Frequently Asked Questions

LightWave CS™ works in seconds per day in part because of the unique combination and proportion of wavelengths coupled with the high intensity of the light.

LightWave CS™ uses four separate wavelengths, each of which, for different reasons, are an effective acne treatment on their own. When used together, the effectiveness increases, as it should. You may explore each peak wavelength used in the Science section of this site.

You may also be interested in our recent blog post on this issue, "Blue Curing Light" in Seconds Per Day.

If you visit us at our home site, LightTherapyOptions.com, you’ll see that we are involved in the whole field of light therapy, not just acne light therapy. We used our accumulated years of knowledge and experience with light therapy in general to hand pick the best wavelengths for acne treatment, regardless of whether they have been specifically researched for acne treatment or not.

Why we put in 450nm. Visible blue light (400-495nm) kills acne bacteria. The shorter the wavelength (closer to 400nm) the more effective it is. The longer the wavelength (closer to 495nm), the deeper it penetrates the skin. The research you’ve been reading published that the most effective wavelengths are 405-420nm. But that does not mean 420nm+ wavelengths are not effective, it only means they are less effective when compared to the shorter ones. Since blue light of longer wavelengths penetrate deeper into the skin, they can reach into deeper types of acne, like cystic acne. That is why we included 450nm light in LightWave CS™ – to help deliver acne bacteria killing light into deeper types of acne. There are other acne lights on the market that leave out 405-420nm altogether, and don’t even start until 450nm. They are still in business because blue light past 420nm still works just fine when used as directed, and can be even better for treating deeper types of acne.

Why we put in 850nm. If you google infrared in relation to healing, skin rejuvenation and pain relief, you will soon discover that infrared energy is the most beneficial for deep tissue healing and skin rejuvenation. Most of the same mechanisms that make IR work for those other applications make it perfect for acne treatment as well. In addition to that, infrared energy is non-thermal heat. IR as heat alone is also an effective acne treatment. That is why we put it in the very center of our light, and that’s one reason LightWave CS™ works so well in such a short period of time.

This is a good question. We are used to thinking of brightness in terms of wattage. We put 25 watt bulbs by our bedside because they are dim, and 500 watt light bulbs in our basements because they are bright. But wattage is not a measure of brightness; it is a measure of power conversion, or how much energy the bulb uses. With new technology in lighting, especially LED lighting, the same brightness can now be achieved with significantly less wattage. LightWave CS™ is roughly the equivalent of a 50watt Halogen of the same color, or a 100 watt incandescent of the same color.

Not all LEDs are the same. LEDs are built on semiconductor technology, the same technology used to create computer microprocessor chips. The same way that computers get faster and smaller with each new generation, LEDs get brighter with less energy consumption (wattage) with each new generation. LightWave CS™ uses new, Cree HPLEDs (High Power LEDs). Lights with panels of small LEDs and no visible heatsink (to disippate heat) are using older style, low level LEDs with significantly less power. If you’d like to compare, ask the manufacturer of the light you are considering to supply the lumen output of their LEDs. A single 660nm red led in LightWave CS™ is 18.8 lumens. A single 450nm Blue LED in LightWave CS™ is 16.4 lumens.

No. LightWave CS™ won’t impact your hormones or the other factors that actually cause the bacteria to be there in the first place. However, LightWave CS™ is different from other acne treatments as the light is capable of penetrating beneath the skin, killing acne bacteria before it has a chance to cause visible acne. LightWave CS™ is easy to use as a regular part of your ongoing acne treatment regimen, just like good hygiene and proper nutrition. The number of regular treatments you’ll need per week will depend on your skin type and condition, but it won’t take you long to discover the perfect balance to stay ahead of your breakouts and keep your skin clear.

For a detailed discussion of "Acne Cause - Acne Cure," please follow this link out to our blog.

Blue and Red light therapy in general is effective for about 86% of people, so there is a very good chance it will work for you, too.

Results vary widely by individual and depend on such things as the type and severity of acne you have, your hygene, diet, exposure to natural daylight, and other things contributing to your overall hormone balance. All that being said, you should start to notice results within the first 2 weeks of consistent treatment. After 4 weeks of consistent treatment most people notice about 60% reduction in visible acne. After 12 weeks those participating in the original research experienced clearing of about 76%. Many people do experience total clearing at or after 8 weeks of consistent treatment.

Check out our "Customer Experiences" to get an idea of the kinds of results others have had using LightWave CS™.

The majority of people using light therapy do not report that their acne worsens before it improves, though there has been the occasional instance. No research or clinical study has reported any evidence that acne gets worse before it gets better.

The key is to properly follow the directions provided for acne light therapy, just as you should for any other health therapy. The directions that come with the light are designed specifically to prevent acne from getting worse at any time, and to ensure the most rapid improvement.

The peak wavelengths of LightWave CS™ are outside the UV range. However, LightWave CS™ does contain a small amount of non-peak, or low intensity, UVA (blacklight,) as did the lights used original research reported on in the British Journal of Dermatology. PDF . Use only as directed.

There are no adverse side effects reported.

Precautions:

• LightWave CS™ does contain a small amount of UVA (blacklight,) as did the lights used in the original research reported on in the British Journal of Dermatology, and most other acne lights peaking around 415nm. Use only as directed.
• Do not use light therapy while you are taking any medication that causes photosensitivity. Check your medication against this list.
• Some recent information has said that blue light from the sun may be harmful to the eyes - please wear the provided goggles for your protection.
• ClearWave CS is bright. Do not look directly into the light. Always wear eye provided eye protection.
  

ALA or Levulan is not necessary for effective light acne treatment. This website promotes the natural, non-invasive use of blue & red light. Our lights are not to be used with ALA, Levulan or any other related topical application. You may want to consider PDT at your dermatologist's office for severe cases of acne that do not respond to light therapy alone.