That comes back to custody Dee. Most retain custody of the probe for the patient. That allows you to sterilize at your own convenience. Also, an autoclave is faster because it uses steam under pressure and lets the heat penetrate faster.
If I had to take custody of everyone’s probe, have them come in 30 minutes early and sterilize their probe before I begin treatment, this would be annoyingly inefficient. Jossie will clarify this point soon I’m sure. I probably am not understanding this well and I do agree that it would be most efficient to keep custody of the probe to put it through the same process as we do for our tweezers. Probes are critical items and strict procedure must be followed if they are to be re-used. I am very impressed with your probe, but again, the protocol that I use to assure sterility is cumbersome and time consuming. I am hoping to gain some pearls of wisdom as to what others do that may be less burdensome and time consuming for me, short of discarding after one use.
Most actually do not reuse them. Even Lucy complies with single use laws though she dosen’t have to in her NY offices. For an hour or more treatment, cost vs result, makes them feasable for single use. European duties raise the cost considerably, but in conus, reuse I find is limited to very short treatment patients.
They are tax deductable overhead, and when one considers the price of an average electrologist’s hour, not really all that much more expensive. The price has, after all, remained the same for 40yrs.
For operators outside the US it is another matter so their considerations differ.
The fact that they are reusable is a side effect left over from long ago. There is no way to cheapen the design without sacrifice of the very properties that make it work.
I agree with Mike. After using the IB probe, I just toss it in my sharps. I’m having nice results with these needles and they are now part of my regular arsenal of tools in the “never ending fight for permanent hair removal, truth, freedom and justice, oh yeah, and the ‘American way’.”
Okay, tossing the probe after single use sounds much better to me. Cost wise, even though probes are tax deductible, you still have to earn the money in the first place. You have a nice product, Mike, and I am impressed that the price has remained the same for 40 years. The probes I use now are about a dollar a piece. A single use Laurier is $2.66? I have no problem using a mixture of probes and will be using the Laurier for my longer appointments, as that would justify the cost. I say this, with the knowledge that the gold and insulated disposable probes I use mostly pleases me as well. So, the solution to using re-usable probes, that keep us satisfied that the clients safety is of utmost importance, is to discard them.
Blister packaging would cost $100,000, thus the price would go up to make these valuable probes less desirable for those electrologists who do not desire to go through the multi-steps of re-sterilization.
I’m glad to hear that most electrologists discard them. I was under the impression that they were purchased for their good qualities and the intent would be to re-sterilize.
When they were designed, reuse was a requirement. That went by the wayside in the early to mid 80’s due to more advanced infection control procedures. But as I said, now it is but a side effect of the design. May I suggest, offer your clients, at their cost, a comparison, and let them choose. I think you will find most clients more than willing to pay the difference.
Here’s a thought, yes they are durable, but as a manufacturer how would it be in my best interest to advocate reuse ?
So was my electrologist out of line putting my probe (needle) into my file and and taking it out for re-use at my next visits because that’s how she used it?
Not if she heat sterilizes it to ready it for reuse with you. Forceps for example, are each sterilized and stored in an approved manner between each use. Her storage method is a bit questionable, but if it travels straight from the autoclave to you, I would see no problem.
Oh and by the way, 25 divided by 12 is 2.08 not 2.66.
Is a dollar that important when compared to the resulting lack of irritation ?
I will upload photos of these needles.
By the way, Mike Roy, if you let me comment, for the love of God, do not sacrifice the quality of the needle by lowering the price.
I compare it with these expensive white truffles that are obtained only from northern Italy (Tuber magnatum). When I open my box of needles, I feel like Catherine Zeta Jones in “No Reservations”.
As if anyone is interested, the adhesive that holds the needles fixed in the box can be cut with a lancet, this keeps the rest of the needles fixed still in the box and offers more security to the client.
When the adhesive strip segment corresponding to the next needle is cut, you can pick up with tweezers and place in the needle holder. Our hands do not have to come into contact with the needle never.
If I was having a long appointment, where the probe could be well used then discarded, as in the case of my sister, I wouldn’t mind paying but I suspect the electrologist would absorb the cost. If it was a short appointment, personally I’d still pay the extra for the results. Not just skin reaction but they seem to before effective?? So the cost balances out. If a regular probe costs a dollar, the client is only paying a dollar more.
Perhaps Barbara was including shipping and handling in that 2.66 figure? You make convincing points, Mike. Thank you.
Bathing areas and public swimming pools are also likely to harbor these bacteria.
A couple of years, one of the municipal swimming pools had to be closed by an outbreak of salmonella, the bacterium was finally found in air conditioning filters.
Here there is a proverb which says: Better prevent than suffer.
Do not fear Josefa. My father would see the company close before sacrifice of quality. His traditions will continue.
We live in the country that invented the light bulb. We also live in the country that banned it. We save water by taking ten minutes to fill a coffee pot from an expensive faucet. We save electricity by paying five dollars for a light bulb that can poison you.
Change for the sake of change or profit is not always good 
The electrologist must determine the cost per treatment so that an appropriate charge per treatment can be determined. The Prestige catalog http://prestigeelec.com/cgi-bin/local-net/shopzone30.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=19&p_catid=7&sid=6vMDaJ2i@5O20qH-47111188909.51 has them listed at $32.00 per 12 and that comes out to $2.666666 each.
Obviously, my colleagues are loving the IB probe. Obviously, the product is made under the scrutiny of individuals who are passionate about their product and take a lot of attention to detail. My work as devil’s advocate is done. smile Now, I must determine what size of probe I will be trying and who will be the first client to try it out?
Bathing areas and public swimming pools are also likely to harbor these bacteria.
A couple of years, one of the municipal swimming pools had to be closed by an outbreak of salmonella, the bacterium was finally found in air conditioning filters.
Here there is a proverb which says: Better prevent than suffer.[/quote]
Prevention rather than control, I say! I am aware that children do end up consuming swimming pool water - and while meningitis* is a very scary disease (my small hometown suffered when a child died of this in the 1960s), salmonella** is food-borne. It is not spread in the air. The care that you are taking will definitely help prevent the spread of influenza and cold viruses. EVERYONE would benefit from the protocols you are following. The resources I am reading indicate that TB*** would be more of a risk than meningitis and salmonella when participating in services such as ours.
Another success of the needle Laurier. This time the hands of a young man. He asked that his hands were treated with the IB probe. This is the look now, 20 days later.
By the way, maybe the owner of these beautiful hands is the next one to write a success story in Electrolysis? 95% of the hairs of these arms will be permanently removed in record time, 9 months? WOW, the Electrolysis has never been a disappointment to me.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
On behalf of my clients, thank you very much Joseph Laurier.
Wow!
GREAT results (as always) Josefa!
To whom it may concern:
These parameters are really comfortable. Anyone can fall asleep during the session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh30ukUY1Kw&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
PICOFLASH
.002
99%…9 PULSES. Press 3 times on the pedal.
Probe:
