Questions clinics ask about Alma devices

Hybrid

• Which Alma platform treats surgical scars, and how do results compare?

  Alma Hybrid is the first choice for surgical scars in most Alma clinics because it delivers fractional CO2 and a 1570 nm non-ablative laser in one pass, so the practitioner can remodel scar collagen at depth while keeping surface downtime short, and can tune the mix per session as the scar matures. Harmony XL Pro adds the vascular applicators (Dye-VL, long-pulsed 1064 nm) for red or purple scars and ClearLift for post-surgical scars on darker skin, where a fractional Q-switched 1064 nm laser was shown safe and effective (Akerman et al., Lasers in Medical Science, 2021). Alma Opus fractional plasma improved non-hypertrophic post-burn scars in a 95-patient prospective series (Wang, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 2017). Clinics generally start once the wound has closed, typically six to twelve weeks after surgery, and treat over a course; keloids need combined medical management. Patient-facing summary with a case image: laser for surgical scars; all papers on the clinical evidence page.

• How should a clinic explain realistic results from Alma treatments to patients?

  Describe outcomes as ranges over a course, not a single-session transformation. Laser hair removal reduces hair over several sessions because hair grows in cycles; skin treatments improve tone and texture gradually; body contouring shows change over weeks as the body responds. Photographs should be the clinic’s own, with the treatment and interval stated, and patients should be told that results vary and that suitability is assessed at consultation.

  This honest framing is also what Australian advertising rules for regulated health services expect. Alma Lasers Australia provides consultation guidance with its clinical training.

• What evidence supports Alma platforms, and where can Australian clinics access it?

  Alma platforms are supported by peer-reviewed clinical studies and by the ARTG inclusion of the devices supplied by Alma Lasers Australia. Clinics can read the published studies by platform or browse the clinical resources library on this website, request study summaries from their Alma representative, and attend Alma Academy sessions where Australian practitioners present protocols and case series for local skin types.

  Alma Lasers Australia is building an Australian case library with clinics that agree to share anonymised before-and-after series. Clinics interested in contributing can contact their representative.

• Alma Opus or Alma Hybrid: which resurfacing platform should a clinic choose?

  They answer different questions. Alma Opus uses fractional plasma to resurface and tighten with a short recovery, and it is often chosen by clinics whose patients want texture, fine lines and laxity treated with a few days of downtime. Alma Hybrid combines an ablative CO2 laser with a 1570 nm non-ablative laser, so the practitioner can dial from a light treatment up to deep resurfacing for scars and significant sun damage on the same platform.

  Clinics with a strong scar and resurfacing menu usually choose Hybrid; clinics adding resurfacing to a broader aesthetic menu often start with Opus. Note that Opus uses treatment tips as a consumable while Hybrid does not. Alma Lasers Australia can arrange a demonstration of both.

• What training and support does Alma Lasers Australia provide after installation?

  Every installation includes on-site clinical training by Alma’s Australian clinical team, protocol guides for each applicator, and follow-up training when a clinic adds staff or applicators. Ongoing education runs through Alma Academy: in-house workshops, advanced masterclasses and hands-on sessions in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

  Service engineers, applicator support and loan arrangements are handled from Australia, and each clinic has a named Alma representative. Clinics can request refresher training at any time.

• What downtime should patients expect from Alma resurfacing treatments?

  It depends on the platform and how it is set. Non-ablative treatments such as Harmony XL Pro ClearLift typically have no visible downtime beyond mild redness. Alma Opus fractional plasma usually involves a few days of redness and light peeling. Alma Hybrid ranges from a short recovery when the 1570 nm laser dominates to several days of redness, swelling and crusting when the CO2 component is set deeper.

  Clinics should quote a range, not a single day count, and explain that a deeper single session and a lighter course are both valid ways to reach a result. Alma Lasers Australia’s training covers how to set expectations for each protocol.

• Which Alma platform suits acne scars when patients want limited downtime?

