The StarLux 300 is the predecessor to the 500 and both are out of production but there are still plenty of these high performing workhorses available for resale. When it comes to revenue generation, the StarLux system can’t be beat. Following is a direct comparison of the Palomar StarLux 300 vs. StarLux 500. The newer treatment heads that are available for the 500 are certainly faster. However the StarLux 300 still remains a great system and provides great flexibility for treatments options available at your practice. What you need to balance is whether you want to process more patients at a greater investment or equipment that may still provide expanded treatments if you are on a much tighter budget.
As a leading supplier of used aesthetic lasers, The Laser Warehouse wants our customers to be able to make informed decisions when selecting equipment for their medspa or medical practice. The following information outlines terms and definitions to understand regarding equipment specifications as well as the primary features and differences between the Palomar StarLux 500 and 300 laser systems.
As far as IPL systems are concerned, the Palomar StarLux IPL platforms are considered to be very efficient workhorses that allow a medspa or medical practice to deliver a wide variety of aesthetic treatments to patients all via one base unit, used in conjunction with various handpiece options. Whether you choose a used Palomar StarLux 300 or a used Palomar StarLux 500 the final decision comes down to two key factors — equipment price and the power of the equipment which directly impacts your speed of service.
When evaluating equipment power and service delivery, the following items directly correlate with the equipment’s power and speed and are measurements you should consider:
- Hertz (Hz): Hertz is the cycles per second – how many pulses per second can the equipment perform at otherwise known as repetition rate.
- Joules: Joules measures the amount of energy a laser is capable of delivering within a specific time frame – typically in one second.
- Spot size: Handpieces come in different sizes and deliver energy in a specific measurement of space called a spot size. The larger the spot size, the larger an area you can treat in a shorter amount of time.
- Wavelength: Lasers typically deliver light via a parallel beam either in a continuous flow of energy or via pulses as is the case in IPL (intense pulsed light) systems. Wavelength is measure in nanometers or a billionth of a meter. Lasers can be powered by different types of energy or a combination thereof – light, gas, radio waves and electricity. Light energy has different colors and each color has a different wavelength.
- Pulse Width: Pulse width also called pulse duration is measured in milliseconds.
- Cooling: The StarLux 500 has 3 times the cooling capacity of StarLux 300 system. The TEC (Thermo Electric Cooler) modules inside a StarLux 500 chiller has 3 sets of Peltiers, which are responsible for cooling, compared to only 1 set of Peltiers inside of the StarLux 300.
The Table below highlights some of the key feature differences between the two StarLux models.
Base Unit Comparison StarLux 300 vs. StarLux 500
| Base Unit Comparison | StarLux 300 | StarLux 500 |
| Hertz (Hz): | Up to 2 Hz. | Up to 3 Hz. |
| Wavelength: | 500 up to 1200 nm. | 500 up to 1200 nm |
| Cooling Unit: | Doesn’t come with a separate chiller cart, making this an ideal mobile unit. | 3 times the cooling capability – better for patient comfort. |
| Power Supply | The StarLux 500 has a more power supply enabling the StarLux 500 to achieve higher J/Cm2. | |
| Weight: | 64 lbs. | System: 58 lb. – Chiller: 35 lb.- Cart: 56 lbs. |
| Other | The high pressure pump in the 500 has been redesigned to put out more pressure resulting in more reliably. |
Handpiece Comparison StarLux 300 vs. StarLux 500
With specific handpieces for the StarLux 300 and 500 you have the ability to deliver very specific treatments. The StarLux 300 does not work with all of the handpiece options available for the StarLux 500. However the StarLux 500 is backwards compatible and works with all of the heads available for the 300.
| Handpiece | StarLux 300 | StarLux 500 |
| LuxR™: Laser hair removal on all skin types – large spot size. | √ | √ |
| LuxRs™: Laser hair removal that removes hair on all skin types – small spot size for delicate areas. | √ | √ |
| LuxY™: Treats difficult, resistant areas of finer, lighter hair. Treatment of darker pigmented lesions with a larger spot size. | √ | √ |
| LuxYs™: Laser hair removal for difficult, resistant areas of finer, lighter hair. Treatment of darker pigmented lesions. Small spot size for hard to reach areas. | √ | √ |
| LuxV™: Prevent acne breakouts and also treats finer pigmented lesions. | √ | √ |
| LuxG™: Clears pigmented and vascular lesions for skin rejuvenation. | √ | √ |
| Lux MaxG: Clear pigmented and vascular lesions – skin rejuvenations. | No | Achieve up to 80 j/cm2. |
| Lux1064™: Permanently reduces unwanted hair in difficult-to-treat areas on skin types V and VI, and more comfortably clears a variety of leg vessels – from the smaller red vessels to the larger blue reticular leg veins. | √ | √ |
| Lux 1440: Fractional non-ablative laser for skin resurfacing. | No | √ |
| Lux1540™: Fractional non-ablative laser for skin resurfacing and treatments of surgical and acne scars, stretch marks, and melasma. | √ | √ |
| Lux IR: Skin Tightening. | Requires an external chiller unit to run on this system. | Don’t need an additional chiller and can achieve much better skin tightening. |
| Lux Deep IR: Skin Tightening. | No | Also does not require an external chiller. |
| Lux 2940: Erbium fractional ablative laser. Wrinkle reduction. | No | Fast recovery and minimal downtime. |
Interested in buying a Starlux laser? We have plenty of inventory and can guide you in selecting the best model for your business.
