Last updated: July 2026

I Was Quoted $2,400 for Botox. My Esthetician Showed Me Something She Uses at Home Instead.

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By Angela M., Licensed Master Esthetician | Dallas, TX

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Published July 2026 · 6 min read

In partnership with Velove Beauty. Editor's Note: We only feature products that meet our editorial standards. We tested this device for 8 weeks before publishing.

I have been a licensed esthetician for over fourteen years. I have seen every trend cycle through my treatment room — microcurrent, gua sha, cryotherapy, LED panels the size of a dining table. Most of them work to some degree. Most of them are also expensive, time-consuming, or require a professional to administer them.

So when clients started asking me about red light therapy masks for home use, I was skeptical. Not because the science is questionable — near-infrared light therapy has decades of clinical research behind it — but because most consumer devices cut corners on the wavelength that actually matters.

Then I tested the Velove LumiPro 940. And I quietly canceled two of my own Botox appointments.


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Here's What Nobody Told Us About Collagen

After 35, your skin loses roughly 1% of its collagen every year. That number sounds small until you're standing in front of your bathroom mirror wondering when your face stopped looking like yours.

For most of my clients, the tipping point comes around 42. The light changes. The foundation settles differently. The jawline softens. And suddenly every skincare product you've been loyal to for a decade stops doing what it used to.

That's when they start asking me about Botox.

I understand it. I really do. When the things that worked stop working, you want something that actually does something. The problem is that Botox doesn't fix the reason your skin changed — it just temporarily relaxes the muscles that show it. The moment it wears off, you're back where you started. Except now you're $800 lighter and already thinking about the next appointment.

What changed my mind — and what I now tell every client who sits in my chair — is understanding what collagen actually needs to rebuild. And it's not a needle.

Velove LumiPro 940

The Technology NASA Used on Astronauts. Now It Lives on Your Nightstand

The wavelength is everything in light therapy. Most consumer LED masks operate between 630nm and 660nm, which targets the surface layers of skin. That range is effective for acne and mild texture improvement. But it does not reach the dermis — the layer where collagen is actually produced.

940nm near-infrared light penetrates four to five millimeters deeper into tissue. At that depth, it reaches the fibroblasts — the cells responsible for producing collagen and elastin. Clinical studies on near-infrared light at this wavelength show measurable increases in collagen density, reduction in inflammatory markers, and improvement in skin laxity with consistent use. This is the same wavelength range used in medical-grade devices at dermatology clinics, delivered in a format you can use at home in ten minutes.


The difference between 660nm and 940nm is not a marketing claim. It is the difference between treating the surface and treating the structure.



Week-by-Week / Results Timeline

I wore the Velove LumiPro 940 every morning for ten minutes while my coffee brewed. No special prep. No recovery time. I want to be honest about the timeline because I have seen too many brands overpromise on speed.


Week One/Two: I Almost Talked Myself Out of It

In the first two weeks I noticed my skin felt more hydrated and the chronic redness across my cheeks was calmer. Nothing dramatic. Just a quieting of the baseline inflammation I had accepted as normal for my skin type.


Week Three: I Stopped Taking Photos. Then Started Again.

By weeks three and four, my under-eye area looked less hollowed. A client commented that I looked rested and asked if I had started sleeping better. I had not changed anything except adding this device to my morning routine.


Week Five: A Client Asked If I'd Been on Vacation

Weeks five and six were when I noticed the jawline changes. The softening I had watched progress over three years began to look tighter. Not pulled or artificial — just more defined. My face looked more like it did at forty-two than at forty-eight.


Week Eight: I Pulled Up My Before Photo. I Sat There for a While.

By week eight, three different people in my life asked what I had done differently. One colleague — another esthetician who knows my face well — asked point blank if I had gotten filler. I had not touched anything.


I Ran the Numbers. The Difference Made Me Put Down the Phone.

Botox requires repeat appointments every 3-4 months. Here is what that actually adds up to.

Here is the math I did for myself. A standard Botox treatment for the lower face and jawline runs between $500 and $800 per session, and results last three to four months. That is a minimum of $1,500 to $3,200 per year — assuming you can even get a same-week appointment and are comfortable with the two to three days of bruising and swelling that sometimes follows.

The Velove LumiPro 940 is $198. One time. With results that compound the longer you use it rather than fading between sessions.


I am not suggesting that red light therapy replaces every application of injectable treatments. For acute volume loss or deep static lines, injectables remain effective. But for the progressive collagen decline that starts in your mid-forties — the gradual softening of the jawline, the loss of firmness in the cheeks, the general deflation — this device addresses the root cause rather than temporarily masking it.


For my clients who are spending $400 to $600 every quarter trying to maintain their results, the math is not complicated.


Winner: Velove

Unmatched convenience!

Since Sharing This With My Clients, Here Is What They're Telling Me

"My jawline is back. I actually cried the first time I noticed it in the mirror. I had accepted that my face was just changing and there was nothing I could do."
— Michelle R., 54, Phoenix AZ


"I was spending $400 a month on professional facials and still not happy with my skin. I canceled everything after week six with this device. My esthetician asked what I switched to."
— Sandra T., 49, Austin TX


"I have rosacea and have never been able to use most skincare devices because they cause flare-ups. This is the first one that actually calmed my skin instead of irritating it. Ten weeks in and my redness is the lowest it has been in years."
— Rachel K., 38, Nashville TN



You're Probably Thinking What I Thought: 'Does a $198 Device Actually Do Anything?


The question I get most from clients is whether this is safe for daily use. Near-infrared light at 940nm is non-ionizing radiation — meaning it does not damage DNA or cause the kind of cellular harm associated with UV exposure. There is no downtime, no photosensitivity, and no contraindication for most skin types. The only people I advise to consult a physician first are those who are pregnant, have active skin cancer, or are taking photosensitizing medications.


The second question is whether results are permanent. Red light therapy works by stimulating your body's own collagen production — it does not inject a foreign substance that breaks down over time. The results build with continued use and are maintained as long as you keep using the device consistently. Most of my clients use it four to five times per week as part of their regular routine.


The third question is whether it really works on the jawline specifically, or if that is a marketing claim. The jawline improvement I and my clients have experienced comes from the restoration of dermal collagen in the lower face and neck — an area that responds well to near-infrared penetration because the tissue there is closer to the surface than in areas like the cheeks. It is not the only benefit of the device, but it is consistently the one that surprises people the most.


I do not recommend products I do not believe in. After fourteen years and thousands of client treatments, I have turned down more partnerships than I have accepted. I agreed to write about the Velove LumiPro 940 because the results in my own practice have been consistent enough to put my name on it.

If you try it and disagree with me — Velove offers a full 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions, no hoops. You have nothing to lose except the appointments you keep booking.


If You've Read This Far, Your Skin Is Already Telling You Something.


⚡ Due to high demand following this feature, Velove is limiting orders to ensure fulfillment quality. Stock is updated weekly.



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Velove LumiPro 940
Light Therapy Mask

$379 $198