  Alma Hybrid is the usual choice: the CO2 and 1570 nm lasers can be combined so the practitioner treats scar texture while keeping recovery time manageable, and the treatment can be repeated in a course. For patients who need no visible downtime, Harmony XL Pro’s ClearLift non-ablative applicator treats below the surface and is often used between or instead of resurfacing sessions.

  Suitability is assessed by the treating practitioner. Alma Lasers Australia trains clinics on both pathways.

• Can Alma Hybrid treatment depth and downtime be adjusted per patient?

  Yes. Alma Hybrid combines an ablative CO2 laser with a 1570 nm non-ablative laser in one system, and the practitioner sets the balance between the two for each patient. That means a clinic can offer a lighter treatment with short downtime for a patient who cannot take time off, or a deeper resurfacing session for scars and texture, on the same platform.

  For Australian patients this matters because pigment risk and sun exposure often argue for a staged, moderate approach rather than the most aggressive single session. Hybrid is designed for that staged approach.

• Is Alma equipment supported locally in Australia?

  Yes. Alma Lasers Australia installs every device, trains the clinic’s practitioners, and provides service and applicator support from its offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. More than 450 clinics across Australia and New Zealand run Alma technology, and New Zealand clinics are supported from Sydney.

  Training covers protocols for Australian skin types and sun exposure, and ongoing clinical education is available through Alma Academy events.

• How do I know a device is a genuine Alma system in Australia?

  Genuine Alma systems in Australia are supplied, installed and supported by Alma Lasers Australia, Alma’s own local company. They carry an Alma serial number that is registered with Alma, are included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), and come with manufacturer warranty, Alma clinical training and local service.

  Clinics can confirm a serial number with their Alma representative before purchasing a device from any other source. Read the full guide: how to tell a genuine Alma device from a lookalike. Patients can ask the clinic to show the Alma serial plate on the device and which Alma platform is being used.

• Do Alma devices need per-treatment consumables?

  Most Alma platforms sold in Australia run without per-treatment consumables. Alma Soprano (Titanium, ICE Platinum, ICE), Harmony XL Pro applicators, Alma Hybrid, Accent Prime and Alma PrimeX do not need single-use tips, cartridges, pulse cards or proprietary gels for each patient. The clinic’s ongoing costs are the applicator’s rated life, standard servicing and ordinary clinic supplies such as ultrasound gel.

  Two Alma applications do use consumables: Alma Opus (treatment tips) and DermaClear (treatment solutions). Both are stated on their product pages. Alma Lasers Australia can prepare a cost-per-treatment worksheet for your expected booking volume. See what an aesthetic laser really costs to run.

• What qualifications or approval are needed to operate the Alma Hybrid?

  Two separate things have to be in place. First the device: Alma Hybrid is included in the ARTG under 321320, so it is lawful to supply and use in Australia. Second the operator: laser and IPL use is regulated state by state, not federally, so requirements differ depending on where your clinic is. Some states require a licence or registration for Class 4 laser use and a nominated laser safety officer, others rely on training records and a documented safety plan. In practice most clinics run Alma Hybrid with a doctor, nurse or experienced therapist who has completed Alma clinical training at installation. Alma Lasers Australia walks each clinic through the rules that apply in its state before installation. See laser and IPL regulations.

• What is the main clinical advantage of the Alma Hybrid?

  The clinical advantage is control over the balance between ablation and dermal stimulation in a single pass. Because the CO2 and 1570nm beams fire side by side in one grid at a ratio you set, HyGrid, you can give an older patient with heavy photodamage a resurfacing-weighted treatment and give a younger patient with acne scarring a stimulation-weighted one, without changing handpiece or machine. That means fewer compromises between result and downtime. Pixel Peel adds a randomised firing pattern that spreads heat over time and shortens recovery, which is the main objection patients raise to CO2 resurfacing.

• Does the Alma Hybrid have FDA and CE approval, and is it included in the ARTG?

