There are three topics to address when committing to buy a cosmetic laser or IPL machine.

1. Is the aesthetic equipment repairable by a third party?
2. Where can you source parts for medical laser?
3. Is the cosmetic equipment reliant on consumable parts?

Repairing an aesthetic laser or IPL machine is a very specialized skill. Up until a few years ago, only the manufacturers were able to work on the equipment. More recently, third party repair companies have acquired the skill set needed to repair the cosmetic laser or IPL device at a lower cost than the original manufacturer.

When committing to purchase medical laser equipment, you should also research who you can go to for service aside from the manufacturer. In the research, verify with existing clients of the repair company to ensure they can deliver on the promise to repair your cosmetic laser machine. Some companies promise they have the specialized skill set, and then try to “wing it”, it is important you don’t find yourself doing business with such companies. You will need to cancel appointments and it will seriously impact your business.

The second question revolves around the parts for cosmetic laser equipment. Depending on the manufacturer and machine you purchase, it may be easier or harder to access the parts for the aesthetic laser. You should discuss with a specialist the parts that break regularly to ensure you have access to them at ease and affordable pricing. Even if you can find a third party medical laser repair company, its critical they either have the parts or access to the parts for your specific machine.

Third point is the aesthetic equipment consumable parts. Newer equipment requires consumable parts. The reason for this is simple, the manufacturer wants to make more money off you. Manufacturers like Syneron, Candela, Cynosure, Cutera, Palomar and Lumenis want to ensure constant revenue from you. Requiring consumable parts is the best way to do it. The parts for medical and cosmetic lasers are very unique. Don’t get caught after you buy the machine learning how much the consumables cost, add it into your calculation initially to avoid surprises.

Additionally, manufacturers will have the hand piece lock after a certain number of shots. Then they charge thousands of dollars to reset the shot count on your cosmetic laser handpiece. This is a way to constantly generate money as your practice goes. Some third party providers can reset the shot count for you. Just be sure to confirm all this before you commit to buy a medical laser or IPL machine. While the upfront costs may be less, the maintenance and consumable parts can easily add up to much more than the initial savings. 

Learning to enter this business efficiently from a cost and maintenance perspective will help you be that much more successful in a shorter time span. At the end of the day, it’s an investment, and you need to understand what your expected return on investment.