1072nm, Water Absorption and the Search for Deeper LED Penetration
If you’ve been following developments in LED light therapy, you may have noticed a new wavelength appearing on product pages: 1072nm.
Often described as “deep near-infrared”, 1072nm is being positioned for its potential to penetrate further into tissue than more commonly used near-infrared wavelengths such as 810nm, 830nm and 850nm. This interpretation is based on established optical models, which suggest that longer wavelengths may travel deeper into biological tissue under idealised conditions.
However, in practical biological systems, additional factors come into play.
At Maysama, we believe it’s important to consider not only theoretical penetration, but also how effectively light energy is delivered to biological targets within living tissue.
Why 1072nm Has Attracted Attention
The interest in 1072nm appears to be grounded in a combination of theoretical modelling and early exploratory research.
Some optical models suggest that longer near-infrared wavelengths may achieve greater penetration depth. In addition, early-stage studies have investigated potential biological effects of wavelengths in this region, including inflammatory modulation and tissue response.
As a result, 1072nm has begun to appear in a number of consumer LED devices and research discussions within the photobiomodulation field.
The key question is not whether 1072nm can enter tissue, but how its energy behaves once it does.
The Role of Water in Tissue
Human tissue is composed largely of water, and this has a measurable effect on how light propagates through biological structures.
Research in tissue optics has shown that water absorption of near infrared increases sharply above the 1000nm range. This is because the absorption peak of water sits at 980nm.
At 980nm or above, a higher portion of near infrared light energy may be absorbed by water molecules in skin tissue and converted to heat, rather than continuing to propagate through tissue. This is well described in the broader photobiomodulation and tissue optics literature. Should the absorption of light energy by bulk water impact the efficacy of remaining light energy to trigger biostimulation, we will likely not see the full benefit of deeper light penetration anticipated from these longer wavelengths.
From a biological perspective, this is relevant because photobiomodulation is believed to involve the interaction of light with molecules inside the mitochondria, including Cytochrome C Oxidase - a mitochondrial enzyme involved in cellular energy production.
Penetration Depth vs Biological Effectiveness
A key distinction highlighted in the photobiomodulation literature is the difference between optical penetration depth and biologically effective photon delivery.
Optical models describe how far light can travel through tissue under controlled assumptions. However, biological tissue is a dynamic, water-rich environment, and absorption by endogenous chromophores - including water - can influence how much usable energy ultimately reaches target sites.
As a result, greater theoretical penetration does not necessarily translate directly into greater biological effect, a nuance that is increasingly discussed in the academic literature on tissue optics and photobiomodulation.
What Current Research Suggests
A 2025 study by Zhang et al. on transcranial photobiomodulation examined how different near-infrared wavelengths propagate through biological tissue under experimental conditions.
In that model, 810nm light demonstrated greater effective penetration (approximately 7cm) compared with longer wavelengths such as 980nm and 1064nm (approximately 5cm).
These findings are notable because they run counter to what optical theory alone might predict, which often assumes that longer wavelengths will always achieve greater depth.
The authors suggest that the difference may be influenced by tissue absorption characteristics in real biological systems, including the effects of water and other endogenous chromophores.
It is important to emphasise that this was a transcranial model rather than facial skin, and absolute penetration values will differ depending on tissue type. However, the underlying principle - wavelength-dependent absorption in water-rich tissue - is not tissue-specific and is well established in optical physics literature.
Where the Evidence Base Is Currently Strongest
In the context of facial photobiomodulation, wavelengths in the 810–850nm range remain among the most extensively studied in peer-reviewed literature.
These wavelengths have been the subject of a large body of research exploring potential effects on skin biology, including fibroblast activity, collagen-related pathways, and cellular energy metabolism.
While research into longer wavelengths such as 1072nm is emerging, comparative clinical evidence directly evaluating relative efficacy across these wavelengths remains limited at this stage.
A Different Approach to Light Delivery
At Maysama, our approach focuses on optimising how light energy is delivered, rather than extending wavelength into regions where absorption by water may become increasingly significant.
AURA LED Face Mask incorporates Intelligent Micro-Pulsing Technology™ (IMPT), which modulates light delivery to increase peak power during active phases of pulsed emission, while maintaining the same total energy dose.
AURA delivers a peak power of 41.6mW/cm² compared with 26mW/cm² in continuous wave mode, while both modes deliver a total energy dose of 6 J/cm² over a six-minute treatment.
This approach is designed to enhance photon delivery efficiency within established near-infrared wavelengths, without relying on extended wavelengths where tissue absorption characteristics may become more influential.
“The question of how light interacts with deeper biological tissues is one of the most important - and least straightforward - areas in photobiomodulation research. The literature suggests there are multiple ways to influence photon delivery, and wavelength is only one part of the equation.”
— Bev May, Founder, Maysama
Discover the AURA range
The AURA collection brings together Maysama's most advanced LED devices - engineered around a single goal: the most effective biological response possible. Because effective LED therapy isn't just about light. It's about how that light is delivered, absorbed, and responded to at a cellular level.
At the heart of every AURA device is our Intelligent Micro-Pulsing Technology™ - precisely engineered pulse patterns designed to align with the cell's natural biological response cycle.
