Carol Block, Ltd.

Contact information

Address: Carol Block 1403 S Belden St Mc Henry, IL 60050-8399
Administrative Office: 9552 W. 147th Street, Orland Park, Illinois 60462
Telephone: 800-HAIRLESS or 815-344-0488
Fax: (815) 344-2503
website: http://www.carolblockltd.com

This company started as a needle electrology practice, but in 1971 they bought a supply of photoepilator devices from a defunct company called Omicron. Although the D’Plume was cleared in 1990 by FDA, there is conflicting data from FDA regarding the D’Plume’s classification.

The company has since abandoned the D’Plume device and uses the PhotoDerm IPL.

2006 update

I received the follwing note on 3 January 2006:

Several years ago I told you about the changes to our Company. I had one person say he saw some rather negative information about DPlume on your site recently. We have not used this technology in many years. I would appreciate it if you would please remove it from your site or edit it to show that this is not used any longer.

I am the owner and have been for some years now. I don’t need to have any negitive information on a procedure that is no longer used. Because of this, it may hurt me having new clients proceed with treatment.

I applaud any one giving the public information regarding inferior products, treatments, etc. But let’s stay on track. I don’t want to be punished because of the previous owners. Carol Block passed away, her mother is also deceased. They were wonderful people with vision. The DPlume was the beginning of a whole new world of treatment modalities. But, it is extinct. Let us bury it and let it rest in peace.

Thanks,
Dr. Kathy Maciejewski

She added in follow-ups that week:

[W]e own the only rights to the DPlume and will never sell it.  We don’t want to be sued for equipment we have no control over… We have not been affiated with Dr. [David B.] Welsh in more than 8 years. We do not have that office at Northwestern. We only have 3 locations.  Orland Park, IL, Oak Brook, IL and Crystal Lake, IL. We are expanding and hope to add additional offices soon.  We are no longer in McHenry, IL and have not been there in more than 9 years.

The DPlume machines were manufactured by Carol Block, Ltd. years ago.  The newest of the Carol Block DPlume machines have Short Wave modality built in to them.  We have only kept a few for back up machines for use in Short Wave treatment.  They are stored and the DPlume is dismantled, there are no bulbs installed. (I would even know where to go to order the bulbs. They are xenon). So it cannot work in this modality.  We are currantly using Instantron Short Wave machines.  The rest of the DPlume machines are destroyed and have been disposed of years ago.  We will never again use this in any of our offices and have not in many years.

As I have stated, I never sold the machines because I would not want any of the liability steming from the way they might be used.

Notes: They are affiliated with the International Guild of Professional Electrologists.

Former product

D’Plume XXII Photocoagulator

510(k) Number K895687
old address: CAROL BLOCK, LTD. 7701 BULL VALLEY ROAD MCHENRY, IL 60050
Product Code KCW
Date Received 09/22/89
Decision Date 08/09/90