Warren B. Seiler III, MD
John Di Saia, MD
Beatriz H. Porras, MD
Shervin Naderi, MD, FACS
Edward Zimmerman MD
Paula Di Marco Young, BS RN
Seth A. Yellin, MD FACS
Dr. Kevin D. Light
Stephen Weber MD PhD
Brian K. Sidella
Sabine Zenker, MD
Daniel Kaufman MD
Brian Howard MD FACS
Mickey A. Couvertier
Lila Bratani MD
Alex Denes MD FACP
Cosmetic IPL Laser Reviews & Comparisons > Which 'Fractionally Ablative' Device To Buy? (Fractional Lasers)
We have the Palomar Lux1540 handpiece for our StarLux 500 series and LOVE it for stretch marks, scars and facial resurfacing for those patients who want a gradual process. The Lux2940 handpiece also provides great results for 1 step resurfacing.
If you don't have a Palomar base unit and want fractional technology, definitely talk with others in the group like LH who is very experienced and versed in this subject! He helped us tremendously! We ended up adding the Lumenis ActiveFX / DeepFX / TotalFX basically for speed of procedure and tailoring of depth.
PY RN
I've heard great things about Dot Matrix which is about $30,000. You might want to demo this before spending big bucks on Palomar who will not give you the time of day after they have your money. I have a Pearl Fractionated which does an O.K. job.
Carol F
It depends on your patient demographics and cosmetic needs. If they are mostly FST I and II, then CO2 is your best bet. If FST III or higher then it is safer to go with Er glass (1500, 1400nm). For Co2 laser, Lutronic eCo2 is good and not too expensive. For Er glass, Lutronic eMatrix, Sells 1500 are reasonable. Fraxel Dual are great for pigmentation and deep scars.
K DO
Your cheapest, and possibly most reliable single platform will be the Venus by Iridex. Do your research.
Mickey Couvertier, CBET, CLRT
I agree with KDO
Fractional CO2 produces a lot of heat and tend to induce Post inflammatory Hyperpigmentation in Type III and Type IV skin.
Erbium based fractionated laser does not generate heat and is better suited for Type III and Type IV patients. In this economy, I would only consider laser platforms without consumable disposable tips. Fraxel lasers are a tough sale given their pay per use sales scheme. I favor the Sciton profractional over other platforms for all the reasons above
Kenneth Wang
I agree with Kenneth about the Sciton's Er YAG laser.One more think you have to consider is that with the Profractional you can work as if you had a CO2 fractional device or an Er YAG fractional or a 2790nm fractional.You have GREAT flexibility with this platform and without consumables,disposable tips.
charry
Service on the Sciton lasers is ridiculously expensive, and exclusive to Sciton techs in violation of 21 CFR 1040.10-11. The Iridex Venus is not only cheaper, and more serviceable, it offers everything the Sciton does in a much smaller package. Just an FYI...
Mickey Couvertier, CBET, CLRT
SD MD,
The first thing I want to know is what you plan to use it for? Also, what are the primary skin types that you will be treating.
Lornell E. Hansen II, M.D.
www.LazaDerm.com
LH
Is Venus fractional? Can't find the info on their site. If it is, does it have coagulation features on top of its cold ablation?
Mark
I am a fan of the Palomar Starlux and the 1540 fractional and have used it for 4 years. I have tried a CO2 fractional system recently called Equinox CO2 fractional laser. And it is a great value for a fractional ablative device. I don't believe the Venus from Iridex is fractional.
texas laser
Mark,
The Venus i is not fractionally ablative. Iridex may have a scanner for fractional ablation, but not that I am aware of. I know the Varilite- which wouldn't be used for the same applications, does have such a hand piece available (ScanLite).
The only thing I have against the Palomar lasers is that each laser is an individual hand piece. For the price of a fully loaded Palomar Starlux 500, for example, I can get you the entire line of Iridex lasers with full warranties. No third party can offer true warranties on Palomar lasers, as Palomar does not share it's service information. This is, of course, addressed to the regular "used laser market" users, which I believe is the majority of medical spas in the US. If one hand piece goes out, you may be paying as much as a regular repair for an entire laser system, if not more. For example, the average repair of the 1540 handpiece is $4,000, while the most you should pay to repair a Cutera Xeo, for example, is less than $4,000 (on average).
Most important things to consider when purchasing a laser- used or new:
1- Will this laser maintain it's value? Will this $150,000 laser be worth $60,000 next year, for example.
