Rosie at ST in Vermont has been my contact person. She told me that new ST epilators can not be purchases in the USA at all right now. The biggest reason is because customs won’t allow them through. She told me I was lucky to have gotten the machine I purchased in December through. If it turns out that the machine is unusable then the last thing I consider myself to be is Lucky. The second reason is due to the 5 mhz frequency. If it turns out that the machine is just too intense and can’t be adjusted to match the settings of my original machine that I purchased January 2002 that would explain ST discontinuing production of the VMC.
Dfahey I would be curious to know what year you purchased your VMC and if your presets on your machine are the same as the presets on my machine. Would you be willing to tell me what CPU and data version yours is. My original one is cpu 1.75 with data version 2.7. The new one is cpu 1.77 with data version 2.10. On my original machine for eyebrows in fine, level 1 with 0 tolerance it is set to 85% for .05s with UE equaling 24. If I remember correctly on the machine I just mailed in to ST the same fine, level 1, 0 tolerance was 85% for. 06s with UE equaling 44. It was so hot it would blast right out of the top of the folicle.
Very good information. Customs won’t let it through? Now I’m really curious to know more.
I need to unpack my VMC tomorrow and will answer your other questions. Yal, how can you be so lucky if it is too hot to use?
Thank you! I’ll check back tomorrow. 
I suspect the reason you had no problem getting the VMC through is it’s not a 5 mhz machine., Here is the problem not that it’s a “silouete tone” epilator.There would be no reason for customs to stop it a VMC To my knowledge the FDA and FCC hadnt approved that frequency but I could be wrong.In my eye this is a huge marketing failure on the part of ST. To produce an epilator then make it your “flagship product” and not have it available to the US market because of specs, is a HUGE problem for them. I hope approval is under way but I think they underestimated the process.
This has got to suck for their US sales reps too. Imagine having to say " I’ve got this fantastic new flagship product Oh, but I cant sell it to you. Here just buy a ST-250 and be happy with it."
Seana
Good post, Seana. I do hope this confusion is cleared up soon.
Good afternoon!
The VMC did NOT utilize the 5 mhz frequency.
Current USA regulations regarding the 5mhz frequency relates to its use as an Amateur/HAM Radio carrier. The relevant phrase in the rule states: “…The Commission also adopts an additional operational rule that prohibits the use of automatically controlled digital stations…” Which for their purposes, an electrolysis machine qualifies.
Now let’s reflect on the utter ridiculousness of this. If you wanted to interfere with the amateur radio bands, you could do that a whole lot less expensively than to purchase an electrolysis machine. The electrolysis machine would also be so low power, as to not be able to broadcast outside of the room it is being used in. You would not be reverse engineering it to send messages between Boris and Natasha about Moose and Squirrel.
Ah, but isn’t this what government does best? Artificially inhibiting your pursuit of happiness while pointing the barrel of a gun in your direction.
My Ex is a ham operator and one thing I can tell you is they are VERY organized and VERY defensive of their frequencies. While I can understand the scoffing at this, interference from any device, low power or not, is a reality. I still think it’s a mistake for ST to market a device they dont have clearance for the frequency on, in what is arguably their top market.
Seana
Its been a week since I shipped my machine off to Miami. My tracking number hasn’t provided me with any updates beyond January 7th. I haven’t heard anything from ST-Miami. I’m so anxious to find something out!
in case it isnt repairable:
http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-health-special-needs-Electrolysis-Machine-Sequentium-VMC-W0QQAdIdZ551632152
Thank you Seana! I’m so scared to try this again. I did send an email though inquiring as to the presets. I asked if they could give me one preset setting. This would tell me if its the same as my original machine at least. Do I dare take a chance and drop another $1200? I hope to hear soon about the machine I shipped Monday January 6th. I called yesterday and Miami still had not received it. Thank you again for the link for the VMC! I will keep everyone posted.
I’d hazard a guess that they will replace the probe holder and the other one will work fine, but it’s good to have a backup plan if it’s really needed.I suppose the worst that could happen is you’d have an extra machine to sell. The VMC’s dont seem too hard to sell if so.
Seana
I replaced the probe cord, electrode cord and footswitch before I sent it in. I was hoping that the problem was that simple but it wasn’t.
Tobehair ,
I was asked to deliver a message to you from ST. Please check your PM’s.
Evolution HD is available in the United States. Not sure on the price yet.
It is FDA approved .
The street price appears to be $6,000
The new Apilus seems to have a street price of $11,000.00 S-T may win the sales war on that point alone.
Well, I have asked someone if I could try out their unit, the Silhouet-Tone Evolution 5HD and I will be using it soon! Touch screen and 27 megahertz are the features.
Price depends on what options are offered and how well they work. The more options, the higher the price. I like trying different epilators to see for myself how well they work, as I have found that the rumor mill and others opinions are based on what they have heard and not on what they have actually experienced for themself. For example, over the years, I have heard comments such as, “I don’t want an epilator that controls me, I want to control the epilator”. The comments were usually directed at the Apilus brand. Where did this come from?! Sure, they have presets, but within those presets the thinking, breathing electrologist, with half a brain, can tweak the timing and intensity to her hearts delight. She or he can make their own recipes that’s just as good as the preset recipe made by Dectro. The possibilities are boundless. When I used a Silhouet- Tone VMC, I had presets and I could go outside those presets with that brand, too. The possibilities were endless. I have the Instantron Spectrum Elite in my office, no presets, but very, very easy to set the timing and intensity and I have total control with that unit and the sensation levels are the same as Dectro and Sil -Tone. Very comfortable!
When I had the Gentronics Digital, loved different options on that epilator, especially the multi-needle galvanic with 16 separate circuits. I was a new electrologist at the time, so I can’t attest to the comfort part because I was still a neophyte!
When it comes to epilator choice, I think price does pay a role with the decision making process, but you have to measure what options you are getting, sensation factors, and then you have decide if you do or don’t want those extra options. Competition is good for consumers because we can decide from a myriad of options offered if we will use those options or not. I’m delighted that our manufacturers work so hard to bring us a variety of tools. We need all the help we can get because hair is a nasty enemy and we don’t want our clients to suffer as we try to help them.
Dee,
You say 27 Mhz is one of the features…but:…From Silouete tones own web page on the unit:
The Evolution in 5 points
- Ultra-fast modulation at 2/1000 of a second, combined with the power of a low 5 MHz frequency.
- The touch screen ensures a simple, tangible and interactive overview of the treatment.
- Free WiFi access to the latest updates means being able to take advantage of an “endless” number of programs!
- The “post” mode allows users to perform post-epilation desincrustation.
- We finally have an environmentally-friendly unit!
Did you make an error or are the us sold units been changed to operate in the 27 mhzfrequency range to meet with import requirements?
Seana
Yes, it is 27 megahertz, Seana.
Maybe the rep from Silhouet-tone can explain this better, but what I THINK I understood was that the epilator starts at 5megahertz, moves to 13.56 megahertz and then to 27megahertz in one pulse. I probably butchered that explanation. I will alert her to this thread and maybe she can explain that better.
Did you ever get your VMC fixed and working?