When most beauty innovations hit the market, they arrive wrapped in glossy marketing, sleek packaging, and a celebrity endorsement. But for Bill Wiedemann, founder of Lumara Systems, innovation wasn’t born out of hype—it was born out of frustration.
In 2016, after friends introduced him to red light therapy, Wiedemann approached it with curiosity but also skepticism. With 36 years of engineering experience, he wasn’t one to take claims at face value. Armed with precision measurement equipment, he began testing industry-leading devices and was stunned by what he found.
“When I measured the optical power of one of the top three companies and compared it to what I could engineer, my first product delivered more than ten times the optical power. Their device was putting out a mere 2 mW/cm², while proper engineering could achieve 25 mW/cm²,” Wiedemann recalls.
That moment became the catalyst for Lumara Systems. “Lumara’s heartbeat is frustration turned into purpose. I was genuinely upset that an entire industry was built on products that simply don’t work. That’s not just a business complaint, it’s a moral imperative that drives everything we do.”
Instead of chasing influencer partnerships, Lumara invested in engineering and clinical validation. “Our core value is radical honesty about effectiveness. In an industry where the vast majority of products provide no real benefit, being among the few that actually work isn’t just a competitive advantage—it’s an ethical obligation,” Wiedemann says.
So, what sets Lumara apart? Wiedemann points to three fundamentals: coverage, wavelength, and power. “Most LED face masks on the market provide only 5 percent to 15 percent coverage. Imagine putting sunscreen on with just the tip of a cotton swab—that’s essentially what these devices do. VISO delivers 100 percent uniform coverage using closely spaced 660 nm LEDs.”
The difference is measurable, not just theoretical. Wiedemann developed a simple “five-day test” to prove it. “Users start on a Monday by positioning one side of their face against a pillow while using VISO for 20 minutes, and by Friday, they can literally see the difference. The pillow-pressed side shows dramatically better results because the LEDs were in direct contact with the skin.”
That visible effectiveness is also validated in clinics. “We have one clinic that sells 100 VISO masks each month to their patients. When medical professionals who use our 25 mW/cm² clinical panels choose to offer VISO for home use, that’s the ultimate validation.”
Looking ahead, Wiedemann sees a fundamental shift in the industry. “The current billion-dollar market built on ineffective devices can’t sustain itself once consumers become educated. The companies that survive will be those that can demonstrate real optical power, uniform coverage, and clinical validation.”
And for Lumara, the possibilities extend beyond beauty. “We have seen results in reversing blindness, eliminating gout, treating peripheral nerve neuropathy, and treating cancer. Devices will become more powerful and also more affordable. The billion-dollar question isn’t whether the market will grow—it’s whether that growth will be built on genuine therapeutic value. I believe science and engineering will ultimately win.”
In an industry overflowing with false promises, Lumara Systems stands apart for delivering something incredibly rare: the truth.
By Madison Brodsky
