The Facts About Phototherapy

By: Giora Fishman, September 25, 2009

Phototherapy

According to the 2008 trends survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), expensive, invasive skin care treatments and rejuvenation procedures are losing their edge in this economy as clients seek more affordable, less severe options. This presents an interesting opportunity for spas. Despite tight budgets, decreased profit projections and overall belt-tightening, it may be worth investing in phototherapy equipment. Phototherapy is a broad term used to describe treatment procedures that utilize light. The spa industry typically relates it to treatments of skin conditions using intense pulsed light (IPL) or lasers. Phototherapy equipment emits the light and heat energy that is used in treating skin. The ability to offer noninvasive, nonabrasive skin treatments may help your business weather this economic storm and place it in a winning position when the clouds clear.

How can phototherapy equipment help? Investing in phototherapy systems is an efficient way to increase menu offerings, keep up with the latest skin treatments and provide clients with more affordable skin care solutions. Today’s clients are exploring their options and becoming more discerning in their choices about where to spend money and on what services. Many spas have reported that some clients have stopped coming in regularly—even completely—while others have chosen to go elsewhere for less expensive and less invasive treatments. Attracting this loose clientele with photorejuvenation or photoepilation can help to grow a shrinking client base. Offering these treatments may not only bring in more clients, but they also may help keep current clientele from seeking the same types of services elsewhere.

How it works

Phototherapy works by light interacting with chromophores—chemical groups in the skin that absorb light on a specific wavelength. The light interacts with the targeted chromophore and produces the desired reaction. Hair removal, sagging, dullness, wrinkles, sun spots, spider veins and acne can all be treated using phototherapy. An efficient system can treat multiple conditions from one platform, saving the need to invest in more than one unit. Phototherapy treatments are considered fast, safe and virtually painless with very little, if any, downtime. The cost to the client is much less than surgery, injections or lasers, and the results are impressive, with a high rate of client satisfaction.

The price of phototherapy devices varies broadly depending on applications and energy levels. For spas, low-energy devices average approximately $3,500 and for clinics, they can cost $45,000 or more. Laser devices can range from $80,000–150,000. On average, spas can charge $250 for a 75-minute microphototherapy treatment and, in a clinical setting, $400–600 is the average charge for a photofacial.

Accredited cosmetician Susan Harubin is the owner and operator of the Zen Glow Skin Care & Day Spa in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. She recently invested in a small, multi-application phototherapy system for hair removal, pigmented and vascular lesion treatment, skin rejuvenation and wrinkle reduction. “If someone told me a year ago that I would be making a major purchase to add to my practice, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Harubin says. “ ‘Too expensive,’ I would have said. ‘I can’t afford it,’ I would argue. Well, guess what? I did, and I am thrilled to report that it was the best purchase I have ever made.”

 

Do your research

Harubin emphasizes the importance of doing research to find the right machine. In her case, she needed a results-oriented, easy-to-use, affordable system that would enable her to deliver photofacials and hair removal at reasonable prices. Due to the diverse ethnicity of her clientele, she also wanted a system that would safely treat a wide range of skin types and hair colors. Many machines can be used on all skin types, but light-based devices are typically ineffective in removing hair that lacks pigment, such as blond or gray.

Phototherapy treatments enable spas to upgrade and expand service menus to include a wide range of treatments. Each business and location has its own special needs and circumstances. Before investing in any system, do the research. Understand what your clients are seeking and how much they are willing to pay. Phototherapy is a wonderful tool to help maintain relevance and individuality in an already-saturated market, but is it right for your existing and potential clients? Look for a system backed by a reliable, established company that offers after-sales support covering both marketing and service.

Find the system that is right for you. Does it provide all the treatments you want in one package? Do you have to buy additional accessories for different services? What are the costs of maintenance and replacement parts? Does the price fit into your business plan? Keep in mind that today’s is a buyer’s market. Companies are eager to sell and may have more flexible financing and payment options than they did at this time last year. Market research is no guarantee, but it will help narrow down your possibilities and allow you to make the most informed decision possible.

