Why does laser hair removal cost so much? I can go on e-bay and purchase a used gentlelase (of course with a doctor friend of mine) for under 30K. I go to the dentist and get my teeth cleaned and x-rays taken on equipment that probably costs in excess of 500k and it runs about $65-$70, for over an hour, but over an hour of hair removal runs me $300 - $500 dollars.
Good Point. I know very little about x-ray machines and the like, but I imagine x-ray technology is relatively stable whereas laser technology seems to be in the middle of many technological advances. Basically an x-ray machine won’t need to be replaced for many years, where a laser practitioner may have to update their machine every few years and therefore needs to charge more.
A better guess though: simply because we are willing to pay. It’s just supply and demand. Once the industry becomes more established and there is greater competition, I would expect the costs to fall.
Hi:
I think that most laser practitioners would lease their machines, and very few would be buying used equipment which would not be warranteed. I would also imagine that there is a lot of maintenance,and also liability insurance involved in using such equipment. They probably have to be checked out occasionally to see that they are not emitting too much radiation, etc..
Just the glasses they make you wear cost a lot of money too.
Alicia
Thanks Alicia,
Whether the machine is used or what kind of maintenance is needed is still no excuse. Even new, if the laser costs 80-100k it is ridiculous. A family member of mine works for an orthopedic surgeon as an x-ray tech. His equipment in total is probably close to a million dollars (just an estimate) and his mal-practice insurance is well over 100k per year. He does laser knee surgery know as arthroscopy or “getting your knee scoped” and surgery would cost about the same as a package of hair removal treatments. By the way, a McDonalds cost around a million dollars total, including advertising, franchise fees, land, building, etc. They also have tremendous liability. Why doesn’t a double cheeseburger cost $20 or you can buy a series of 6 for $99. I am just kidding, but their prices are crazy. Even dentists have more liability than hair removal places, not to mention a dentist and doctor with residency have to go to school somewhere between 7-10 years. Many laser hair removal techs don’t go to school at all, get trained by the laser companies, or go to Rocky Mountain laser college for 4 days for $3000. By the way, the used lasers on e-bay come from many of the same companies that sell the new ones, so you can get maintenance agreements, etc. If I truly wanted to, I could buy a laser, get training, get a doctor, even the orthopedic surgeon to monitor my clinic, and be set up in a short period of time. I don’t think I could become a dentist or doctor in a couple of months. So unless those glasses your talking about cost around half a million dollars, the prices are simply cr-aaaaaaaaaaa-zzzzzy.
Simple, people are willing to pay almost anything to change their appearance. These laser salons know this and take advantage of our desperation. Its a cruel $ driven world. Malpractice insurance is not that expensive, liability not that high, greed very high.
exactly. any procedures that have a hope for getting rid of someone their insecurities have a high earning potential. people who are desperate for any kind of solution are willing to pay whatever it takes for it, even go into debt etc. so basically the laser places are just taking advantage of this.
I totally agree with you. By the way, malpractice insurance is that high for a surgeon, even more expensive. I said $100K because it was just to prove a point, the orthopedic surgeon I know actually pays more, and it is even higher for a cardiologist or anesthesiologist.
yeah, i don’t believe any of these rates are based on whatever their “true costs” are. that’s why when you shop around, prices vary by 100-200% a lot of times.
Thanks, I too have been shopping around for prices, etc. No one offers a guarantee on results, but many places offer a reduced priced long term treatment plan or retreats for a period of time. I can only reiterate that I would cover my butt and get everything in writing. Most dermatologists or plastic surgeons offices won’t set you up this way, so you also need to look at the experience of the tech.