Stereo Microscope

Hair Removal Methods Do-It-Yourself Electrolysis
#21

The only way you can have this question answered is to get a treatment or two from her. I lean heavily on my vision equipment to see ALL structures and colors of hair. I wear surgical magnification so as to protect my eyesight, back and neck so I can do longer appointments. There are many people who need and demand longer appointments and an electrolgist can deliver if she/he has a good set up.

There many electrologists that claim they don’t need quality vision wear, so if that is true, you can only find out by getting a treatment and noting the sensation and healing outcome. If you are pleased with her work, then continue. I think of an electrolysis set up as a triangle - excellent epilator > quality vision wear > quality lighting. Skill is the big factor and that can be found out rather quickly by spending time on the table. If one of those factors is missing, then you may still get permanent hair removal???

#22

If there’s one thing I’ve gotten out of Hairtell, it’s just that: LOOK FOR SKILL.

#23

HBR, wouldn’t that be, “I am still MICROscoping out electrologists.”?? Sorry, couldn’t resist! :wink:

I am new here, as are you, and just starting to use an epilator at home, so have nowhere the experiance level of any of the pros here you will read of. Dee & James both swear by quality eyewear; Dee uses custom loupes, James has the scope mentioned. While there are a ton of other things that can make for a good or bad treatment, let me tell you that having good lighting and good vision equipment makes a LOT of difference!

Good eyesight plays a role when using low power mag, such as a mag lamp, I am sure. And while my vision is still ok, I recently had to get glasses myself. And I tried some different mag ideas, looked at circle lamps, clip-on mags, and loupes, and even had some professional input while I was trying the equipment on.

But let me tell you, I got some 5X loupes, and while they are not custom like Dees (so could probably be better), and not as nice as James roll-around self-standing scope, in my vast 4 days of electrology experience (that’s a joke, folx), the loupes have allowed me to “hit the hole” much faster & easier than I think any mag lamp ever could. Sure, it takes getting used to, looking thru the loupes (read my other posts, there IS a learning curve), but once you start to get the hang of it, it’s more like looking at pencil leads than hairs.

Of course, when the client clears their throat, those pencil leads move quite a bit… (movement is 5 times larger as well as the hairs), but I am glad I listened to Dee & James and spent my $$$ on loupes instead of a lamp.

On the lighting note, I am using a 20W halogen lamp, and with the lower wattage, am able ot position it CLOSE to the work area, but I am considering buying a brighter, larger light source. A 100W halogen flex lamp can be had for around $100-150.

Good luck in your quest, HBR!!

#24

James, I have a question for you. I found a scope for a great price, but the buyer says it does not come with a light source. It includes a black rubber ring of lights that fits on the objective, but I am assuming it requires a pack to plug it into (a little box that fits on the scope armature I assume?) What would one of those light sources cost? I would fear it would cost more than the whole scope.

#25

Here are some LED lights & source boxes: http://www.amscope.com/Illuminator-1.html

If it is a fiber ring, you will need something like this:
http://store.amscope.com/hl250-ay.html

or

http://store.amscope.com/hl250-oys.html

#26

It would be nice if any of these sites gave you some kind of information to compare the amount of light that these things put out. I can’t function without being able to get a minimum of 12volt 75watts of light, but much of the detail work is done at 120 to 150 watts.

As these sites won’t even give me lumens to convert, I am left doing my “Johnny 5” impression; “Input! More input Stephanie.”

Be of good cheer dear Vickie. a stand alone light source can be had for a few hundred dollars. If you know anyone who is electrically inclined, you could have one built for little of nothing. It just has to give clean power to a 12v 150 halogen “projector style” bulb with mirrored shield, have a dimmer switch, and a fan to cool the heat produced by the bulb.

#27

I was hoping that someone here could help me with something. I am an electrologist trained at Dectro Academy in Quebec City. This is where they manufacture the Apilus machines. I have just started my practice last week, and am using a 3x magnifying lamp. The majority of my first clients were menopausal women with coarse, white/translucent hairs on their chin. I felt like I was working blind and it is now obvious that my lamp is inadequate!! I need to upgrade my equipment in a hurry, but $8000 is far more than I can afford right now. I’m wondering if anyone out there uses a stereo microscope as opposed to a colposcope, if a stereo microscope would be sufficient? Does anyone know? I’m desperate for help! Thank you!

#28

Let me know what your spending range is, and I may be able to help you out.

#29

$4000 is absolute tops with the shipping cost. I’d really like to bring it closer to $3000. I was able to find some ENT microscopes on Ebay for $1900 but they are coming from India and I feel really unsure about the quality they may be.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Surgical-Operating-Microscope-Dental-Ophthalmic-ENT-/140394191019?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b02558ab

#30

Thats a fairly large budget, which should be sufficient to buy galilei loupe microscopes similar this one: http://www.kaps-optik.de/keeler/keeler_detail_xl.php

In the very low budget range, my currently preferred magnification solution is an Eschenbach Labo-Clip 3x on a pair of glasses optimised for reading (i.e. almost 2 diopters plus).

This gives me a fairly large magnification - much better than the mag 3x loupe lamp i started with, unfortunately with a pretty low working distance.

And then, invest in good lighting: i recently upgraded from a 22w fluorescent lamp to a used reflector halogen lamp with 50 W - a big improvement both in light intensity as well as in adjustability, but still not always sufficient. Good lighting does not need to be expensive if You look for used equipment.

Beate

#31

Here is the same system I use, and it is under $8,000
http://cgi.ebay.com/CARL-ZEISS-OPMI-99-COLPOSCOPE-/110512301728?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bb0be6a

Not mine, but something in the same family:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wallach-Nikon-ZoomScope-Colposcope-Stereo-Microscope-/120557533118?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c11c9f7be

Another option:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Colposcope-Cryomedics-KR-Med-System-2001-Mod-59-/200440947356?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eab36229c

Also:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wallach-Colposcope-ZoomScope-/110513314136?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bb1b5958

But personally, I would hold out for a Zeiss.

#32

Hi James!

One question - if you buy a pre-owned scope, how do you get service if it needs repaired?

#33

Hi James:

That looks like quite the device. Very impressive!

I would just like to add that I have the utmost respect for
Karl Zeiss lenses. My eyeglasses are made with them and if
we’ve tried switching to another type of lens such as Nikon
I have issues with seeing as well.

I know they have been experts in high quality camera lenses
for a long time.

#34

Actually, the electrical device is a standard lamp control with dimmer switch, so if one had any problems with the electrical, it would be easy to find someone close who could do the work. Parts are available via Zeiss, and Ebay, and finally, one can either send it back to NYC for service, or have the local Zeiss certified service repair place fix it.

The only problems I ever had was power supplies and dimmers needing replacement, and even there, that had more to do with the TSA destroying one of my scopes. Luckily, I had a client who could refabricate the metal parts they broke.

#35

Those links you provided me were excellent, thank you James!
The Wallachs are so much more affordable, but I am still searching around for a Zeiss. I dont have that much time for browsing though, I have all my clients on hold because I dont feel confident enough to work on those hairs with a mag lamp.