2- Do you want to spread options amongst different units, or do you want one multi-platform laser?
3- What will service cost on this laser, and how available is service on this laser?
4- How reliable is the laser? Will lack of reliability increase service costs?
5- How upgradeable is the laser? Will I need a new one two years from now, or does the company continue upgrades on this one platform?
6- Is the laser FDA approved for my application? Does the manufacturer have proper 510k/PMA documentation?
7- Are there any outstanding/unanswered warning letters on the device you are considering purchasing?
8- What does the MAUDE database look like for this device? Are there any recalls?
9- What do other users say about this device?
10- Compare the first 9 to other options...
Mickey Couvertier, CBET, CLRT
I've used the Sciton ProFractional and was not impressed with the results even at aggresive settings. The new ProFractional XC is faster, however I still think Fractional CO2 yields better results. I own the Mixto and am thrilled with it. Treat fitz IV or V with a post hyperpigmentation protocol to reduce risks of hyperpigmentation. The trainer for mixto was great and no consumerables.
spa rn
I am a fan of the Palomar Starlux....when all is working well. Not when it breaks and trying to find service parts etc. I think Cutera is equally horrible in the category in finding parts and service from 3rd party service organizations. I had a Cutera Xeo platform that broke down 3 times in 2 years and was a challenge to get parts and service.
texas laser
We mosty are interested in treating scarring, wrinkles and loose crepey skin. Our patient population is a mix - lots of type II but also enough III and IV to want something flexible. We have tested the Sciton Profractional and both Fraxels (repair and restore). I love the Sciton platform but it's very pricey and one profractional tx didn't do much for our test populaiton. According to the rep, a series of treatments needs to be done for optimal results. I was not impressed with the Fraxel restore but the repair gave decent results. Still not sure we want the risk and post-procedure care of fractionated CO2 and while the company was willing to sell us a used Fraxel repair for $60K, the consumables remain an issue.
SD MD
Any one tried the Mosaic ?
Rmm
Any opinions on Cynosure's Affirm?
Emill
SMARTXIDE LASER ANY ONE GOT ANY INFO ON SETTING FOR SKINTYPE 1/2 TO TREAT WRINKLES ON LIP AREAS OR CAN SOMEONE RECOMMEND DEPTH AND PASSES ,FOUND BASIC BOOK SETTING DO NOT DO ALOT.
johns
WOULD LIKE INFO ON SMARTXIDE DOT LASER ,I WOULD LIKE TO GET A MACHINE THAT WILL HELP ALOT OF LADIES WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THE WRINKLES AND SUN DAMAGE.I HAVE HEARD THIS LASER IS VERY GOOD .CAN ANYONE HELP WITH REGARDS TO A COUPLE OF MACHINES .
ALSO THE RESULTS YOU MIGHT SEE FROM THE SMARTXIDE DOT LLASER .
SKIN 1 AND 2 I BELIEVE ARE GOOD ,WHAT ARE THE DIFFRENT SETTING /DEPTHPASSES TO GET GOOD RESULTS FOR EYE AREA AND SMOKERS LINES
johns
I have used this laser for two years, and it is by far the best lasers that i have used. It gives much better result that some non ablative lasers. It works very well on skin resurfacing , polishing the skin textures and reduce pore sizes. It also works well on some acne scars. I am extremely happy with this laser, but do ask for extended warranty if you decides to buy this laser. The laser seems to drop in power after extended period of time.
Mono
The DERMEO MEDIFLASH3 is at the top of the European market for a aesthetic and dermatologic treatments and has been FDA approved for the US. This may be a good introductory IPL for you. Under freedom pricing one has the option to buy the machine under a pay-per-flash option. The only consumable is housed in a small interchangqble carteridge eliminating the need to call in outside service for maintenance. Our warrenty is transferable and DERMEO has no re-certification fees so performs well on the second hand market if need be. See our site at http://www.dermeo.com/EN/produits.html or contact me at leanne.martin@dermeo.com
Dermeo
PLEASE CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME INFOR ON THE SMARTXIDE DOT LASER ,WANTING TO GRT PEOPLES VEIWS ON SETTING OTHER THAN THOSE GIVEN WITH THE MACHINE .SKIN TYPE 1/2.
johns
We are behind the times and have not jumped on the "fractional" band wagon. I think we are ready but there are too many out there to choose from! We don't need a multi-platform device as we have most other technologies. Of course, price matters but so do results, safety, etc. Although we've purchased all of our lasers, I'm thinking leasing might be better. I'd love some recommendations!