Technology guide

Pick the technology before you pick the model

Most buying mistakes happen one step earlier than people think: the wrong technology was chosen, and then a very good machine of the wrong kind was purchased. Each entry below says what the technology physically does, what it treats, and the two or three numbers that actually separate a good unit from a cheap one.

Diode laser hair removal

755 / 808 / 940 / 1064 nm

How it works: A semiconductor laser bar heats the hair follicle while contact cooling protects the epidermis. Multi-wavelength platforms mix 755, 808, 940 and 1064 nm so one machine covers light to dark skin.
What it treats: Hair reduction on face and body, including darker skin types when 1064 nm is available.
What to compare: Laser bar origin and rated power, spot size options, cooling method, and whether the extra wavelengths are standard or paid options.

See 11 models

Alexandrite 755 nm

755 nm · 4–18 mm

How it works: A flashlamp-pumped alexandrite rod emits at 755 nm, the wavelength melanin absorbs most strongly. Higher absorption means lower fluence is needed on light skin, but the same absorption makes it unsuitable for dark skin without careful settings.
What it treats: Fine and light-coloured hair on Fitzpatrick I–III, where 808 nm diode struggles.
What to compare: Rod and flashlamp origin and expected shot life, spot-size range, cooling method, and the cost of a replacement lamp — this is a consumable-driven platform, unlike diode.

See 1 models

IPL / SHR

515 – 755 nm filters

How it works: A xenon lamp emits broadband light that filters select the treatment window; SHR mode uses low fluence at a high repetition rate with the applicator in motion.
What it treats: Hair reduction, vascular lesions, pigment and acne, depending on the filter fitted.
What to compare: Filters included, lamp life in shots and replacement price, cooling method, and the real repetition rate in SHR mode.

See 3 models

Q-switched Nd:YAG

1064 / 532 nm · ns

How it works: Nanosecond pulses at 1064 nm and frequency-doubled 532 nm shatter pigment particles by photoacoustic effect rather than by heat.
What it treats: Tattoo removal, freckles, age spots, nevus of Ota, carbon-peel treatments.
What to compare: Pulse energy and true pulse width, number of shots the lamp/rod is rated for, and which handpieces ship with the unit.

See 4 models

Picosecond laser

1064 / 532 / 755 nm · ps

How it works: Pulses in the picosecond range deliver the same energy in a far shorter time, so more of it goes into fragmenting pigment and less into surrounding tissue as heat.
What it treats: Stubborn multi-colour tattoos, melasma, post-inflammatory pigment, skin texture via fractional lens arrays.
What to compare: The actual pulse width in picoseconds, wavelengths included, and whether a fractional lens array is supplied.

See 5 models

Fractional CO2 laser

10 600 nm

How it works: A 10 600 nm beam is split into microscopic columns that ablate tissue and leave untreated bridges in between, so the skin heals from the edges of each column.
What it treats: Acne scars, surgical and stretch marks, wrinkles, skin resurfacing and gynaecological modules.
What to compare: RF tube versus glass tube, rated tube life, scanner pattern range, and which probes are included.

See 4 models

Er:YAG 2940 nm

2940 nm

How it works: 2940 nm sits on the water absorption peak — roughly ten times higher than CO2. Tissue is removed in a thinner layer with less residual heat, so ablation is more precise and downtime shorter, at the cost of less coagulation.
What it treats: Superficial resurfacing, fine lines, shallow scars, pigmented lesions where minimal thermal damage matters.
What to compare: Pulse energy and repetition rate, fractional vs full-field handpieces, scanner pattern control, and whether a coagulation mode is available.

See 1 models

Thulium fibre laser

1927 / 1550 nm

How it works: 1927 nm sits on a water-absorption peak but absorbs about six times less than CO2, so it coagulates rather than vaporises and stays non-ablative.
What it treats: Tone and texture, superficial pigment, pore size, barrier-opening before topical products.
What to compare: Fibre lifetime, scanner size, and whether the 1550 nm option is fitted.

See 1 models

HIFU / ultrasound lifting

1.5 / 3.0 / 4.5 mm

How it works: Focused ultrasound deposits energy at a fixed depth — typically 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm — creating coagulation points in dermis and SMAS without breaking the skin.
What it treats: Face and neck lifting, jawline definition, body tightening.
What to compare: Number of shots per cartridge, cartridge price and availability, depths supplied, and whether cartridges are locked to the machine.

See 13 models

RF microneedling

0.5 – 7.0 mm

How it works: Insulated or non-insulated needles place radiofrequency energy at a controlled dermal depth, so the epidermis takes far less thermal load than with surface RF.
What it treats: Acne scars, enlarged pores, laxity, stretch marks; deeper tips for subcutaneous work.
What to compare: Needle count per tip, insulated or not, adjustable depth range, and the per-treatment cost of tips.

