I have never been to a dentist or physician that tried to sell services based on equipment name brand, modality, or proprietary settings available only on their machinery. I have always assumed that everything at their disposal is designed along specific criteria that will achieve the same end result. When a consumer go to a restaurant, they never inquire into the brand of stove used to cook their food. Certainly there are many models with a variety of features but it is the skill of the chef that determines the end result, not whether the stove is computerized or has fancy lights or modes that other stoves lack. Electrologists need to STOP convincing consumers that the epilator does all the work and certain “magical” machines are capable of performing miracles. It is the skill of the electrologist NOT the epilator that ultimately determines success or failure with permanent hair removal.
There are are several fallacies and misconceptions with your post. I assume you are upset about a certain brand epilator being mentioned here frequently on HairTell, so allow me to just take that on. Many skilled and curious electrologists have stepped it up to the 27megahertz epilators, the Apilus Platinums, and are highly satisfied, as are their clients. Observations and compliments will not cease about a product so special. The cat is out of the bag. Consumers and electrologists like the Apilus Platinum and Pure and it follows that they will talk about liking it. If you used this epilator for one year, you would understand the excitement.
Secondly, you seem to assume that electrologists do not know the concept about SKILL being number one in our profession? I have never heard or believed otherwise. Skill is number one. It is very well understood and all are in agreement with this concept.
Lastly, advances have been made in all professions, including dentistry and the finer art of cooking. Why not electrology? I support electrologists who remove hair with skill and efficacy. I support electrologists who are open minded and willing to update their equipment and retrain as necessary. I support their right to rave about their observations with the 27 megahertz technology. You are free to rave about what you do.
If you have a great set up where hair is removed speedily, with less sensation and skin reaction, you will have no trouble selling your services. The Apilus Platinum deserves respect because when a skilled electrologist is in control of this epilator, you better plan to work six days a week because clients find a new love and yearning for electrolysis care when they experience what an Apilus Platinum can do.
I agree that the chef’s skill is essential. However, in this analogy there is one factor that nobody seems to consider. When we speak of electrolysis (continuing the metaphor) we are not charging for a dish, the customer is paying for the time spent on cooking the dish (chef´s time). There is a difference in time spent between whip the cream with a hand wand and do it with a super-fast industrial mixer. A dentist charges for the filling of a tooth, whatever time he needs to get it, this is his problem if he spends 3 days to fill the hole in the tooth. The vast majority of electrologists charge for their time. So the industrial mixer should be their bet, if they intend to spend some time in the business.
Anyone who spends any time reading HairTell has heard me say that a skilled Electrolysist can get the job done with an onion soaked in Gatorade connected by speaker wire, to a sewing needle… however, we would much rather like to do the job with an Apilus Platinum, in much the same way that a golf cart might get you from New York City to Key West, but you would much rather take that ride in a Mercedes Benz S-600 
I am not “upset” just making an observation from a consumer point of view. I believe electrologists should use the most advanced technology (I am not opposed to 27 Mhz), but when consumers begin chasing machines or modalities it creates the illusion that machinery is all that matters. Electrologists know that skill is important but the general public does not. As electrologists we do a poor job promoting what we do with our hands eyes and brain.
Maybe you should read more posts here, looking for those that stress the skill and experience of the electrologist. In my personal experience, I’m being treated with an Apilus Senior II (a 16 MHz machine) but Margaret (my electrologist) has many years of experience and is an absolute joy to work with. Her skill inserting the probe is unbelievable, and she’s very conservative about energy levels. Her goal is to remove the hair as effectively as possible, without causing excess impact to her clients’ skin.
I could certainly go to another electrologist who uses a 27 MHz Apilus Platinum machine, but I seriously doubt they could be any more talented than Margaret is at her insertions and use of energy.
I have read every post on this forum including those that mention practitioner experience, however the message is not reaching enough consumers. They continue to run after machines and modalities hoping for a quick fix. By the way, 16 Mhz is not an approved ISM frequency. Perhaps you mean 13.56 Mhz.
I think hair consumers are smarter than that. They know that there are differences in skill if they have been to more than one electrologist.