  Alma Hybrid is CE marked and FDA cleared. For a clinic buying in Australia the relevant listing is the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and Alma Hybrid is included in the ARTG under 321320, the same entry as the Alma Harmony platform. Device inclusion is separate from who may operate the device: operator licensing and training requirements are set state by state. Ask an Alma representative for the current certificates for your market, and see laser and IPL regulations for the Australian rules that apply to your clinic.

• What is unique about the Alma Hybrid?

  Alma Hybrid is the only laser that fires an ablative CO2 beam at 10,600nm and a non-ablative 1570nm beam side by side in the same grid, with the ratio between them set by the operator. You can weight a treatment towards surface renewal or towards deep dermal stimulation, or fire the two wavelengths sequentially, all from the same handpiece. Pixel Peel fires the fractional beam in a randomised pattern, which lengthens thermal relaxation time between adjacent columns and reduces downtime for the patient. The IMPACT applicator then uses ultrasound to drive approved topical preparations into freshly treated skin.

• What are the main indications of the Alma Hybrid?

  Alma Hybrid is used for skin resurfacing and tone and texture correction, acne scars and surgical or traumatic scars, wrinkles and photodamage, stretch marks, pigmentation, and skin tightening. With the HyLight applicator the CO2 laser can also be used alone for soft tissue surgery, including ablation, vaporisation, excision, incision and coagulation, which is why skin doctors and dermatologists use it as well as aesthetic clinics. The IMPACT applicator adds ultrasound-assisted delivery of approved topical preparations immediately after resurfacing.

• What is the main clinical advantage of the Alma Hybrid?

  This device features dual laser with a unique lasing pattern in a side by-side grid for both wavelengths.

• Is there a need for a certain qualification or approval to operate the system?

  Since each country has different regulations on the subject, please refer to your local regulations regarding the operation of medical devices.

• Does the Alma Hybrid system have FDA/CE approval?

  Yes. Alma Hybrid is CE marked and FDA approved.

• Is there any clinical-based evidence supporting the Alma Hybrid?

  Yes. Please refer to the Clinical Resources section above

• Can I use CO2 alone for surgical applications?

  Yes. Using the CO₂ laser alone with the HyLight applicator will enable you to perform a variety of surgical applications, such as ablation, vaporization, excision, incision, and
  coagulation of soft tissue.

• What is the ThermoTight applicator used for?

  The ThermoTight applicator is used with low power CO2 laser beam delivery, for dermal heating. It creates a thermal effect as it has a unique defocus lens that
  prevents ablation. It was designed to provide gentle and pleasant heat for the treatment of skin laxity. The treatment is monitored by an external thermometer.

• What is the IMPACT applicator intended for?

  The Alma Hybrid system with the Impact applicator is intended to create acoustic pressure above the skin for trans-epidermal delivery of cosmeceuticals products into the skin. This delivery method can enhence the effect of the substances on the skin and boost my results. IMPACT is an additional step after treatment with the ProScan applicator.

• What are the main indications of the Alma Hybrid?

  The main indications of the Alma Hybrid are:
  Skin resurfacing, Wrinkles, rhytids, and furrows (including fines lines and texture irregularities), Skin laxity, Scar revision (burn & traumatic),Surgical scars, Acne scars, Uneven pigmentation/ dyschromia/ pigmentation improvement, Melasma (with the fractional technology), stretch marks (striae), and many more skin conditions.

• What is unique about the Alma Hybrid?

  Alma Hybrid is a unique medical device that utilizes three technologies-

  1. Co2 10600nm laser
  2. 1570nm Fiber laser
  3. IMPACT patented Ultrasound technology for Trans Epidermal Delivery

  Our ProScan applicator with the HyGrid mode of action, gives you the benefit of both the lasers in one applicator, enables you to custom-program the skin ablative -non ablative ratio in a matrix of the precise proportions required to meet the unique treatment needs of each patient.

• Why do I need two wavelengths on one system OR why not just CO2?

  Alma Hybrid™ combines the power of ablative and non-ablative lasers for a wide range of treatments, creating a uniquely synergistic effect. These unique hybrid combination of lasers enables you to create a tailor-made treatment for a variety of indications with controled downtime to suit your patients needs and schadual.