870nm and 930nm lasers are now in clinical trials for toenail fungus treatment.  This is exciting to me, I’ve been living with that problem a long time, myself.  Also, many people have asked me about it over the years and I’ve had no information for them.

And look at the results they are getting!  63% success (3mm of clear nail growth) 6 months after only 4 treatments!  Not sure how long the treatments were, but this is what I’m going to do:

I’m going to tape off the red HPLEDs on my LightWave DH and start shining just the 850nm infrared band of light on my few infected toenails for 5 minutes once per week.  This will be a long test, I guess, but I’ll post updates as I go.  Imagine if that works.  Imagine the cost of the treatments once the laser companies get FDA approval.

Hopefully we can show some ‘in vivo’ success and offer a cheaper toenail fungus solution for the rest of us.

Here’s some excerpts from the article:

“Photoinactivation of Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) has been demonstrated in vitro and in animal studies using wavelengths at 870 nm and 930 nm while maintaining physiologic temperatures (Bornstein E, et al. Photochem Photobiol. 2009;85(6):1364-1374).”

“Penetration through the entire nail plate without damage to the nail bed or matrix is the key to success with either device. In one published study with the 870/930 nm device, clinical cure rates (3 mm of clear nail growth) of 63 percent were noted six months after four treatments (Landsman AS, et al. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2010 May;100:166-177). Both devices should be effective on all skin types with little to no discomfort. Number of treatments or need for periodic treatment to prevent relapse remains to be determined.”

Laser, light therapy may help treat stubborn nail disorders

Publish date: Aug 1, 2010
By: Joely Kaufman, M.D., Martin Zaiac, M.D.
Source: Dermatology Times

An obesity drug called Qnexa, which is a combination of Phentermine (a common prescription obesity medication) and Topiramate (a seizure drug) has been called unsafe by an FDA panel which also stated that Qnexa should not be sold.

Though there were studies that showed that there were significant health risks to taking the medication, the FDA was unable to procure enough data to justify approving the drug.  Among the health concerns that were connected to Qnexa were an increased heart rate, potential birth defects, and thoughts of suicide.

With this kind of news, what are people supposed to do when they are seeking assistance in their effort to lose weight?  Weight loss is, after all, a very challenging process and millions of people find that the struggle is so great that their dieting efforts are continually failing.  If drugs prescribed by their doctors are also not healthy, many are looking into studies that are revealing promising results with alternatives to prescription drugs.

For example light therapies and vitamin D supplementation are proving to be significant in assisting obese people to achieve a healthy body mass index (BMI).

In the study published in the Obesity journal in February, 2010, “25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration Correlates With Insulin-Sensitivity and BMI in Obesity”, a team of researchers from Italy showed there is a notable relationship between the amount of vitamin D a person has in his or her body, and that individual’s BMI.  It showed that among obese participants, both low concentrations of vitamin D and insulin-sensitivity seem to rely on the higher body mass.

Therefore, receiving adequate amounts of vitamin D through natural sunlight, certain tanning beds, and supplements can help the body’s metabolism to naturally function at a better rate.  This, combined with a well balanced, portion controlled diet and regular daily exercise can have a significant impact on weight loss.

Sources:

• http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/07/16/fda.diet.drug.rejected/?hpt=Sbin
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20150902
• http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/2008/ucm116998.htm
• http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm149575.htm

The safety of the popular diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone), manufactured by Glaxo, has been called into question by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff scientists and the drug was recently placed at risk for a massive recall.  The result of the vote by the FDA panel after a two-day meeting with the endocrinologic and metabolic advisory committees which ended July 14, 2010, was to keep the drug available to the U.S. Market but with significant new restrictions. Most importantly, stronger warnings regarding the cardiovascular risks surrounding the use of Avandia.

The drug’s safety has been in question since 2007, the last time the FDA considered taking it off the market in the United States when a dozen studies showed worrying data regarding the safety of Avandia in response to a 2005 analysis which linked the drug to an increase in heart attacks by 43 percent.  This new labeling could reduce the use of Avandia by 95 percent.

The risks associated with diabetes medications are leading people to look into effective alternative treatments of their condition, such as the recent vitamin D3 and sunlight therapies that are shown in important studies to be quite effective.  For example, the recent study by endocrinologist Esther Krug, MD, from Baltimore’s Sinai Hospital (as well as assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) showed that over 90 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes were vitamin D3 deficient and that the greater the deficiency, the worse the diabetic condition.  Those findings support previous studies that have linked insulin production cells and the production of the insulin itself with vitamin D3.

Vitamin D can have an impact on glycemic control, so diabetic patients should discuss adding vitamin D3 to their diets through proper nutrition, supplements, and exposure to sunlight or full-spectrum lighting.

Sources:

• http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100709-708932.html
• http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2010/07/fda-panel-gives-avandia.html
• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704682604575369232879016248.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
• http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2010/07/04/6747/vitamin-d-deficiency-common-in-people-with-poor-diabetes-control-/

I’m starting to plan a buyer’s guide to acne lights.  I’m going to include topics like this:

• Wavelength – what it means, why it matters.
• Intensity – don’t be fooled by the numbers.
• Hand-held or table top?
• It’s all about the service.  Warranties, risk-free trials, who’s there to help?
• Money, the bottom line.  What does it really cost in the long run?
• What’s the best light for YOUR acne?  Mild, moderate, severe, back, chest, body, other.
• UV or no UV?
• The “FDA Approved” line.

If you have an idea of what other topics should be included in a buyer’s guide to acne lights, please let me know by leaving a comment below.

Also, please let me know which topic you’d like to see first.

