Instead, people are now more apt to buy $1,000 to $2,000 multi-procedure packages designed for people wanting to look 10 years younger for the job hunt.

Tenenbaum says a lot of new technology is focusing on integrated systems. Every medi-spa is going to have a laser on hand, but the technology really moving in is IPL, as well as radio frequency and ultrasound systems for "sublative rejuvenation" and "circumferential reduction."


Syneron's eMatrix is a good example of the turn toward the minimally invasive. According to Tenenbaum, the system uses bi-polar RF radiation that helps to spare the epidermis and instead heats up and breaks down deeper tissues, which activates the production of more collagen.




"It relatively saves the epidermal layers of the skin," he says. "Older fractional technology would use different kinds of lasers, but it can be at a very high cost to the epidermis with significant downtimes and probably a longer period of significant redness. It's best to offer multiple types of treatment using many energy forms in the same product. It allows you greater flexibility for the specific patient and skin type, which is harder to do when you use only one modality."

Russell says these minimally invasive technologies are showing impressive results, but more long-range studies need to be conducted to determine the long-term effectiveness of these treatments.

Weighty possibilities

Cosmetic laser procedures are increasingly advancing from medi-spas into family OB/GYN medical practices, because they offer an ideal and ready-made patient population. Russell says about three-quarters of the clinics' patient population is considered overweight or obese.

"For the last three years we've seen a huge increase in medical weight management," says Russell. "The most profitable procedures are weight-loss related. I think one of the trends we'll see for lasers is weight-loss clinics, and medically supervised weight loss clinics will also be adding minimally invasive laser technology to their centers."

The plentiful secondary market

Many of those surveyed described a shrinking number of laser-treatment providers and a greater number of used lasers on the market.

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