As CoolSculpting has created a new category in body sculpting, Cynosure has been aggressively selling the SculpSure device to just about any physician willing to listen. Unfortunately, they have not provided the same level of marketing and advertising support that Zeltiq has, meaning that the task of driving revenue from the SculpSure has been left to the purchasing physician. We've heard physicians complain about the lack of support, and we feel their pain. With the success of Zeltiq and its aggressive marketing support, both at the national and local levels, it's puzzling to see why Cynosure has yet to significantly invest in national and local advertising. The fact that they generate revenue from the consumables makes it even more puzzling. The weight of a monthly payment for a device that does not produce can cause severe strain on a medical facility, whether it's a dermatology office, primary care practice or medical spa. To make matters worse, the SculpSure is not an aesthetically pleasing device. Cynosure really needs to rethink not only their marketing strategy, but also the way these devices look and feel. Only Zeltiq has really finessed making their device appealing to the eye.

Cynosure has been struggling since last December when they were hit with a nasty class action lawsuit from furious physicians that have not seen a return on investments in these devices, let alone the results that they were promised their patients would see from SculpSure. The lawsuit is teeming with scathing statements such as "SculpSure does not work as represented, rendering the product effectively useless for practitioners and physicians." Only time will tell what will come of this lawsuit. What we do know is that Cynosure and other manufactures must provide more support after they sell a device to a practice.