Lumenis UltraPulse Encore
CO2 Fractional/Ablative · CO2 10600nm fractional + fully ablative (ActiveFX/DeepFX/TotalFX)
What it's actually cleared for: CO2 laser soft-tissue ablation, vaporization and skin resurfacing
Last verified: August 6, 2026 · How we verify
New: —|Used: $25k–$55kmarket estimate, no email required
Bottom line
Still the most laser you can buy for the money in aesthetics: gold-standard high-energy CO2 with ActiveFX/DeepFX/TotalFX (and SCAAR FX on later units) trading at $25k-55k against a $150k+ UltraPulse Alpha. No per-treatment consumables means every case is nearly pure margin — one TotalFX full-face pays a month's overhead. The catch: you're buying a 2006-2015 vintage laser where tube condition is everything — a tired tube turns your bargain into a five-figure repair. Physician-operators only; this is not a medspa delegation machine.
Overview
Gold-standard deep CO2 with SCAAR FX scar mode
How it works
The science
10,600nm RF-excited CO2 with exceptionally high pulse energy (up to 225mJ), absorbed by tissue water to vaporize tissue and coagulate surrounding dermis. ActiveFX does superficial large-spot fractional; DeepFX drives 0.12mm microspots deep for scars and rhytids; TotalFX combines both; SCAAR FX reaches depths no other aesthetic CO2 matches — why burn and trauma scar centers standardized on it. Treats photodamage, deep wrinkles, acne and surgical scars, benign lesions — typically one-and-done with 5-10 days of downtime.
Patented tech
The UltraPulse pulse architecture — very high peak-power short pulses inherited from Coherent's surgical lineage — plus CPG pattern scanning and SCAAR FX's ultra-deep fractional mode.
Origin
Lumenis (Lumenis Be), Yokneam, Israel.
FDA & regulatory status
What it's actually cleared for:
CO2 laser soft-tissue ablation, vaporization and skin resurfacing
510(k) numbers
K022060
Regulatory data is compiled from public FDA 510(k) records and may lag recent clearances. Always confirm status with the manufacturer before purchase.
Treatment economics
What practices charge
Full-face TotalFX or fully ablative resurfacing $2,500-5,000; fractional-only ActiveFX/DeepFX $1,500-3,500; periorbital/perioral partials $800-2,000. SCAAR FX scar work $1,000-3,000 per session, sometimes insurance-adjacent for trauma cases.
Consumables & recurring cost
Essentially none per case — smoke evacuator filters and incidentals under $2k/year. The "consumable" is the CO2 tube on a multi-year cycle: regas/replacement runs $8k-15k+ and is the single number that decides whether a used Encore was a good deal. Get shot counts and beam-power verification before wiring money.
Ideal for
Best-fit practice
A dermatology, facial plastics, or oculoplastics practice with a physician actually performing resurfacing, or a scar-focused center needing SCAAR FX depth without Alpha money. Wrong buy for a nurse-driven medspa.
Compliance
Medical director & delegation
Class II but functionally physician-tier; ablative CO2 is restricted to physicians or closely supervised mid-levels in most states — an absentee-director model is inappropriate here.
Contraindications & screening
Isotretinoin within 6-12 months, keloid history, active infection (mandatory HSV prophylaxis perioral), Fitzpatrick IV-VI at elevated PIH/hypopigmentation risk, smokers and impaired wound healers, prior lower-lid bleph for periorbital work.
Ownership
Warranty & service
Third-party service on Encores is mature and widely available — one of the best-supported legacy lasers in the country; tubes, optics, articulated-arm alignment, and CPG scanner boards are the known failure points. Budget $5k-10k/year plus a tube reserve.
Resale & used market
$25k-55k by year, hours, tube health, and SCAAR FX-era scanners; values stable because nothing newer matches its depth per dollar — a verified-tube unit sells within weeks.
Chains using this device
No confirmed chain deployments recorded yet.
Owner reviews
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Alternatives
History
Every tracked change to pricing, lifecycle status, FDA data and warranty terms — newest first.
August 5, 2026
Warranty & service
Third-party service on Encores is mature and widely available — one of the best-supported legacy lasers in the country; tubes, optics, articulated-arm alignment, and CPG scanner boards are the known failure points. Budget $5k-10k/year plus a tube reserve.
Source: Automatic record update
August 1, 2026
Record created
Added to The Aesthetic Index — August 2026
Source: The Aesthetic Index editorial
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