How to INTRODUCE a new LASER into your CLINIC

Real You Clinic’s qualified GP Dr Kathryn Taylor-Barnes has owned her clinic for over 17 years, but she knows how crucial it is to keep up to date with new developments. Taylor-Barnes describes how introducing a new Nordlys laser device by Candela into her Richmond clinic has benefited her business

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO INTRODUCE A NEW LASER TO YOUR CLINIC?

My focus has been mainly on injectable treatments and improvements of the skin using medical advice and skincare. In more recent years, my client base has remained very loyal, but they’ve also aged. That has brought additional skin issues, including pigmentation from sun damage exposure, vascular issues and textural issues related to the ageing process. I felt I needed another treatment modality to address these issues.

WHEN RESEARCHING WHICH NEW DEVICE TO PURCHASE, WHAT KEY FEATURES DID YOU LOOK FOR?

After 17 years, I’ve honed quite a good gut instinct. I have a good rapport with my loyal patients, so I turned to them to guide me, as well as aesthetic medical journals and online resources. I took stock of what’s current and trending, as well as what is long established with international companies that are highly regarded. I then found a couple of brands and it was a case of troubleshooting the pros and cons. I developed a good relationship with a trusted salesperson from one of the companies. That, together with trialing a machine with one of my longterm patients and getting feedback over time, allowed me to make a good assessment.

Before and After

WHY DID YOU EVENTUALLY CHOOSE TO INVEST IN THE NORDLYS BY CANDELA?

It was a highly effective device that was quiet and not too large, due to my clinic restraints, and it did what it said on the box. I’m very attracted to multi-platform devices because I don’t have space for multiple large machines.

WHAT TRAINING DID YOU DO TO PREPARE FOR USE ON PATIENTS?

I watched a lot of webinars, some of which Candela provided, as well as training with their salesperson and clinical team. I had multiple visits from my Candela contact, who was extremely patient and knowledgeable. They held my hand until I got started with the machine. I also had a group of patients who knew that I was learning and were prepared to give me some space and leeway to build my confidence over time.

HOW DID YOU MARKET THE TREATMENT TO BRING IN PATIENTS?

I think taking consistent photos is important so that you get before and after shots, which encourages new patients to consider this treatment for themselves. I use my patient pictures 95% of the time instead of ones from the machine’s marketing pack because I can talk about them – Iknow their histories, the problems they face and how they felt. I heavily use social media to get the word out that I’ve got a new treatment and encompass the before and after photos, patients permitting. I also cherry-pick patients that I feel would benefit from the device and during their consultation for other treatments, I’ll introduce the idea to them and show them photos. Because it’s a multi-platform device, there is often something on the machine that would suit them. It’s often really well received, and patients are delighted and enthusiastic about the prospect of further self-improvement. They already have confidence in me from years of experience coming to the clinic, so they’re often happy to at least try the treatment.

DO YOU TEND TO VARY YOUR TREATMENT PROCESS DEPENDING ON THE PATIENT’S REQUIREMENT?

I try to prepare them that there will be some downtime with the treatments, particularly if I’m stepping the treatment energies up, to allow them to have fewer, more effective treatments. If I can get the patients to prepare their life schedules so that they can take some days off for recovery, then it allows me to improve the energy or the parameters on the machine so that we can achieve more with the sessions. This has been a learning curve, but I’m now gathering more confidence with the machine. Provided patients are warned and they’re able to see other patients’ treatment recovery diaries from day one to day seven, they are in more of a mindset to accept it. With the change in an office environment, patients often work more remotely, so having downtime in a working week is perhaps more possible now than ever before. Turning off your Zoom camera for a few days is often a light relief from face-to-face virtual interaction.

WHAT RESPONSE HAVE YOU HAD TO THE NEW DEVICE?

The feedback from my patients has been incredible. It’s almost transformational - the renewed enthusiasm they have for their skin is a joy to see. Often these patients have lost their way in terms of compliance with sun protection or self-care, or not realising the impact of environmental factors, but being able to reverse the skin ageing by years with dramatic results helps to ignite their enthusiasm and get them motivated for a healthier future for their skin.

HOW DO YOU COMBINE TREATMENTS TO ACHIEVE THE BEST RESULTS?

I am now incorporating something called iPRF (injectible platelet-rich fibrin), which is a patient-derived serum with platelets. When applied to the skin shortly after laser resurfacing, it can help to promote much more rapid healing. It’s a perfect environment for that newly lasered skin to repair and start the rejuvenation process. Having a CQCregistered clinic skilled in phlebotomy, the union of these two treatments seems to fit in perfectly.

DO PATIENTS WHO REQUIRE CORRECTIVE TREATMENTS NEED A LONGER TREATMENT PLAN?

Patients who I have successfully used medical treatments to help control, reduce and halt aggressive acne are often left with scarring, which is quite distressing once they’ve cleared the active infection. The scarring is still confidence debilitating, with patients trading off one discolouration for another textural problem. I’ve turned to my Frax 1940 and 1550 lasers to help to combat this and promote neocollagenesis and pigmentation clearance with great success. On average, two treatments get significant results; even after one treatment, the results are incredible. Further treatments are at the request of my patients when they start enjoying putting on their makeup and doing their selfies. Seeing that they are recapturing their image, and looking like their old selves again, pre-acne, they want to go that extra mile and push it. Luckily, we have a treatment modality that you can repeat after a time interval. Four sessions are the most I have done on an individual patient.

Before and After

DO SIDE EFFECTS GO BEYOND REDNESS AND TEMPORARY BLEMISHES?

Everyone’s skin is different; the X factor is how we predict whether someone will respond to energy-based devices involving heat and resurfacing. Provided you are careful when doing a patient’s assessment and history, you know that they aren’t on any incompatible drugs and that they are going to be compliant post-treatment with significantly reducing sun exposure, as well as reducing the activities in the weeks before having the treatment, the results I have experienced from the Nordlys have been more than excellent. Being ever present in my clinic, I offer ongoing support to my patients, so if they have prolonged pinkness to the skin following the treatment, I remind them that they had a significant medical laser treatment, which is not just a facial and that this requires time to settle.

WHAT IS YOUR KEY ADVICE FOR THOSE CONSIDERING INVESTING IN A NEW LASER?

You need to have an established clinic and it would be great if you had an established client base. You need to consider if you have the time, the staff, and the enthusiasm to take on a machine and learn about it. Become passionate - engage with your patients so that you can learn from them. Be mindful that this is a machine that you’ll need to use to get your money back, therefore you’re going to need to invest your time.