Cost Per Treatment: 13 Aesthetic Machines Compared

Across the 13 machines on our site, the running cost of a treatment ranges from about €12 for a Lumenis Stellar M22 pulse to €120 for a CoolSculpting applicator cycle, with some machines carrying no per-session consumable at all. Every figure below comes from our machine page figures, and a few are ranges or descriptions rather than single numbers, which is itself useful information.

What is the cost per treatment for each machine?

"Cost" is what the machine page records as the cost of one treatment. "Charge" is the typical price to the patient recorded on the same page. Where the page gives words rather than a number, we quote them.

Three kinds of running cost

Reading down the cost column, the machines fall into three groups. The group matters more than any single number.

1. A fixed consumable you buy every time. HydraFacial (both models), Morpheus8, Exion, EmFace, Ultraformer III, CoolSculpting and Stellar M22 all sit here, with a euro figure on the page. This cost scales with volume, and in most cases the supplier is the manufacturer, so you cannot shop around. Our pages note that Morpheus8 tips come only through the official channel and that HydraFacial consumables are proprietary.

2. A lifed part you pay for in the background. The M22 (lamp life per head), Soprano (handpiece), UltraPulse (laser tube) and Stellar M22 (lamps, quoted per handpiece) have no neat per-treatment fee. The cost arrives later as a replacement. Ask the seller how much life is left in the part, because it shifts the real price of a used unit.

3. Almost no consumable. Emsculpt Neo records applicator wear and no per-session consumable. The economics rest almost entirely on the capital price and how many courses you sell.

Cost as a share of the charge

For the machines where both columns are single figures, the share of the patient price taken by the consumable is easy to work out.

Take care with this table. The pages do not say whether the cost and charge cover exactly the same unit of treatment. EmFace, for instance, is delivered as a series of sessions, and Emsculpt Neo is priced per course, so a "treatment" is not the same thing across the table. Use the shares for a rough sense of how much of each charge the consumable absorbs, not as a margin.

What the table cannot tell you

• Staff time, room time and overheads. None of these figures include them.
• How many consumables a treatment really uses. The Ultraformer III cartridge range of €100 to €400 is per cartridge, and we do not know how many a given treatment needs. See our Ultraformer III price guide.
• Capital cost. A cheap treatment on an expensive machine still has to repay the machine. Our payback calculator guide shows how to put capital and running cost together, and the cheapest profitable machines guide applies it.
• What your local market will pay. Our charge column is a research range. Your own area, positioning and competitors decide your real price.

Using the table when you buy

If you are comparing a used machine, work from the type of running cost, not just the headline. A machine with a lifed part that is nearly spent can cost thousands to put right, which no per-treatment figure shows. Ask for service records and the remaining life of any lamps, tubes or handpieces. Browse what is currently for sale on our classifieds, and see the used price table for the capital side.

If you are selling, buyers will ask this question. Having the consumable cost and the source of supply ready makes your ad more convincing. You can list free, and the seller guide explains the process.

These are indicative research figures. Prices vary by supplier and over time, so ask for written quotes before you plan around them.

Sources and notes

• HydraFacial: the brand names booster serums as the consumables used in a treatment.
• Harvard Health on CoolSculpting: how cryolipolysis is described and a US per-session price range (article dated September 2021).

Machine figures are Aesthetic Machines Ireland researched ranges, not completed-sale data.

Frequently asked questions

Which aesthetic machine has the lowest cost per treatment?

Of the machines with a euro figure on our pages, the Lumenis Stellar M22 is lowest at €12. The Soprano Ice Platinum and Emsculpt Neo record almost no per-session consumable, though they have wear costs.

Which has the highest consumable cost?

The Ultraformer III cartridge range of €100 to €400 is the widest and highest single figure, though how many cartridges a treatment uses is not recorded. Of the single-number figures, CoolSculpting at €120 is highest.

Does cost per treatment include the machine price?

No. These are running costs only. Capital price, staff, rent and marketing are all separate.

Where do these figures come from?

They are researched ranges from public sources, not completed-sale data. We explain the limits in how our prices are researched.

How do you work out cost per treatment for a machine?

Divide the price of any lifed part by the treatments it will deliver, add the consumables used each session, then add staff and room time. Ask the manufacturer or distributor for the shot or treatment count of each part so you are dividing by a real number.

Why does HydraFacial cost per treatment vary?

The brand's treatment uses booster serums chosen for the client's concern (HydraFacial), so the serum mix changes the spend. Our page records €15 to €35 for the Syndeo and about €35 for the MD Elite.

How does our CoolSculpting charge compare with US prices?

Harvard Health reported about $750 to $4,000 per session in the US depending on the areas treated (Harvard Health), but that is a 2021 article in a different market. Our €600 figure is a single typical charge, so do not treat the two as comparable.