battery does not function properly," echoed another. "I've had three batteries in three months to the tune of $150 extra and all of them stopped charging. The product itself is great but unusable because of the controller."
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.