2.4.0.840201 - Disclosure - MANAGEMENT'S PLANS (Details)truefalsefalse1false USDfalsefalse$from-2013-07-01-to-2013-09-15.4184.0.0.0.0.0.0.0http://www.sec.gov/CIK0001325964duration2013-07-01T00:00:002013-09-15T00:00:00sharesStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USD_per_warrantsDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://lightwavelogic.com/20130920warrantslwlg0USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDUSD$2false USDfalsefalse$from-2013-01-01-to-2013-06-30.4034.0.0.0.0.0.0.0http://www.sec.gov/CIK0001325964duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDUSD$3false USDfalsefalse$from-2012-01-01-to-2012-12-31.4025.0.0.0.0.0.0.0http://www.sec.gov/CIK0001325964duration2012-01-01T00:00:002012-12-31T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDUSD$4false USDfalsefalse$from-2013-06-01-to-2015-11-30.4185.0.0.0.0.0.0.0http://www.sec.gov/CIK0001325964duration2013-06-01T00:00:002015-11-30T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDUSD$5false USDfalsefalse$from-2011-05-01-to-2013-10-31.4186.0.0.0.0.0.0.0http://www.sec.gov/CIK0001325964duration2011-05-01T00:00:002013-10-31T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDUSD$1true 1lwlg_ManagementsPlansAbstractlwlg_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0MANAGEMENT'S PLANS [Abstract]2false 2lwlg_ApproximateCashPositionlwlg_falsedebitinstantfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse30200003020000USD$falsetruefalse3truefalsefalse33000003300000USD$falsetruefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryThe amount of cash that a company has on its books at a specific point in time. The cash position is a sign of financial strength and liquidity. In addition to cash itself, it will often take into consideration highly liquid assets such as certificates of deposit, short-term government debt and other cash equivalents.No definition available.false2Approximate cash position3false 2lwlg_ApproximateMonthlyExpenditureslwlg_falsedebitdurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse250000250000falsefalsefalse3truefalsefalse250000250000falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryThe approximate expenditures of the company per month.No definition available.false2Approximate monthly expenditures4false 2lwlg_DebtServicelwlg_falsedebitdurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3truefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryNo authoritative reference available.No definition available.false2Debt service5false 2lwlg_OperationalFundinglwlg_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse002014-04falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:gYearMonthItemTypeyearmonthDate through which the Company has funds to operate.No definition available.false0Operational funding6false 2us-gaap_LiquidityArrangementsGuaranteesAndOtherCommitmentsByThirdPartiesus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00In May 2011, the Company signed an agreement with an instituitonal investor to sell up to $20 million of common stock. The institutional investor has commited to invest up to $20 million in the Company's common stock over a 30-month period with the remaining available amount of $15,300,003. Management believes it has raised sufficient capital to finance its operations through October 2013.falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringDescribes the terms of arrangements (for example, liquidity arrangements, guarantees, or other commitments) by third parties that may affect the fair value or risk of the reporting entity's variable interest in the Variable Interest Entity (VIE).Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5728-111685 false0Liquidity Arrangement Description7false 2lwlg_LiquidityArrangementValueOfThirdPartyInvestmentlwlg_falsecreditdurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3truefalsefalse2000000020000000falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryLiquidity Arrangement Value Of Third Party Investment.No definition available.false2Liquidity Arrangement - Value Of Third Party Investment8false 2lwlg_RemainingFundsAvailableUnderLiquidityArrangementsGuaranteesAndOtherCommitmentsByThirdPartieslwlg_falsecreditdurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3truefalsefalse1395000313950003falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryNo authoritative reference available.No definition available.false2Remaining Funds Available Under Liquidity Arrangement9false 2lwlg_AgreementToSellInvestCommonStockValueUpperLimitInstitutionalInvestorlwlg_falsecreditdurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse4truefalsefalse2000000020000000falsefalsefalse5truefalsefalse2000000020000000falsefalsefalsexbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryAn agreement between the Company and an institutional investor for the Company to sell up to a certain amount of common stock and the investor to invest up to the same amount of common stock.No definition available.false2Agreement with an institutional investor to sell common stock and investor committed to invest in common stock (upper limit)10false 2lwlg_RemainingFundsAvailableUnderAgreementGuaranteesAndOtherCommitmentsByInstitutionalInvestorlwlg_falsecreditdurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5truefalsefalse1315000113150001falsefalsefalsexbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryThe remaining available amount the institutional investor has commited to invest in the Company's common stock.No definition available.false2Remaining available amount11false 2lwlg_WarrantsAdditionalFundingFromWarrantExercisesUpperLimitlwlg_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truefalsefalse11787501178750falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:sharesItemTypesharesAdditional funding that may be provided to the Company by the exercise of outstanding warrants up to a certain number of warrants.No definition available.false1Additional funding provided by the exercise of outstanding warrants (Upper Limit), warrants12false 2lwlg_AdditionalFundingFromWarrantExercisesExercisePriceOnelwlg_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truefalsefalse1.001.00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalseus-types:perUnitItemTypedecimalExercise price per share or per unit of warrants outstanding.No definition available.false0Additional funding provided by the exercise of outstanding warrants, exercise price 113false 2lwlg_AdditionalFundingFromWarrantExercisesExercisePriceTwolwlg_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truefalsefalse1.251.25falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalseus-types:perUnitItemTypedecimalExercise price per share or per unit of warrants outstanding.No definition available.false0Additional funding provided by the exercise of outstanding warrants, exercise price 214false 2lwlg_EstimatedAdditionalFundingFromWarrantExercisesUpperLimitlwlg_falsecreditdurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truefalsefalse22850002285000USD$falsetruefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3truefalsefalse15000001500000USD$falsetruefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryAdditional funding that may be provided to the Company by the exercise of outstanding warrants up to a certain amount.No definition available.false2Additional funding provided by the exercise of outstanding warrants (Upper Limit)15false 2lwlg_WarrantExpirationDatelwlg_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse002013-09-30falsefalsetrue4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse5falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:dateItemTypedateWarrants expiration date.No definition available.false0Warrant expiration datefalseMANAGEMENT'S PLANS (Details) (USD $)NoRoundingNoRoundingUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://lightwavelogic.com/role/ManagementsPlansDetails515