I recently wrote a post about tattoo ink absorptions and how they vary across the wavelengths we use today (click here for that post). After that, I thought more about the relative fluences required to induce the desired reaction in ink colours. I used the graph which I nicked off the internet (see below) –… Continue reading Laser tattoo treatments – how to treat ink colours – Part 2
Tag: Laser/IPL
Laser tattoo treatments – how do we approach different ink colours??? Part 1.
What is happening with laser tattoo removal treatments? As we all know, the laser energy is absorbed by the tattoo inks, and they ‘break up’. Well, something like that… But what does ‘absorbed’ actually mean? And how much of the light energy is absorbed by each ink colour? To answer these questions, we need to… Continue reading Laser tattoo treatments – how do we approach different ink colours??? Part 1.
Why are some tattoo ink colours so difficult to remove?
Anyone performing laser tattoo removal will know that certain colours are a nightmare! But why is this? What is the science behind this problem? Well, it all comes down to ‘absorption coefficients’. These are the probabilities that an ink colour will absorb any particular wavelength. And, of course, they vary enormously!! Here’s a wee video… Continue reading Why are some tattoo ink colours so difficult to remove?
Manufacturers’ settings – what is wrong with these?
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 Manufacturers’ settings – what is wrong with these?
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…
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.
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?
Why do ‘finer’ and ‘lighter’ hairs appear after laser/IPL hair removal treatments?
All hairs are part of a follicular unit which comprises the hair shaft, melanin (not always!!) and germ/stem cells. [There are other components such as the pilo-sebaceous units – but we’re not interested in those here.] The germ cells are responsible for initiating and growing the hair in the anagen phase. They reside in a… Continue reading Why do ‘finer’ and ‘lighter’ hairs appear after laser/IPL hair removal treatments?
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