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
Lumenis: LightSheer, AcuPulse & UltraPulse > Is The Lightsheer Duet Worth Buying?
Charles,
The Duet is basically an ET with an extra, larger handpiece. If you like the ET and XC, you'll LOVE the larger handpiece. The question would then be not "to buy, or not to buy"... if you are thinking of purchasing a new hair removal system, and you are happy with the previous Lightsheers, that's an easy answer. The question would, then, be "new or used". If you are willing to put out the money for a new system, and pay for the service contract, then by all means- do it, and you will be happy. It is, technicially, a great system, and with the larger handpiece your treatments should be a lot quicker.
If you choose to buy used, take into consideration whether or not the seller will be able to provide service and maintenance on the unit. Not very many technicians can rebuild the handpieces on the older systems, let alone the newer ones. Do your research on the technicians or service company that will be servicing your unit if, in fact, you do purchase used and are told service is available or included.
One thing I always advise my customers when purchasing new is to include a clause in your purchasing agreement that makes full compliance with 21 CFR 1040.10-11 MANDATORY. This includes 1040.10(h)(ii) which requires that service information be made available to all who request it. New purchases carry a lot of clout, and THIS is when you should be requesting such information. This can save you a lot of money on service in the long run, especially if you decide to opt out of a manufacturer service contract once the warranty has expired.
For those who wonder why I always include this information in my posts- most laser and light based cosmetic/hair removal systems are technicially equal. Though clinical studies provide different results, these are usually based on purely TECHNICAL specifications ie. Yag vs. Erbium, 800nm diode vs. 640nm diode, etc. At the same spot size, wavelength, and fluence setting, any two systems are technically identical. This fact is what makes SERVICE after purchase the most import consideration in choosing a make and/or model of laser or light based device (or any medical device, for that matter).
Charles- it will be faster, no doubt. Better is questionable and dependent on what your definition of "better" is. It will be faster because they dramatically increased the spot size. The possible problem is that they didn't increase the power of the laser. The net of increasing spot size without a power change is less fluence. You simply are not destructing the follicle to as high of temperature when compared with the ET or XC. The million dollar question is how much fluence do you need to permanently disable a hair follicle? I'm not sure we know for sure. There is no question you can easily stunt hair removal with low fluences but it's been shown to regrow once you stop. If you repeat the treatment monthly for 5 or six months you will have hair removal. For how long is the question. On the other hand, because there is less fluence and suction it hurts less and maybe patients are okay with the tradeoff of permanence for pain reduction. I think the jury is still out.
dexter
I am considering investing in a lightsheer duet . I have been using the lightsheer XC and ET for hair removal and have been happy with results. Does anyone think the duet is that much better and faster that it is worth the investment for a busy hair removal practice?