I reckon around 85% of my training clients have been previously trained elsewhere, often by their equipment suppliers/manufacturers. I always ask them why they have come to me when they have already been trained. Their answer is always the same – “I don’t understand what I’m doing!” One client had received her training from a… Continue reading Manufacturer’s settings – what is wrong with these?
Here is a list of my blog posts covering laser/IPL hair removal, tattoos, blood vessels, physics, MasterClasses and other stuff…
Last update – 29.1.23 Below are links to my blog posts… Laser/IPL Hair Removal Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal – online now! Hair Removal – Why is it painful? Why are laser/IPL hair removal treatments painful? And how do we minimise it? “I’ve burnt my patient!!” With IPL treatments, that is precisely what we are tying to do… What… Continue reading Here is a list of my blog posts covering laser/IPL hair removal, tattoos, blood vessels, physics, MasterClasses and other stuff…
Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal – online now!
The latest chapter of our eBook is now available online for your perusal. We have ‘hidden’ some pages – the ‘best’ ones, in our opinion, because we don’t want to give away all the good stuff too cheaply… This is the online pdf version which is outlines most of the contents. It will give you… Continue reading Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal – online now!
What are the threshold (minimum) fluences needed to ensure successful hair removal?
This is not easy to determine! It depends on the type of device you are using – IPL, diode, alexandrite, Nd:YAG laser. It depends on the depth of the follicles. It depends on the hair colour. I built a computer model to try to calculate these fluences. It considers all of the above, but today… Continue reading What are the threshold (minimum) fluences needed to ensure successful hair removal?
How Many Laser/IPL Hair Removal Sessions do I need to get a Good Result?
I’m often asked ‘how many hair removal sessions will I need using laser or IPL?’ This is not an easy question to answer because it depends on a high number of variables including your equipment, your training and, of course, your patient/client. But, I have tried to answer this question using a computer model of… Continue reading How Many Laser/IPL Hair Removal Sessions do I need to get a Good Result?
What is the ‘best’ interval between hair removal sessions (after treatment by lasers or IPLs)? Part 2.
I wrote a blog post back in September 2021 discussing my thoughts on the how to determine the optimum interval between laser/IPL hair sessions. It proved very popular amongst my readers. But, as soon as I posted it I began to doubt my own conclusions. Back then I suggested that we should wait for an… Continue reading What is the ‘best’ interval between hair removal sessions (after treatment by lasers or IPLs)? Part 2.
My history in lasers and IPLs and other stuff…
I started in medical laser clinical research in 1986 as part of my Ph.D. studies in the Bioengineering Unit, Strathclyde University and in Canniesburn Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit. After gaining my degree in Physics and Astronomy from Glasgow University in 1984, I decided not to get a ‘proper job’ for a few more years,… Continue reading My history in lasers and IPLs and other stuff…
New training web site
I’ve just launched a new training web site at DermaLaseTraining.com. It includes all the courses I can deliver plus a new shop where I will be selling some items which you may find useful. If you think I should include anything else in this new site please let me know. Likewise, if you find any… Continue reading New training web site
New Book – Medical/Aesthetic Lasers & IPLs and Skin Treatments
I have been asked many times in the last few years for a recommendation for an introductory book describing the application of lasers and IPLs in aesthetic treatments. My answer was always the same – “There isn’t one!!” So, I finally took the plunge and decided to write one, with my colleague PA Torstensson. The… Continue reading New Book – Medical/Aesthetic Lasers & IPLs and Skin Treatments
My history in lasers, IPLs and rock ‘n’ roll…
A brief history of my life in medical lasers and IPLs…
Waxing after laser/IPL Hair Removal treatment – an update
Following yesterday’s post about waxing after laser/IPL treatment of hair, one of my colleagues, Claire Louise, came up with an excellent idea. She doesn’t offer waxing and didn’t like the idea of having to learn a new treatment which didn’t fit with her laser clinic. So she said that, instead of a full waxing, we… Continue reading Waxing after laser/IPL Hair Removal treatment – an update
Laser/IPL Hair Removal – A new idea…
I was training a young lady on IPL hair removal, earlier today. Her name is Helen Hugill. During our sessions she asked me a question about waxing after treatments. I had pointed out that waxing should not be done by clients/patients before any laser/IPL hair treatments since it would remove the target melanin. She asked… Continue reading Laser/IPL Hair Removal – A new idea…
A shocking story – a warning to us all…
Last week I was contacted by a client, who was in a bit of a panic. She had a laser hair removal client who had reported ‘burns’. She claimed that her skin had been burned in previous treatments, and had been burned again in the most recent treatment – yet she had returned for more… Continue reading A shocking story – a warning to us all…
Eye Safety – A warning! I did it again…
As many of you know, I keep banging on about eye safety when working with lasers. Many of the systems we use in aesthetics/dermatology are Class 4. That means they emit more than 500 milliwatts. With modern diode and Q-switched/picosecond lasers, the power can range from a few thousand watts to millions of watts per… Continue reading Eye Safety – A warning! I did it again…
What are the differences between lasers and IPLs?
I am asked this question often. So, I made a wee video to explain the main differences… I hope this makes things a bit clearer. Mike.
More about laser power – average versus peak!! With videos…
Following my post yesterday re laser power, I thought I’d explain further using the medium of video… The above shows a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser outputting pulses of energy 0.3 Joules in 10 nanoseoncd pulsewidths. These equate to a peak power of 30 million Watts in each pulse (30 MW). However, the ‘peak’ power relates to… Continue reading More about laser power – average versus peak!! With videos…
Laser Power – How important is this?
Average Power vs Peak Power Someone asked me recently “Should I buy a 5000 Watt diode laser or a 3500 Watt laser?” I was a bit puzzled… I‘ve noticed a few laser companies promoting their systems om the basis of the “power”. With quotes like “the most powerful laser on the planet” and similar nonsense,… Continue reading Laser Power – How important is this?
Laser-skin treatments and skin cooling – should we do this?
There appears to be some confusion about the use of skin surface cooling and laser treatments. Why should we use skin-cooling at all? Let’s go back to basics… When we use lasers to remove hair, blood vessels, benign pigmentation, acne and tattoos we want to induce some sort of reaction in those targets using heat.… Continue reading Laser-skin treatments and skin cooling – should we do this?
How much hair is removed after each laser/IPL treatment?
This is an interesting question. It’s tricky to know precisely because it’s hard to ‘count’ the hairs… So, I used my computer model of the anagen-catagen-telogen growth cycle to find out. This is the model I developed last year to figure our how long we should leave between treatments for the best outcomes. To answer… Continue reading How much hair is removed after each laser/IPL treatment?
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