Episode #573: How LightStim Revolutionized LED Beds and the Med Spa Industry with Steve Marchese

Welcome to another episode of HALO Talks! In today’s episode, Integrity Square Founder and host Pete Moore sits down with Steve Marchese, the founder of LightStim, to dig into the transformative power of LED light technology and its growing role in med spas and wellness centers across the country.

Steve shares the LightStim origin story, which was born out of a personal mission to help his own son combat dangerously high blood pressure when traditional medicine offered no solutions. What started as a family "Hail Mary" turned into years of rigorous innovation, FDA collaboration, and breakthroughs in the science of light therapy. The conversation touches on how LightStim developed from handheld devices for skincare to pioneering full-body LED beds, navigating ongoing regulatory controversies of LED and red light therapy, and the persistence needed to create products that truly deliver results.

After a few years, Steve saw an opportunity to expand, developing adjustable facial panels for the professional market. This new direction quickly gained traction, and soon, his company was supplying advanced skincare technology to nearly 50,000 spas, med spas, and doctors’ offices across the country.

Pete and Steve discuss not only the science and technology "backbone" of the products, but also the entrepreneurial journey, the realities of protecting intellectual property, and the future of wellness tech in the HALO sector. Plus, Steve relays a very cool story about how LightStim helped NFL star Saquon Barkley make an unlikely comeback. (Just one example of the real-world results this technology can achieve!) 

When they made the decision to build an LED bed, Steve states, "There really weren't any beds on the market at that time. We didn't know what it would do, but it was kind of our Hail Mary. The bed ended up taking us six years working directly with the FDA and millions of dollars to actually perfect it before we put it on the market."

Key themes discussed

• Development and innovation of LED light therapy beds.
• FDA clearance and regulatory challenges for medical devices.
• Family-run business and entrepreneurial journey.
• Scientific explanations: ATP and nitric oxide impacts.
• Industry competition and copycat products.
• Legal risks and class action lawsuits.
• Med spa and HALO sector expansion.

A Few Key Takeaways: 

1. Persistence in Innovation Leads to Breakthroughs: Steve shared the challenges of developing LightStim—what began with handheld LED devices for wrinkles, acne, and pain, evolved into a full-body LED bed. The driving force was personal: Helping his son with dangerously high blood pressure when traditional medicine couldn't. This persistence, trial and error, and working closely with the FDA led to a patented technology that now serves both home consumers and professionals in 50,000+ locations.

2. Understanding Science Behind Red Light Therapy: The effectiveness of their LED bed wasn’t mere luck. Initially Steve thought the improvement was due to increased ATP production in mitochondria. Later, with input from Dr. Nathan Bryan, he realized the real impact was in the release of nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.

3. Navigating Regulatory and Legal Landscapes: Getting FDA “clearance” (not “approval”—that’s for drugs), especially for a full-body device, is an extremely rigorous process requiring through technical testing and proof of efficacy. Steve explained (some of the many) specific FDA requirements that go into this, such as needing to heat the whole body to the right temperature. Few competitors can actually demonstrate passing these tests, despite what they claim, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is now aggressively policing unsubstantiated wellness claims.

4. Dealing with Competition and Copycats: When asked how he handles rivals with copycat products, Marchese emphasized focusing on building a trustworthy brand and continuing to innovate, rather than spending resources on chasing down every infringer. He pointed out that regulatory and legal scrutiny (from both the FTC and class action law firms) is also helping to weed out companies making unsupported claims.

5. Growth and Family-First Business Approach: LightStim is a classic case of a family-run business that managed to scale. Steve mentioned his wife runs the company as President and his son is now COO—showing a strong family dynamic and a personal connection to the business’s mission. The company supports large-scale franchise partners and offers both purchase and leasing options for its products.

Resources: 

• Steve Marchese: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-marchese-04168472 
• LightStim: https://lightstim.com/  
• Integrity Square: https://www.integritysq.com
• Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com
• Promotion Vault: https://www.promotionvault.com
• HigherDose: https://www.higherdose.com