Prominent New Orleans Dermatologist Says SPLENDOR X Is “Head and Shoulders Above Every Other Hair Removal Device”

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hen the first SPLENDOR X– Lumenis’ state-of-the-art hair removal device–arrived in the US last summer, it went right to Dr. Mary Lupo in New Orleans. Having worked with Lumenis technology for over two decades at her Center for Aesthetic and General Dermatology, she had accepted the company’s invitation to introduce its new hair removal laser to doctors. First, she wanted to get a body of experience by using it on her patients.

“I used the new SPLENDOR X on many different patients for about eight weeks, so I would be very comfortable explaining it and presenting the scientific studies to other doctors. But when I started to use my older device again on patients who had returned for follow-up treatments, many of them said, ‘No, when are you getting the new machine?’ I was compelled to buy SPLENDOR X because it’s that superior. It’s singularly the best hair removal device I have ever experienced,” Dr. Lupo said.

Why Dr. Lupo thinks SPLENDOR X is an impressive improvement in laser technology, “head and shoulders above everything else on the market.”

“Besides featuring both the 1064nm and 755nm wavelengths for dark and fair skin respectively, with BLEND X™ we can use the two wavelengths in tandem to treat medium skin tones. It works on everyone.  With machines in the past, we’d use the 1064nm on type 4 skin, but now we can add in a little bit of the 755nm wavelength and we get better results.”

“SPLENDOR X features two forms of cooling technologies to completely eliminate pain: Contact and air cooling. It’s the most comfortable hair removal laser anyone will ever experience.”

“An integrated plume evacuator removes smoke and debris that are produced when the hair is destroyed. Besides eliminating odors, it also protects the practitioner’s working environment.”

“The 27 x 27 mm square-shaped spot ensures complete coverage with no overlap or untreated areas. More hair is affected during the treatment and patients require fewer treatments. The large spot size also speeds treatment time.  We can complete a man’s entire back in 10 to 15 minutes! I also expect SPLENDOR X will reduce the number of treatments needed on darker skins by 20 to 30 percent.”

SPLENDOR X has “revived the hair removal market in the practices of qualified dermatologists and medical personnel,” Dr. Lupo said.  Although she never abandoned the hair removal segment, she became disheartened when lower-energy, lower-quality lasers flooded the market, and med spas on every corner were offering treatments. “Hair removal turned into a commodity, but consumers turned away when they didn’t get the great results they expected.”

“When Something Better Comes Out, I Get It”

Dr. Lupo uses SPLENDOR X exclusively today, performing about 50 hair removal treatments every week. “I’m seeing more people for laser hair removal than I was seeing three years ago, when all the med-spas were promoting inexpensive treatments,” she said. Hair removal, in fact, represented the 4th most popular non-surgical procedure performed in 2017, clocking in at 178,488 treatments, according to statistics compiled by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

The 16- to-40 age group is the largest demographic for hair removal at Dr. Lupo’s practice. It drops off for the 50+ demographic because hair growth decreases, and hair becomes sparser as we age, she noted. Men will typically have treatments on their backs or on their necks, while women think it’s a necessity to remove facial hair and a luxury to remove hair on the bikini area, the legs and the axilla. “They do it for convenience and aesthetics,” Dr. Lupo added. Laser hair removal also eliminates the unsightly bumps from shaving, waxing or when other hair-removal methods are used.

Practicing general dermatology since opening her office in 1984, Dr. Lupo started engaging in cosmetic dermatology long before it was in vogue.  She purchased her first laser in 1999–the Lumenis LightSheer– which also distinguished her as the first doctor in New Orleans to adopt a laser hair removal device. “It was a compelling machine because it allowed me to treat medical and aesthetic issues with hair, including excess hair on my patients with PCOS and pseudo folliculitis on my African American patients. It also further branded me as the preeminent aesthetic practice in the greater New Orleans area,” Dr. Lupo explained.  Currently Dr. Lupo uses both SPLENDOR X and LightSheer, offering the most advanced hair removal solutions to her patients and keeps buying every Lumenis upgrade. “I invest in my practice and my patients, so when something better comes out, I get it,” she said.