"Gentle Waves" machine: fake or fact?

RandomEngy

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I was browsing digg when I came across an article that described a "Gentle Waves" machine that purported to smooth out wrinkles and decrease the appearance of sunburn by shining a certain wavelength of light at the skin. My skepticism alarm turned on, so I did a few searches on the device. All I could find was a few local news sites that ran a story on it, along with some testimonials.

I figured if any place can get to the bottom of this mystery machine, it's here. So is this thing the real deal?
 
The Theory of Gentle Waves™ LED Photomodulation
• Scientists theorize that LED Photomodulation uses low intensity light-emmiting diodes (LED's) in a process similar to plant photosynthesis whereby plants use chlorophyll to convert sunlight into cellular building blocks.

How the GentleWaves™ LED Photomodulation System Works
• GentleWaves for skin rejuvenations the only device to utilize Photomodulation technology. It uses energy from LED sources, delivered at proprietary fluences and pulse algorithms, specifically matched to the cellular processes that enhance skin
rejuvenation. This patented technology is only available with the GentleWaves device.

• The first fully integrated anti-aging program, it includes the LED device and a complete skin care regimen designed to enhance and maintain the results of treatment. The home skin care products feature dermatologist-tested cosmeceuticals and scientifically developed nutraceuticals to complement the GentleWaves LED Photomodulation procedure.
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and a bit more

How is GentleWaves™ Unique?
• Current high-tech skin rejuvenation therapies operate via photothermolysis to thermally injure tissue and induce a wound healing response or use chemicals to peel damages tissue. However, wound healing responses are proven are unpredictable and are an imperfect mechanism for achieving new collagen production.

• Gentle Waves is the first and only LED device to receive marketing approval for a medical claim associated with cosmetic improvement of aging and sun-damaged skin. It improves the skin without relying on high energy sources and heat damage. For the first time, we are slowing down collagen breakdown and building up new collagen with no pain, no redness and no serious side effects.

• Gentle Waves uses specially coded arrays of light emitting diodes to modulate the activity of living cells. Unlike other laser, pulsed-light or radiofrequency techniques used for skin rejuvenation, the core technology of this device delivers very low-intensity, non-thermal light energy to stimulate collagen and reverse the appearance of photoaging.
It is also excellent for treatment of the hands, neck and chest areas
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http://www.myclearskin.com/content/pamphlet/gentlewaves.htm

it seems to involve just waving an LED over your skin....:)

note.
welcome to the forum :)
 
Well, from this site I'd have to say it sounds pretty wonky. I know laser light is used to treat facial wrinkles, as I've worked on patents for that. Most of them require significant energy to have an effect, although some claim otherwise. That second one still relies on heating under the surface of the skin, by using a wavelength that passes through the surface and is then absorbed, but note they still indicate that there's heating. That gentle waves thing sounds like there's not enough energy to do anything.

A brief search finds a similar apparatus in International Patent Application WO0154770

Here's the money quote:

Low energy lasers have been used in dermatology, traumatology and some'other areas to enhance healing phenomena in the body (Mester et al., Lasers Surg. Med. 5:31-39, 1985; Trelles et al., Lasers Surg.
Med. 7:36-45, 1987; Ohshiro T., Laser Therapy: Practical Applications, (Ed. T. Ohshiro), John Wiley, Chichester, 1991). The most frequently used terms for this area of physiotherapy are low Energy Laser Therapy (LELT), Low reactive Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), or Laser Therapy. The first successes of LELT were demonstrated in the treatment of chronic ulcers and persistent wounds of different etiology (Mester et al., Lasers Surg. Med. 5:31-39, 1985).
Anecdotal case studies have suggested that LELT is beneficial for a number of dermatological and musculoskeletal conditions. However, LELT has failed to provide good results in well-controlled randomized double- blind studies designed in accordance with rigorous NorthAmerican standards (Gogia and Marquez, OstomylWound Management, 38:38-41, 1992; Lundeberg and Malm, Ann. Plast. Surg., 27:53).
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So, I'm thinking, scam...
 
I imagine that anybody that was able to prove that animal cells have any mechanism by which to convert light into ... anything ... would be in line for a prize of some sort, probably Nobel.
 
So, it looks like the company that makes these things is Light BioScience, which has four issued US Patents

I'm not sure which one they're claiming covers this device, as from what I've seen, what they're patented isn't quite what they describe in their website.
 
This sounds very similar to something I was arguing a while back. Essentially there's some research showing a part of metabolism (Kreb's cycle, maybe?) that can be stimulated by weak infrared light to increase metabolism, which might decrease healing time. The devices are sold as high-tech heating pads, though, because none of those claims have actually been demonstrated to the satisfaction of whatever regulatory body is involved.
 
Ah, that thread is here. I especially enjoyed rob1ns reference to a paper on mexican salamanders as a defence of a medical technology.
 
Loss Leader said:
I imagine that anybody that was able to prove that animal cells have any mechanism by which to convert light into ... anything ... would be in line for a prize of some sort, probably Nobel.
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doesn't UV trigger Vitamin D production? In this case is UV a catalyst?

*note*

damn, what a waste of my 1000th post. I was hoping to say something profound, not ask a (probably) dumb question.....

oh well, i'll make sure i use my 2000th post more wisely.....:)
 
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