Another successful MasterClass, this time in Glasgow. So many ‘light bulb’ moments, according to our attendees. Some came from America (Jim and Lorena), one from Northern Ireland (Natasha – for the second time!!), a very nice chap (Bruno) from Belgium and many from across the UK. We also had our first virtual MC,… Continue reading Another successful MasterClass in Glasgow, Feb 24
Category: Lasers and IPLs – hair & vascular & pigmented lesions
What you MUST know when applying lasers or IPLs to the skin.
People often ask my advice on treatments which don’t appear to have worked too well. Either there’s too little reaction in each session or no result after a number of repeat sessions. They don’t know why and turn to me for help. I am always happy to help where possible but to do so, I… Continue reading What you MUST know when applying lasers or IPLs to the skin.
Hair removal – Diode, Nd:YAG or Alexandrite lasers. Or IPLs? Which is “best”?
Hair removal using light is currently the most popular aesthetic treatment on the planet today, apparently. These days we use diode, alexandrite and Nd:YAG lasers and IPL systems. But there appears to be some confusion over these different devices, with all sorts of dubious claims. Let’s go back to first principles… How does this treatment… Continue reading Hair removal – Diode, Nd:YAG or Alexandrite lasers. Or IPLs? Which is “best”?
A brief description of laser/IPL hair removal – in 13 comments.
This post describes the 13 main features behind laser/IPL hair removal: 1. Light, usually red, is fired at dark hair (red light can penetrate far into the dermis); 2. The aim is to heat up the melanin in the hair shaft so that the germ cells can be ‘cooked’; 3. This only happens in the… Continue reading A brief description of laser/IPL hair removal – in 13 comments.
It is impossible to ‘over-cool’ the skin when treating hair with lasers or IPLs
For years I have been teaching people to pre-cool the skin surface before firing laser or IPL energy into the skin when treating hair. And I’ve always suggested pre-cooling for between 2 and 5 seconds. My thinking was that we should not “over-cool” the skin because that might lower the temperature of the hair follicle… Continue reading It is impossible to ‘over-cool’ the skin when treating hair with lasers or IPLs
“Pain free” hair removal. Is it real?
We often hear, these days, about “pain free” hair removal, with various lasers, usually diodes. But, is it true? Well, let’s look at this more closely… The aim with laser, or IPL, treatment of hair is to induce enough heat in the stem cells that stimulate hair growth in the follicles. To do this, we… Continue reading “Pain free” hair removal. Is it real?
Laser/IPL hair removal. How long should we leave between treatments? It’s definitely NOT six weeks…
Laser/IPL Hair Removal – what are the best intervals between sessions? Laser/IPL hair removal has been around since the 1990s. We first noticed that a Q-switched ruby laser could remove surface hair in the mid 1980s when we were treating tattoos. But we didn’t consider it a ‘treatment’ since the hair always grew back (the… Continue reading Laser/IPL hair removal. How long should we leave between treatments? It’s definitely NOT six weeks…
My concerns in today’s aesthetic industry…
I have been around since before the invention of colour…..!!! I have seen many excellent advances in the medical/aesthetic laser industry in that time. But I have also seen a few things which concern me greatly. Poor training I seem to be training more and more people who have already received ‘training’ on their lasers… Continue reading My concerns in today’s aesthetic industry…
Which is better – laser or IPL hair removal?
I am asked this question all the time.. There is a lot of mis-understanding about the differences between lasers and IPLs, and how they interact with the skin. Some people think that lasers are “superior”, but this depends on what you’re targeting! I put together a wee animation (below) to try to explain some of… Continue reading Which is better – laser or IPL hair removal?
New laser/IPL eBook – FREE – for medical/aesthetic applications
We have written an eBook discussing the basics and fundamentals of lasers and IPLs in the medical/aesthetic arena. This first Chapter is FREE!! Click on the image below for your free online copy. The book includes links to animations, videos and two quizzes, to test your knowledge. A downloadable pdf copy is also available for 25 Euros. Further… Continue reading New laser/IPL eBook – FREE – for medical/aesthetic applications
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