You’re confusing a few different things. A couple points:
Spot size matters for effectiveness, not just for faster treatment. This is explained on the forum by sslhr in detail if you run a search. Laser beam basically works as an inverted cone.
Lower pulse is more effective, on all machines. The science is in figuring out the perfect combination of pulse, spot size and joules for each particular situation to get results for the customer. This is something that needs to be learned, and results are not guaranteed just because one is using one of the best machines. Better machines help get better results faster, but expertise is still essential, i.e. you can get good results with a worse machine or bad results with the best machine. The skill is in using whatever machine you have in a way that gets results.
GentleLASE is not new. It’s been around for a long time. There are used GentleLASE machines too. GentleMAX is the new machine (combo of Yag and alex).
The difference between machines is not just the pulse. There are many variables. Like I said, it’s most important HOW you use the machine. When we’re talking about “best” machines, what we essentially mean is that if someone is setting the most appropriate settings, these machines will get the best results fastest. There are other machines that will get you ok results in good hands or bad results in bad hands, etc. It basically depends on how committed you are to providing the very best service at your clinic because this is not an easy procedure and it’s actually very hard to get results for all customers.
Thanks LA girl. That pretty much clears it up for me.
On another topic - Do you guys all work the same with pricing? ie fixed price per area?
I noticed with these new machines with low time between pulses it gets incredibly painful if the tech goes fast. Good for them, bad for the patient. But on the other hand if the patient is out the door quicker it cuts down session time and the patient should get a better price. You think it would be too mean to offer a bonus for getting out the door faster? - ie taking less breaks.
Prices vary widely, and they really don’t depend on anything but what the clinic chooses to charge based on what they want to make in profit, what they think they can get away with, etc. A few clinic charge by time, but most charge per area.
The Cynosure Apogee 20 TKS Laser is quite an old laser. The pulse can go down relativley low, however the spot size is only 12.5mm so will not deliver the best results compared to something like the GentleLASE/YAG.
Spot size is not about faster treatment. Rep rate is really about faster treatment, spot size is about more effective treatment.
But you have to understand that this is about probabilities. I’ve treated thousands of clients with the older lasers (Cynosure 9300s for example) and had great results like you report. But the probability of success is higher and faster with the new systems. And some lasers the probability of success was low enough that people using them couldn’t stay in business. They did get some success but had enough unhappy customers that they couldn’t make it.
