Differences between hair removal lasers
Q: What’s the difference between the Aesthera laser and Sciton laser that other laser hair removal clinics are using? Every office I call tells me their treatments are optimum. There must be some difference in these lasers, but I’m not in the industry, so I can’t tell the difference and don’t know where to begin? Help.
A: When Dr. Ben Lee switched to a new kind of laser for hair reduction in his Englewood, Colorado office, it was a technological upgrade not to be taken lightly. He was at the front of technology, being one of the very first and few in the Denver area to introduce the new Aesthera Photopneumatic Therapy (PPx) laser to his practice in first quarter 2007. The Aesthera replaced all previous lasers used in his office for the same purpose because the Aesthera is that much more effective.
Previously, he’d used the Sciton laser with over 30 different tips for different treatments to perform everything from the popular MicroLaserPeel™ to hair removal.
The Sciton, explains Debbie Brinkman, CMA and Clinical Coordinator, is far too complicated compared to the sleek Aesthera technology when it comes to hair reduction. And less effective. The Aesthera, on the other hand, allows more focused treatment of the area requiring hair removal and because of its pneumatic technology and its cooling system which eliminates the need for pre-treatment numbing creams.
And yet a lot of clinics have not upgraded to the Aesthera for hair removal because of the costs of such technology.
The Sciton, with its multiple application tips, starts at $250,000. The Aesthera, being more specific in its applications for hair reduction and acne treatment, starts at $50,000. And that’s only two of the pieces of technology in the doctor’s office that performs every type of skin rejuvenation and cosmetic treatment imaginable today.
It takes a substantial practice to support the addition of significant technology and upgrades like these two lasers. In addition, it’s important that the medical estheticians using the technology undergo intensive training on all aspects of the technology, something Dr. Lee insists his professional team does prior to launching a new piece of technology in the office.
Using the Aesthera laser, patients who undergo hair reduction treatment can count on six to 10 treatments of 30 minutes each to treat areas such as the legs. The darker one’s hair and pigmentation the more treatments a patient may require, explains Brinkman. The number of treatments advised at a reputable clinic will depend entirely upon the individual.
Certainly, a clinic can give you an “average” number of treatments to expect, but it would be remiss of any clinic or doctor’s office to say that absolutely a limited number of treatments will eradicate all hair. In fact, according to Brinkman, Dr. Lee’s team calls the treatment “hair reduction” as a stray hair or more may reappear later on. In that case, Dr. Lee’s team of medical estheticians re-treat the area at no charge, Brinkman added.