Thanks in advance for your input.  I will use your feedback now and as the parts are published to create an understandable, trustworthy guide through the growing BS of the acne light market.

As you’ve read, acne light therapy is effective for about 86% of people.  Why wouldn’t it work for everyone?  There are several possible reasons.

1. Blue light is effective against the acne bacteria p. acnes, not all acne is caused by that specific bacteria.

2. Some things that look like acne are not acne at all, for example, a yeast infection can look like acne.  Shining blue light on that could actually make the condition worse, because the blue light may be killing some of the bacteria that is trying to keep the yeast under control.

3. Light therapy works on a cellular level.  You’ve heard the expression, “You are what you eat.”  Everything you put into your body effects your body chemistry, and therefore your individual reaction to light.   At the LLLT Symposium last weekend (Aug 7&8, 2009) it was brought out that the presence of NSAID medication (Advil, Alieve and others) decreased the effectiveness of light in one study.  Effects of different medications was given as a reason why light therapy may be effective for some and not for others.

Even though acne light therapy does not work for everyone for various, valid reasons, it is effective for most people and is certainly worth a try.    Most acne light companies offer a 12 week trial period and offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Table top acne lights have been around for years. These lights are more affordable than the hand-held type, and they cover a much larger treatment area, making them more convenient for those with moderate-severe acne.

Table-top type acne lights are more affordable than their hand-held counterparts, however they lack the portability many people need today.

Like the hand-held chart, this is a “real-life” type of chart, designed to reveal things that are going to matter to you over time, such as warranty, cost of replacement bulbs, and return policy details.

The chart also assumes each product will be effective when used as directed and they should be, for about 86% of people.

Hand-held acne lights are becoming very popular for their sleek design and travelability. If you are treating the occasional zit or trouble spot, a hand-held acne light is perfect and wonderful. If you have acne more often, or over a larger area, a head-held acne light might become tedious and time consuming, and you might find a table-top model more convenient for daily treatments.

This chart compares the following hand-held acne lights: LightStim, Tanda, Evis MD, Baby Quasar & LightWave CS. This is a real-life type comparison, so you can see the things that really matter, such as how you are going to spend – not just your money, but your time – along with how long your investment is protected (warranty) and if you get your money back if it doesn’t work for you (return policy).

The  chart assumes every product will be effective when used as directed and, in fact, they all should be. Whatever the product, acne light therapy is effective for about 86% of people.

You can see that LightStim and LightWave are a single unit, where the others are red and blue separately. If you are looking to treat acne alone, an acne light that combines red and blue light would be most convenient for you. If you would like to use red light for other things too, such as to build collagen, then you might like having the red and blue lights separately.

If there is an aspect of the acne lights that you are interested in which is not included on this chart, let us know and we’ll add it.  Also, if you find anything about this chart to be inaccurate, please send us a quick email so we can fix it.

By the way, LightWave CS is our light, and so here’s a coupon should you decide to buy it.

Coupon Code: LTOHHCT – Save an additional $20 off current sale price.

(notes on the LLLT Symposium, American Society for Photobiology, August 7 & 8, 2009)

Most of the parts on this thing were pretty dry, however, some of the scientists had a sense of humor.

This was my favorite line of the weekend:

“The only way a (low level) laser is going to hurt somebody is if they drop it on their foot.”

I’m sorry I didn’t get the speaker’s name to credit that to.   There was a chuckle through the audience, indicating agreement on the part of all.

It was mentioned over and over, there are zero adverse side effects to low level light therapy, be it low level laser or LED light therapy.

It was said that light only effects cells “under stress” and has no effect on healthy cells.

The last part of the weekend was specifically devoted to “Human Safety Evaluation of Light-based Devices for Home Use” and he was talking about things like the resistors inside the devices getting hot, so that if you took the thing apart and touched one of them, you might burn your fingers.  If there were any reported negative side effects of LED or low level laser light therapy, we’d have heard about them then.  There are none.

Since we launched LightWave CS a couple of weeks ago, it’s been causing quite a stir.  I’ve updated the FAQ on IntelligentAcneTreatment.com to address such things as “how can this light possible work in seconds when all the others are 15 minutes?” “how can a 7 watt LED do anything?” “how can a light with 7 LEDs be better than one with 70?” and others like that.  But when you say, “too good to be true,” I think this might help:

Truth is I’ve been in the light therapy business for 10 years with my mom (Kathryn Kalisz, Sci\ART Global), who’s been researching color for 30 years.
Truth is I’ve been listening to acne suffers on the phone for 7 years.
Truth is I’ve been trying to find a way to solve their problems for that long.
Truth is I’m into all kinds of light therapy, not just acne light therapy.
I’ve been paying attention to advancements in the entire field of light therapy, and not just acne treatment.  Because of that I’ve been able to recognize which wavelengths might be the most beneficial and effective for acne treatment, and I put the best of everything I knew into this light of my own.  Based on that same knowledge, experience, and appreciation for the natural power of light, we started the testing with seconds and not minutes.  It worked in seconds, exactly as expected.

Now I give you a light that works for most people, not just for “mild-moderate inflammatory acne” but mild-severe inflammatory acne, as well as deeper, cystic acne, over time.   I give you a light that you can hold in your hand, sit on the table or clamp to just about anything to conveniently treat acne on your face, back, chest, or anywhere else it might be impolite to mention.  I give you a light that is made to last a long, long time, and I back it for life.  I give you a light you can travel with and not worry about because – who stays in one place anymore, and who needs one more worry?

I understand you are skeptical.  It sounds “too good to be true.” But really, isn’t it the way it should be?

Try the light.  Whether it works for you or not, please post your experiences here for the benefit of your community.

As always, I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.

Louanna Wilson
Light Therapy Options