Smart business owners know when to expand and can look to the future without ignoring the reality of the present. If the beauty field continues to follow historic precedent, people will continue to spend, albeit more wisely and more frugally. Taking positive action by keeping your menu offerings relevant will help build a stronger client base, even today. And for tomorrow, when spending is on a rise, your business will already be in a strong position as a respected and experienced establishment for quality, high-end skin care.

FTD Youth enhancing Skin Care Device Assessment

Chubb Schmeling, 2012-01-29

For most people, especially women, looking young and radiant is important. This is the reason why many companies have introduced several products and treatments to consumers which make an effort to stop and even slow the skin's aging method. The market for age reversing products such as youth enhancing skin care devices is now very large this is why companies will do everything to compete your money can buy of the consumers. But, do these anti growing older products really work? Let us look at one of these simple products, Radiancy's FTD - a healthy skin care device that has acquired raves from consumers, especially spa owners. Read more to learn why.
What is FTD?
FTD is a skin care device which emits gentle pulses of light and also heat energy that work deep within the skin. In clinical studies, FTD was proven to supply the anti-aging results that consumers are already looking for. Studies have shown that skin care device, with regular use, creates a natural warm glow and homogenizes your skin layer tone. As for its anti aging effects, studies and tests have shown that it minimizes signs of skin aging including fine lines and creases with regular use. Apart from that, the FTD also raises the skin's elasticity and stimulates collagen production making the skin look more firm, younger and healthier. Tests have also shown so it helps decrease pore dimension.
FTD Safety
With regards to protection, FTD is very safe to work with. If used correctly, this skin care device won't harm skin. Correctly, meaning, using it for the required amount of time and not overusing this. Well as they state, too much of something is bad. The same goes along with such devices. Unlike anti aging creams and serums, this skin care product doesn't use any chemical based ingredients so there is certainly really very little to no potential for side effects.
Spa owners and aestheticians with FTD
With FTD's numerous benefits, no wonder spa owners are raving about this. Spa owners are constantly looking for cutting edge skin care devices which could help them offer fantastic treatments with real brings about their clients. According to these aestheticians, FTD has been the top investment they have ever made in their business. The device has offered noticeable results every time which makes their clients come back for more.
This cutting edge natual skin care device might be quite expensive, but the test results and the testimonials of its users have become difficult to argue using.

For more information, http://ftd.lifvation.com/, http://www.lifvation.com/index.php?route=common/home

Beauty should be scar free but different technologies carry different risk with Laser topping the high risk category.

Singapore, 3 Feb 2012

Beauty is no longer skin deep but in today’s white collar world, looking good is the needed competitive edge. Many high power executives are going to the skincare specialists to get the edge. Getting edge is important but safety should be foremost concern. Unfortunately, many people going to their skincare specialists put effectiveness and price above safety. Here is an investigation into the usage of laser and the horror stories that had been uncovered.

 

Laser treatment gone terribly wrong:

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/WFive/20120127/w5-laser-hair-removal-120128/

Cosmetic laser treatments are one of the fastest growing medical procedures. They're used for hair removal, skin tightening, and wrinkle reduction. And they can produce amazing results.

They're sold to you through online daily deal sites, at hair salons, medical spas and even tanning salons. The ubiquity of the marketing has lulled many patients into thinking it's as safe and "pain-free" as advertised. But put one of these lasers in the hands of someone without the right training, and you can end up with permanent skin damage.

Cosmetic lasers and "intense pulsed light"(IPL) machines are Class 3 medical devices. They're powerful machines with the capability to damage your eyes and permanently mark your skin.

Right now, as W5 learned, anybody can use these high-tech and high-risk medical devices. In fact, laser treatments are one of the most unregulated medical procedures in Canada. You don't have to be a doctor or have any medical training.

Dr. Lisa Kellett, a Toronto dermatologist with 20 years experience, is frustrated by the lack of regulations. Every week, she treats patients injured from poorly-trained practitioners. Patients have suffered severe complications: burns, pigment change, infections and permanent scarring.

"I really feel for them because they went to the wrong place, had the wrong person do the treatment, or used the wrong device" said Kellett.