See 4 models

Vacuum + RF roller contouring

6 MHz RF · 10–80 kPa

How it works: A handpiece folds a skinfold in with vacuum, mechanical rollers knead it, and RF heats the tissue held inside the fold. Vacuum brings the target closer to the electrodes, so the RF energy reaches subcutaneous fat rather than dispersing across the surface.
What it treats: Cellulite appearance, circumference reduction, post-liposuction irregularity, lymphatic drainage sessions.
What to compare: Vacuum range in kPa, RF frequency and maximum power, number of handpieces and roller speed, and whether treatment depth is selectable.

See 6 models

Cryolipolysis

0 … −16 °C

How it works: Controlled cooling brings subcutaneous fat below its crystallisation point while the skin is protected by an antifreeze membrane; damaged fat cells clear through the lymphatic system over weeks.
What it treats: Localised fat in abdomen, flanks, thighs, arms and under the chin.
What to compare: Lowest stable temperature, applicator sizes and how many run at once, membrane cost, and whether handles are brand-locked.

See 7 models

HIFEM muscle stimulation

HIFEM · Tesla

How it works: High-intensity focused electromagnetic fields trigger supramaximal muscle contractions that voluntary exercise cannot reach; some platforms add RF to warm the tissue at the same time.
What it treats: Abdomen, buttocks, arms, thighs and pelvic-floor programmes.
What to compare: Field intensity in tesla, number of handles, whether RF is included, and the coil cooling method.

See 8 models

Ultrasonic cavitation + RF

RF + vacuum + cavitation · 180 W

How it works: Low-frequency ultrasound creates and collapses micro-bubbles in the interstitial fluid around fat cells; the collapse disrupts the cell membrane mechanically rather than thermally. RF and vacuum modules on the same trolley handle the tightening and drainage side.
What it treats: Localised fat deposits, body circumference, combined tightening protocols.
What to compare: Which modules are actually fitted (cavitation / RF / vacuum / lipolaser), power per module, handpiece count, and whether it is portable or trolley-mounted.

See 1 models

980 / 1470 nm vascular diode

980 / 1470 nm

How it works: 980 nm is strongly absorbed by haemoglobin and 1470 nm by water, so the two wavelengths cover surface vessels and interstitial work respectively.
What it treats: Spider veins, small varicose vessels, vascular lesions; 1470 nm is also used for laser lipolysis.
What to compare: Optical fibre diameters supplied, output power, and whether the unit is configured for surface or interstitial use.

See 4 models

Hydrodermabrasion

Vacuum + serum

How it works: A vortex tip combines gentle vacuum with a liquid stream: it lifts debris from the pore while delivering the serum, so exfoliation and infusion happen in the same pass.
What it treats: Congested pores, dull tone, pre-event skin prep, add-on modules such as oxygen jet or ultrasound.
What to compare: Number of functions actually fitted, tip types and consumable cost, pump quality, and whether solutions are proprietary.

See 3 models

LED phototherapy / PDT

7 light colours

How it works: Narrow-band LED panels deliver non-thermal light at fixed colours. Blue light excites porphyrins produced by C. acnes; red light penetrates deeper and is used for inflammation and post-procedure recovery. No ablation, no downtime.
What it treats: Inflammatory acne, redness, post-laser recovery, general skin conditioning as an add-on service.
What to compare: Which colours are fitted and their irradiance, panel size and coverage, session timer control, and whether it is a standalone panel or a spray-combined unit.

See 2 models

Cold atmospheric plasma

Cold & hot plasma · 42 W

How it works: An electrical discharge ionises the air at the tip into a low-temperature plasma. The reactive species it generates have an antibacterial effect and briefly increase skin permeability, which is why it is normally paired with a serum step.
What it treats: Acne-prone and post-procedure skin, barrier care, product-penetration protocols.
What to compare: Power and whether both cold and hot modes are supplied, tip types and replacement cost, treatment-head sterilisation, and the electrical safety documents supplied.

See 1 models

Shockwave therapy

1 – 21 Hz · 1 – 6 bar

How it works: A pneumatically accelerated projectile strikes an applicator, sending an acoustic pressure wave into tissue. The mechanical stimulus drives local circulation and connective-tissue response — it is mechanical, not thermal, so it behaves differently from RF.
What it treats: Cellulite appearance, connective-tissue firming, musculoskeletal and physiotherapy applications.
What to compare: Energy in bar and frequency in Hz, number and type of transmitters supplied (radial / focused / flat), compressor duty cycle, and transmitter replacement cost.

See 2 models

Skin & scalp imaging

UV · polarised · Wood's light

How it works: A multispectral camera photographs the same face under white, UV/Wood's, polarised and cross-polarised light. Each mode isolates a different layer — surface texture, melanin, haemoglobin, porphyrins — and software turns them into a comparable report.
What it treats: Consultation and consent, treatment planning, before/after documentation, retail and package recommendation.
What to compare: Sensor resolution and how many spectral modes are actually fitted, whether reports can be branded and exported, database and follow-up comparison, and whether software updates are chargeable.

See 6 models

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