There are huge number of devices available for purchase. If a salon was looking to introduce just one piece of technology, what would your recommendations be and why?
This was the second of six questions up for discussion at the fifth Professional Beauty Industry Roundtable.
Sharing their thoughts and on the key considerations toward introducing technology and equipment into a salon, clinic or spa was Mandy Gray from True Solutions, Karen Austin from Skin & Laser, Farshad Kazazi (Kaz) from Eden Laser Clinics, Daniel Clifford from ClinicalPRO, Bruce Byers from Cynosure, Metro-Dora Clifford from Beauty Thru Nature Skin & Laser Clinic, Mathew Green from Syneron Candela and Meredith Langley from The Beauty Room Cosmetic Clinic.
Almost all participants concluded one size does not fit all when it comes to choosing a piece of equipment – it’s was about having a bespoke solution that best suited your salon or clinic.
However, if they had to choose just one piece, Kaz recommended a laser hair removal device, while Mathew said you had to look at each business style and consider what was the best fit.
Mandy said she looked for the least amount of risk and her personal love was the Omni Lux.
Meredith also agreed that she loved her new Omni Lux and it had been valuable in helping her business grow, while Karen said she for a smaller investment she recommended the epiderma needling pen and for a larger investment, SculpSure from Cynosure was her equipment choice.
Bruce said short pulse technology was always in demand, while Metro recommended HiFu for its anti-ageing properties and the Q Switch Laser which removed tattoos.
Daniel said it was important to help his clients find their where their interest or passion was and focus on that.
Watch the video below for the full discussion.
Kaz:
“The modern day laser clinic does about 50 percent in laser hair removal. It’s important to have the right technology for this purpose. With this technology also comes some skin correction. But the majority of the revenue will be laser hair removal. I choose the Candela Gentle Laser for my business. Of late, we’ve been ordering the Gentle Max Pro, which basically covers the spectrum of all skin types. So no one is too light or too dark to be treated on the Gentle Max.”
Matt:
“Is it a highly diversified business with a lot of treatment offerings? Or is it one where they really specialise in one thing? Because if the salon is very diversified, a multi-platform system could be a really good idea and most manufacturers make something like that. Alternatively, if it’s a very focused business, it could be tattoo removal, or body sculpting or they might be skin focused. So a multi-platform may be overkill, be an over investment. You need to make that determination first. What’s your business style, what’s the best fit?”
Mandy:
“I look for the least amount of risk. So I’m particularly interested in devices that are atraumatic, particularly in the salon market. My personal love is Omni Lux. An LED that has all the clinicals so you get the results, safely. Most of our machines are still on the market 12 years later. With no consumables people have had more than their return on investment. I was lucky to be working in this industry in the eighties, when we were looking for really gung-ho things. And we used to say facials were fluffy – we were quite disparaging. I feel there is now a reversal. If you can deliver high technology in an environment that’s pleasant, and give an experience that’s pleasant that has legs. And that has longevity. Sometimes people say, ‘Oh this is the newest’. But I want to know what’s the best.”
Meredith:
“My new Omni Lux Lounge which I’ve built in my clinic. Most of my clients are busy working women and they want to duck in and have their treatment that will give them short-term results as well as long-term results. They want to look glowing and radiant now, feel relaxed, leave without any heavy trauma to their skin, but also see that long-term result. LED light therapy has been really a wonderful device for our clinic. It doesn’t take a lot of skill to use them, so our junior staff can operate them. It’s been really valuable in helping our business grow.”
Karen:
“For my clinic, there’s two types of investments. For the smaller investment, definitely the epiderma needling pen, it’s been amazing for return on investment. And the results are really good. For a major investment, SculpSure. That has turned my clinic around. Return on investment, excellent. Results incredible. That would definitely be my piece of equipment choice, the SculpSure from Cynosure.”
Bruce:
“Hair removal is definitely a very popular modality all over the world. But once the hair is gone, it’s gone. And what we like about our short pulse technology, our Q Switch Lasers, is it’s an ongoing stream of revenue for the clinic owner. Because as long as you’re living and breathing and you have UV destruction happening to your skin, they can keep coming back, and it’s almost a treatment for life. So if you’re looking in terms of revenue, return on investment, those type of technologies, I I’ve seen to be very popular with our clinics throughout Australia and throughout other parts of the world, is the fact that people want their A-game going on with their skin right now, with their face. That’s what everybody sees. And I’m thankful that we have that ability to offer that type of technology. SculpSure also, we’re finding non-invasive body contouring to be a major hit now. Because everybody has a little bit of pinch-able fat that they want treated. So that definitely has also been a big game-changer for everybody getting into this industry.”
Metro:
“Seeing that we have such a high growth of Asians in our country now, most of Asians don’t have a lot of hair, so they focus mostly on the skin. Asian skin dehydrates really badly, very quickly and they don’t like the lines and wrinkles, they like the nice firm toned skin. So we would go for the newest technology which is the HiFu, high intensity, focused ultrasound. It’s something that goes deeper than lasers. Also the Q Switch Laser. Every second person has a tattoo, but obviously they have a regret, and need it removed. It keeps the skin really in good condition. Those two pieces of equipment, if they don’t have to remove a lot of hair.”
Daniel:
“We meet people that are in the start-up phase, and also people in high growth phase. For a new start-up clinic or salon, they might be trying to set up in a way that is demonstrating their passion in something that they wanted to care for the skin and share that with those around them. But they can’t enter in in a market that is focused on that and also compete. They do need to compete on something that’s different. Having a clear point of difference is critical, but so is making sure that it will meet their plan of growth. We always hope a new start-up clinic doesn’t close down. We hope they do grow, and desire to further relationships with their supplier. And if that’s us, then it’s great, but we then have a variety of different products that meet that growth stage, or that initial stage. However , for a clinic that is already up and running, they might want to introduce a cryotherapy, or a Q Switch system, and once again it’s how does it meet the need? Is it tattoo removal or is it pigmentation treatment, or is it body shaping? How will it grow their business? And it comes back to that understanding. So we like to help our clients find that interest or where their passion is, and focus on that.”