It is our job to remind consumers, and we do this repeatedly here, that they should sample as many electrologists as they can and compare their strategies and skills. I pay close attention to what my new client consumers verbalize to me. Many times they have complained how painful and slow electrolysis is. They tell me they can only take 15 minutes of treatment because they can’t tolerate the pain. I just smile and say okay! When 15 minutes is up, they tell me it isn’t bad at all and to keep going. They are excited and relieved. Part 2 excitement comes when they report that they healed with little fanfare.
That is the kind of news I will never hide and it is a very exciting development of the best tools that this profession needs if we are to remain viable. I was able to deliver fairly comfortable treatment with my Silhouette Tone VMC before there was an Apilus Platinum. The Apilus Plainum has leap frogged over many great epilators, but IMO, I like the advantages that Apilus offers with their newer product and will say so honestly.
It is time for me to purchase a new epilator. I plan to take a refresher coarse where I can work with the Apilus Platinum as well as other equipment. What is the user experience with Platinum software upgrades and technical support?
I have yet to see anyone do anything but rave about their technical support.
I’m with you, the choice of an electrologist should not be done depending on the machine he or she uses. I would feel very frustrated if I know someone requests or reject my services for what it’s called my machine. Evidence of this is that despite being the owner of 3 Platinums, I have not requested on the list of “Apilus center” that offers Dectro International, to promote the center. The client I want is a smart client (like Caith, for example), who appreciates the difference between someone who works hard to provide the most effective treatment, fast, and safe, or someone who only sells smoke covered by the work of good engineering.
However, I will reinvest every penny of my benefits if doing so, I can provide an improvement in the quality of service.
If Dectro commitment to electrology, I will be attentive to what they have to say.
Since I am not a computer genius, when I did my first software download I made a phone appointment with Jean-Louis and had my computer engineer son sitting next to me, just in case. The just in case part happened for me after the second step in the process. I gave the phone to my son and he completed the upload and download with Jean Louis. I need to do an update again and I have very little understanding of what to do. I do know that you need USB-A to Serial Cable, a username and password that Jean Louis provides and a zipfile installed on your laptop. I did ask a question on the Dectro site a couple days ago requesting a written step by step guide be put on their website, so I can update the software by myself whenever I need to. This information is not in my instruction manual.
I get help when I ask for help. They are there for us. My one point of feedback would be about the lack of written clarity for updating the software. I never know when i should update either. Communicating that on their website would be easy. In addition, I have always said that I would like to see an insertion counter on the screen as I work away that I can be easily reset when I start another area, without closing out of the client file.
The insertion counter thing is one of the only things that I feel Dectro has ignored our feedback on. Even in the Beta-Testing of the machine more than just me told them this was a feature they should integrate into the software system. We also told them that same thing when they had the SX-500, and when they had the SM-500.
Hairindicater, Once you experience for yourself,how comfortable this equipment is from the clients perspective,you will fully understand why consumers actively seek it out (especially if they have have already been treated by an apilus) Only then, will you appreciate why we value this technology so greatly.
Anecdotal claims pique my curiosity, however I am a natural skeptic and make decisions based on scientific evidence, not emotional responses (enthusiasm is not data). Other than proprietary “studies” internal to Dectro I am unaware of any scientific evidence that substantiates the claims made here. Does anyone know if the Dectro studies have been published?
What kind of study do you need to decide if a machine is worth what it costs? for me, it was quite simple. I looked for a volunteer, I did a test in a small area with my old machine, and then did the same with the Platinum. Then I went back to do another test with my old machine (if the analgesic effect had been). The difference in tolerance was enough to decide to make the investment. The speed was an added gift.
That approach works well for Probes too 
Yes Mike, it might be, but while you do not know what’s going on inside the follicle with the currents, you can have an accurate idea of how easily a good probe slides without the customer opens his mouth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcMa3v8MimI&feature=channel&list=UL
If you are referring to me, my name is not Mike. I know you are referring to Mike Bono and you are way off target both personally and about 2000 miles geographically.
Well, on this occasion I was responding to Mike Roy, the manufacturer of the Laurier probe, a magnificent tool by the way.
Have you had chance to test it?