The Future of Lasers in Beauty Treatments
Over the course of the last twenty years, propnents of both the medical and systematic communities have worked diligently to explore the benifits that laser hair removal devices may hold for medical care and cosmetic approches. As of today, such technologies are part of modern life, and have become integral tools to medical and cosmetology professionals.The use of laser, led, intense heartbeat light, radio frequency, and ultrasonic energies are now commonplace, and recent advances in the efficiencies of these technologies have finally created reproducible services and procedures that meet patient and customer expectations. So what does the future hold for these incredible technologies?
While surgical laser equipment, as an example, has become abundant in hospitals and outpatient surgery facilities, the biggest segment of market expansion has obviously been in the cosmetic and medical spa industry. At roughly $20 bln in annual sales in 2006, the hosptial spa industry is a an alliance to be reckoned with. Lasers and laser energy based techniques are at the heart of this emerging industry. In these environments, lasers and like devices are utilized for the permanent reduction of undesired hair, the removal of tattoos or sun spots, the elimination of wrinkles, fine lines, the tightening of skin, the treatment of acne, acne scaring and much more.
Medical Laser understanding and many other industry reporting groups have worked out that the medical spa industry will reach higher than $110 billion in yearly sales money within the next 10 years. As an essential component of this industry, there will without doubt be a conspicuous link with the expansion of equipment manufacturing and medical spa and dermatology support firms that may all stand to gain from the increasing recognition of these complicated skincare services. With each advancing year, the medical spa and dermatology world also becomes privileged to the introduction of new techniques and exciting new applications of energy based appliances. With each new technological threshold, the industry becomes strengthened and, subsequently, increasingly popular.
The advent of laser hair removal, laser resurfacing, skin tightening and other services over the previous couple of years have marked serious milestones in the evolution of this field. As industry leaders and research groups continue to work to comprehend the potential that these technologies hold, we will be able to only expect that each passing year will be marked by new applications and new tools to further strengthen this rapidly expanding industry.
Another subject of interest that will surely receive a large amount of attention with respect to the employment of lasers in skin care will be seen in related state and local legislative activities. Currently each state has been charged with the task of regulating its medical spas, but there are no 2 states that operate under the same actual set of rules. This is probably going to change as each state looks for a standard to follow. Common issues include the problem of what kind of professional is qualified to provide these services in a safe and efficient manner, what kind of education or training should be required, what is the role of the doctor, and how is the equipment itself to be controlled. It is likely to be at least ten years or longer before all of these issued may be settled and standard policies are accepted on a state basis.
The concensus is that lasers and energy based equipment are now part of the skin care industry and are now not a hi-tech concept. As the esthetics industry and its clients continue to hug these technologies, the sky is really the limit for what the next twenty years may hold.
