Blinded by the Light—and More

Energy-based devices (EBD) are hot—figuratively (and sometimes literally). The global body contouring market is expected to reach $9.1 billion by 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 6.8 percent, according to a report from ResearchandMarkets.com.

There are numerous devices, platforms, and handpieces to choose from. It’s essential to understand the needs of your patient population before investing. Make sure any device provides a treatment that your patients are asking for and going to your competition for because you don’t have it.

It can be hard to choose from among the EBDs, so we reached out to some Cosmetic Surgery Forum (CSF) faculty members (including the founder) to find out what devices they wouldn’t want to be without.

Category: Muscle toning

Device: BTL’s EmSculpt

Why I love it: “It’s like doing 20,000 sit-ups in a half hour and you lose 19 percent fat and build 16 percent muscle. It’s a consistent, excellent machine. For abs, I tell patients they will need a minimum of six treatments and then after that I’ll recommend maintenance sessions every three months. Some patients need up to eight treatments depending on how etched they want their stomach to be. Now there is an arm handpiece to decrease fat and sculpt the arm area.”

—Jeanine B. Downie, MD, FAAD
Director, Image Dermatology PC, Montclair, NJ

Category: Nonablative Laser

Favorite Device: VBeam Prima

Why I love it: “The pulsed dye laser was the first laser brought into medicine in order to treat port wine birthmarks and paved the way for the development of the laser field in medicine. Not only that, but watching a laser physician use light to heal a child in my third year of medical school is the reason I am a dermatologist today. To this day, the VBeam Prima is one of my most used lasers. Coming from someone who has more than 70 on-site lasers, this is saying a lot. From rosacea to port wine stains, to scars, and more, the applications of vascular lasers are countless, making them a crucial component of any laser physician’s arsenal. I have been fortunate to participate in the development, study, and operation of several generations of the VBeam. It has not only been pivotal for my own success but will continue to be a force at the forefront of the lasers in medicine for years to come.”

—Jill S. Waibel, MD,
Medical Director and Owner,
Miami Dermatology and Laser Institute , Miami, FL

Category: Multiple

Favorite Device: InMode Workstations

Why I love it: “I like having workstations that can be very versatile. And with the various InMode workstations, one can use different modalities tailored to fit one’s practice. So having an intense pulsed light (IPL), deep radio frequency (RF) bulk heating, and microneedling is great. If hair removal and leg veins are needed, that can be included. And with microneedling, the new Morpheus8 is something to look at. It is one of the most deeply penetrating RF needling devices yet. InMode’s revolutionary approach to RF skin tightening with the AccuTite is proving to be game changing for some.”

—Michael H. Gold, M.D.
Medical Director, Gold Skin Care Center,
Tennessee Clinical Research Center, Nashville, TN

Category: Nonablative Laser

Favorite Device: CO₂RE system

Why I love it: “I do a lot of eyelid surgery; laser incision, and skin, muscle, and fat removal is truly a bloodless procedure with the CO₂RE. You can measure the total blood loss from four eyelids on one Q-tip. No bleeding means a cleaner surgical field, which allows for increased precision. Also, the lack of bleeding means faster recovery, less bruising and swelling.

“This laser is also extremely adaptable for facial resurfacing and offers numerous modes to adapt to the patient’s degree of damage. This ranges from the lightest treatments that heal in several days to the most aggressive treatments for severe dyschromia and wrinkles. It is a small machine and very intuitive.”

—Joe Niamtu, III, DMD
Cosmetic facial surgeon , Richmond, VA

Category: IPL

Device Name: Various

Why I love it: “My practice would not be able to function without IPL. I love this technology, as it has a remarkable utility in so many situations, ranging from lentigenes to rosacea to hemangiomas. It has continued to delight me since the early days in 1996 when I first found this amazing modality. There aren’t many of these that have had the longevity that this one has! Additionally, in general, this is a reasonably priced device that can and should be added to any new practice. That alone is a reason to consider it, but the ‘wow’ factor is the other.

“There aren’t many ‘devices’ that offer an immediate benefit with little or no down time. All in all, this is a home run!”

—Joel Schlessinger, MD, FAAD, FAACS
President, LovelySkin.com, Founder, Advanced Skin Research Center, Founder, CSF

Cosmetic Surgery Forum 2019 will take place at the JW Marriott Nashville from December 4-7, 2019. For more information, visit cosmeticsurgeryforum.com.