Silk'n

Hair Removal Methods Do-It-Yourself Laser/IPL
#1

Here’s a link to a home IPL that’s coming out in late April: http://www.silkn.com/
I emailed them and asked them how much it would cost and they said $800 for the unit and $75 for the lamp cartridges which have about 750 pulses. I guess you also have to add in an unknown amount of doctor’s visits to that.

Their studies show good results and it covers more surface than the Tria. The big downside is that we don’t know how well it works in the real world. That’s why I’m not personally interested in Silk’n but I thought I’d start a thread for those who are. :slight_smile:

#2

We’ve looked at this machine on another forum. The studies are iffy. They did 3 treatments at 2 week intervals and are claiming over 50% reduction, which doesn’t make sense to anyone who is aware of how hair grows, i.e. in cycles, so this result is impossible. The setting is only only 5 joules, not enough to create any permanent damage to the follicle.

#3

Sounds fishy. If I were a doctor, I think I’d be reluctant to risk my reputation on this.

#4

I’m going to be seeing both new devices in Orlando on Friday. The studies you refer to leave much to be desired however I’ve spoken with two of the doctors who performed the study and they believe the Silkn to be a good remedy for home use. Later studies are showing up to 80% hair reduction however the results may not be permanent and may require frequent retreatments. The Tria is based on the lightsheer and many execs who developed and marketed the lightsheer are involved. I strongly believe the train has left the station on this technology and more coming within a year or so that I’ve seen. Will it be as good as a $100,000 laser? In a word No. That said they will soon be flying off the shelf as the simple convienence of a home based system that may require monthly sessions will very appealing to many. Forgive the typos as I’m typing on a broken keyboard…

#5

That’s neat. You’ll have to tell us what you think of Silk’n and Tria afterwards.

#6

Hi nickal.

You sound like you are involved professionaly with the hair removal industry and the future technologies. Thanks for the post and feel free to offer any other information you can.

#7

OK back from the show. Lots of lasers to see and it sounds like for the most part, laser sales are in the midst of a slowdown. I saw and demo’d both the Tria and the Silkn. First, do they work? In a word yes however I would not put either of them up against a Gentlelase for efficacy. That said the studies and the doctors involved in the trials agreed that indeed they will/do work. The Silkn is my choice as it was far more comfortable then the Tria. The Tria on the highest setting was pretty ouchy. P&G should be coming to the market soon with their Palomar device. Price points are currently north of $750.00. I’m going to begin carrying them by the end of the month at Forever Young MedSpa in Cooper City. It’s a great option for someone who has the time (1 pulse every 3 seconds) and wants home convienence. Additional tips can be purchased and if my memory is correct, one person can do their legs and underarms before needing another tip.

#8

Did you see any studies? What were their claims in terms of permanency?

What do you think of the 600ms pulse on the Tria? Do you think settings on either of the machines allows the follicle to be heated up enough to actually produce permanent damage?

#9

It’s interesting to see the evolution of the in-home laser market. For those with large treatment areas, not near a laser center, or feel timid about strangers working on them, the in-home laser is an ideal solution.

Having seen the success of laser first hand, with over 20 sessions for various areas, I can say high-fluence diode lasers do work for permanent hair reduction. However it seems most laser in-home systems are far too underpowered for permanent reduction (Rio, Epila, Viatek, etc), and resemble laser pointers in a fancy case.

The Silk’n is a lightbulb (IPL), not a laser. It’s designed for feminine hairs, likely because it’s limited to 5 J/cm2 on a 6 cm2 spot size. This doesn’t approach high-fluence laser solutions.

In my treatments I used a Coherent Light Sheer XC and required between 28 and 38 J/cm2 on a 12 cm2 spot size, over the course of 8 treatments for full arms.

The Tria (by SpectraGenics) sounds a little more promising, as it’s a diode laser that can reach 24 J/cm2. However with only a 1 cm spot size, and battery-only operation, how long would it take to do a large area?

The P&G/Palomar unit, another true diode laser, has been in development for 5 years and has had OTC FDA clearance since 2006 (the first one given). They recently finalized their licensing agreement, but has anyone heard any technical details or a launch date? If it’s OTC, it may be even less powerful than the Tria, but it would be the first widely available product that I know of.

#10

Good points. Tria also has a 600ms pulse compared to 10-100ms on professional LightSheer, and 3ms on GentleLASE.

#11

Having looked at both the Tria and the Silk’n at the ASLMS in Orlando, it appears that these home base systems will be able to put hairs into dormancy but will not be able to permanently remove hair. In other words, when you stop all the hair comes back.

Also based on what I saw and discussed with people at the show, these systems may not be able to put all the hair into dormancy. In other words, you buy the system, you use it on your legs or bikini or whatever and you have 90% of the hair in dormancy. But you still have 10% of the hair growing. And it appears that multiple treatments won’t change that. Of course time will tell.

We plan to sell it but I am not sure that it will “fly off the shelf.”

#12

You are planning to sell something you’re not sure gives the results consumers want?

Not sure I would put my name to something I did not truely believe in

P

#13

There is nothing at all wrong with selling something that you truly don’t think is going to give the consumer what they want. As long as you give an honest appraisal.

If what a client wants is permanent removal of the hair. This will not work.

If what they want is temporary removal of the hair like waxing. This may work. In some it will and in others it won’t. If a client is willing to spend $900 to find out and they understand the pros and cons, then who am I to refuse to sell it to them? They may be very satisfied with the results.

I would much rather they buy it from me where I am going to give them an honest appraisal (hopefully) than buy it from someone down the road who really just wants to make some money. Plus if they buy it from me and then later they want to move up to something permanent, then I am in a better position to help them mitigate some of the money they spent.

One of the thoughts I have had is to let them buy the machine and then let them apply the money they paid toward laser hair removal (with some sort of time limit). And that way they can have the machine and have laser hair removal.

Another option is to sell the machine to help control those pesky hairs that pop out once in a while. Assuming that it is helpful that way.

Does that help?

#14

If the results are similar to waxing but without the mess and ingrown hairs then I’d be happy with it. If it did nothing then it would be unethical to sell it, but that’s obviously not what you’re doing.

#15

I thought lagirl changed her name. Is this spamming?

#16

Well, it’s definitely self-promotion…

#17

Here’s a great example of a glossy, silky and sexy promotion for an private at home light-based hair removal device. The Crate & Barrel furniture in the bedroom is really cool and I liked the Victoria Secret nighties on this perfect woman. Oh, and the circular staircase goes beyond the ultimate.

“It’s quick and painless!” We all know that is code language for worthless. I’m surprised that a notable dermatologist like Tina Alster, M.D. is promoting this product for any amount of pay.

The light cartridge has to be replaced how often and at what cost?? Anyone know about that?

#18

This is one of the two products being discussed on that other thread. That and Tria.

#19

Nvm sorry (EDITED)

#20

I don’t think anyone is skeptical that it provides temporary removal. If that’s how it’s advertised, it sounds like a fine option for those who are looking for that.

Of course, personally, I don’t see how it’s better than other cheaper temporary alternatives like waxing.