An excellent clinical report by Scheibner (SCHEIBNER, A., KENNY, G., WHITE, W. and WHEELAND, R.G. (1990), A Superior Method of Tattoo Removal Using the Q-Switched Ruby Laser.) found that the minimum fluence required to induce a good reaction from black tattoo ink, using a Q-switched ruby laser, was 2 Joules/cm2. This threshold fluence was for… Continue reading Tattoo ink colours, absorptions and fluences…
Category: Tattoo removal etc…
The WRONG way to do laser tattoo removal!
It appears many people are using their tattoo laser wrongly! They are holding it off the skin, up to 10 to 20cm away. This is just wrong!! By doing this they will invariably apply a very small spot diameter at the skin surface which generates a huge fluence (energy density). Such fluences can easily damage… Continue reading The WRONG way to do laser tattoo removal!
Chasing the ‘crack’ in laser tattoo treatments! Is this right?
I often hear people talking about listening for the ‘crack’ sound during laser tattoo removal treatments. Apparently some people have been trained to do this and they believe it’s an essential part of the process. It’s not! There is absolutely no need for this cracking sound. In fact, it has nothing to do with the… Continue reading Chasing the ‘crack’ in laser tattoo treatments! Is this right?
Back-scattered light from the skin is much more than we think…
My Letter describing back-scattered laser radiation from the skin has been published in the ‘open market’ by Springer! I’m very pleased that they have done this. However, I am now thinking that the levels of back-scattered light are higher than I first thought. The is coming from new work I have been doing looking at… Continue reading Back-scattered light from the skin is much more than we think…
How long should you leave between laser tattoo removal treatments?
This is an important question but has not been properly studied clinically (to my knowledge). When my research group first developed the Q-switched ruby laser treatment of tattoos in Canniesburn Hospital, Glasgow, in the early 1980s they established that a minimum four-week period was the optimum time between repeat laser sessions. This became the standard… Continue reading How long should you leave between laser tattoo removal treatments?
Calibrating your laser – making sense of the numbers…
How do you calibrate your lasers so that the numbers on your laser screen actually mean something useful? Well, there is a process which you need to follow. The video shows this process in detail. So, you need to measure the laser energy for each of your ‘input’ settings using an energy meter designed for… Continue reading Calibrating your laser – making sense of the numbers…
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
Picosecond vs Nanosecond Laser Tattoo Removal: which is better?
I recently read an excellent article entitled “Effects of picosecond laser on the multi-colored tattoo removal using Hartley guinea pig: A preliminary study” by some researchers in South Korea. You can obtain a copy here. In it, they compare the use of two picosecond lasers and a nanosecond Nd:YAG laser. In all, they use three… Continue reading Picosecond vs Nanosecond Laser Tattoo Removal: which is better?
My first published paper…. on laser tattoo removal, in 1990
‘Q-switched ruby laser treatment of tattoos: a 9 year experience’ – British Journal of Plastic Surgery (1990), 43, 663-669.‘ I can’t believe we wrote this paper 30 years ago!!! I am still working on this topic. In particular, I am modeling the interactions between laser energy and tattoo ink particles, with both nano- and… Continue reading My first published paper…. on laser tattoo removal, in 1990
One-to-one online training now available
Finally, I’ve caught up with Zoom! I can now offer my training courses online in a one-to-one situation. You can ask me questions during the course whenever you like. Plus, you don’t need to have Zoom on your computer!! I prefer to do these courses with a small group of people – no more… Continue reading One-to-one online training now available
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