In Guelph, Ont., Dadra Douglas wanted to try "laser skin tightening." After the birth of her two children, she soon realized her daily workouts weren't enough and she was longing for those "six-pack abs" again. She was told about a great deal offered at "Phoenix Laser Spa." On their website, they advertise "a private friendly atmosphere" and claim all their treatments are performed by "certified laser technicians."

Dadra says she was told the procedure was risk-free, there are no side effects, and it's relatively painless. Instead, Dadra's abdomen was left covered in rectangular blistering burns.

"It was like burning-on fire burning…and afterwards the skin was raised and black which meant the skin had literally been burnt off," Dadra told W5.

W5 asked Phoenix Laser Spa for comment about Dadra's injuries and their practitioners' qualifications to perform laser treatments. Approached by W5's Beverly Thomson Loraine, who treated Dadra claimed that the injuries "Aren't that bad. It was just a freak thing."

She also defended her credentials and said, "I do think I'm qualified. I do it on myself all the time. And there's no problem. It's just that a lot of people know..you should always research things yourself."

Going undercover

Stories like Dadra's prompted W5 to take hidden cameras into beauty salons to investigate the advice given to prospective customers. At several randomly-selected salons, our secret shoppers were told that there are no side effects to worry about at all.

According to Kellett, patients should be warned there are risks to every medical procedure.

On hidden camera, aestheticians told W5 that the one machine in their salon was safe for all skin types. But Kellett, who has six different lasers in her office, said this is false and misleading.

"One device is better for lighter skins and one device is better for darker skins and, for us it's a safety issue," said Kellett.

Since most people end up going to a dermatologist for treatment of their scars and burns, W5 asked the Canadian Dermatology Association to survey doctors across the country on our behalf. We wanted to know how many of them had treated patients injured from cosmetic laser treatments.

Dermatologists fixing laser treatment burns, scars

The CDA's survey results show that "73% of dermatologists surveyed have treated patients for burns, scars or other wounds sustained after seeking laser treatments."

"I was shocked. I had no idea it would be that high," said CDA president Dr. Denise Wexler. "These are very powerful machines and they cause tremendous damage or they have the potential to and I think it's a real gap in our regulations."

Dr. Howard Bargman, director of Laser Safety at Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital knows just how dangerous these medical devices can be. He admitted even physicians can make mistakes.

"I have over the years caused minor injuries to patients," said Bargman. "It's inevitable as careful as you try and be. So I don't want to stand here and say I've never injured a patient…but at least if I do, I'm prepared to look after that injury."

Calls for regulation

Bargman is concerned about what he describes as the government's "wild west" approach to these cosmetic procedures.

"I'd like to see the government get involved and impose regulations and restrictions and have people certified by the government so that they know what they're doing with these instruments."

Bargman has spent a decade trying to convince Health Canada to regulate who can use these potentially dangerous devices. He told W5, "I've approached government many times and I've actually received no response."

When W5 asked Health Canada for an on-camera interview, the department declined our request and said the regulation of these medical procedures doesn't fall within their jurisdiction and claimed that Health Canada only regulates the safety of the equipment and that the "Practice of Medicine" falls under provincial jurisdiction.

When W5 asked the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care about their regulations, they told us they only regulate health professionals.

And "if the operation of the laser is being performed by an unregulated individual, then local public health inspectors under the Health Protection and Promotion Act could inspect the laser to see if it constitutes a health hazard. However, the public health inspector could only inspect the laser from an infection prevention and control perspective - they wouldn't be able to assess if the laser functioned properly from a mechanical perspective."

In other words, the Ontario government doesn't regulate who uses the cosmetic lasers either. It seems like no government agency is taking responsibility for cleaning up this beauty business.

Armed with the results of their survey, the Canadian Dermatology Association is planning to take the lead and is developing regulatory guidelines.

The association told W5 that they will be advocating for the support and adoption of these guidelines in light of the astounding number of improperly trained personnel and the extent and severity of patients' injuries

UPDATE (Jan. 31, 21012) : The Canadian Dermatology Association has issued a response following the W5 investigation [PDF].

Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/WFive/20120127/w5-laser-hair-removal-120128/#ixzz1lHeHi4QX