Here at the Devon Laser Clinic we use 2 class 4 active medical lasers called a Q-Switched Ruby and a Q-Switched Nd:YAG.

These lasers are not to be confused with the small desktop passive lasers that can be purchased from China which are sometimes used in tattoo clinics to lighten a tattoo before covering, or by mobile tattoo removal operators.

Our lasers are very expensive, therefore the price per treatment is more than it would be if carried out with a desktop passive laser. We do however believe that our prices are very competitive for the South West compared to clinics with similar types of machine.

Also, very importantly, all laser treatments at the Devon Laser Clinic are carried out by Sara Colvin who is a retired Registered Nurse with over 20 years of experience of working with medical lasers.

Start With A Tattoo Removal Test Patch

A test patch is a small trial in the treatment area which allows the clinician to assess how well the light energy is being absorbed and whether the skin is responding as would be expected. Generally black tattoos respond best to treatment, but with the Q-Swtiched Ruby laser, we are also be able to treat blues, greens and browns but not red. Some colours will not respond to any laser tattoo removal including white and yellow.

Please take note of any changes to the skin following the test patch so that you can report back to Sara before proceeding with treatment.

Pre-Treatment

• The area to be treated should be free from make-up, perfume, deodorant, body or face creams and fake tan including gradual tanning moisturisers.
• There should be NO SUNTAN nor FAKE TAN in the area to be treated. Use of sunbeds or exposure to sunlight is not permitted the month prior to treatment and an SPF 30 must be used on the area between treatments. Suntans must be left to fade completely before treatment can start.
• Fake tans must also be fully removed before treatment can commence.
• We reserve the right to charge for any appointment booked but abandoned due to active sun-tan or fake tan. Avoid aspirin and alcohol for 24 hours before treatment for tattoos to help prevent pin-point bleeding.
• A medical history is taken at consultation, but we rely on you to inform us of any changes to this. We need to know of any medication you are taking and if there has been any change to your health.

Post-Treatment

• Typically, normal activities can proceed following treatment but it is best to avoid any activity that will cause excessive heat e.g. saunas, exercise or massage to the area. Apply cool packs if the treated area feels hot.
• Make-up should be avoided on the treated area.
• The area may appear red and raised following treatment and you may experience a tingling sensation. This is completely normal and will settle over a few days.
• Wash and bathe as normal but take warm showers instead of hot baths. The skin should be patted dry rather than rubbed. Use aloe vera gel to soothe the skin.
• Swelling after treatment is common and is normally worse for the first 1-2 days after treatment. Cool packs will will reduce the swelling.
• Use a sunscreen (SPF 30+) to protect the area from sunlight as much as possible between treatments and for at least one month after treatment ends. LASER TREATMENTS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SUNTANNING.
• Blistering can and does occur after laser tattoo removal. Don’t worry! If the area does blister, keep the area clean and dry and do not deliberately burst blisters. Do not use any lotions or creams on open skin as this may increase the risk of an infection.

If you have any urgent concerns or queries regarding the treated area, please phone the clinic for advice on 01271 327700.

According to data gathered by beauty retailer, Escentual, four out of ten people with tattoos regret having them done – and just under a quarter of people with tattoos want them removed.

If this sounds like you or you would just like to fade your tattoo to get it covered with a new design then you will be pleased to hear that the Devon Laser Clinic have announced the arrival of a new high powered laser.

We already have 2 different class 4 lasers, the Cynosure Alexandrite and the Polaris Nd:YAG for hair and thread veins.  Now we have added a Polaris Q-switched Ruby laser and a Polaris Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser which will help us not only remove tattoos, but also treat people with pigmentation lesions and sun spots.

What Methods Of Tattoo Removal Are Available?

Older methods of tattoo removal are now outdated and have been replaced by better technology. These methods included dermabrasion, chemical peels, destruction of tattoo ink by various forms of injectable substances and surgical excision.

Why Are Older Tattoo Removal Methods Not Recommended?

Older methods used to remove the part of skin with the tattoo! The results were less than desirable due to scarring. Whilst surgical excision may have a role in some smaller tattoos, older methods of tattoo removal cause unacceptable scarring and poor cosmetic outcome.

Why Are Q-Switched Tattoo Removal Lasers So Good?

Q-Switched lasers produce very high powered and short nanosecond [one billionth of a second] pulses of light that shatter and disperse pigment particles without damaging the skin. Consequently ink particles are removed and surrounding skin is not damages. This dramatically reduces the risk of scarring.

Active Q-Switched class 4 lasers like the one we have at the Devon Laser Clinic are not to be confused with the desktop passive lasers used in some tattoo studios or by mobile practitioners. Whilst these machines might be able to fade some colours they are generally unlikely to provide the same results as we can with a medical grade laser.

Next Steps!

So if you’re interested in finally getting rid of that tattoo, call us at the Devon Laser Clinic on 01271 327700 and like our FaceBook page to keep up to date with our news and offers.

Next summer might seem like a long time away, but if it’s anywhere near as good as this summer, you will want to be looking and feeling your best.

Having to deal with unwanted dark hair be it on the face or body areas is a drag at the best of times, but when you just want to head to the beach and put on a bathing suit or simply a pair of shorts and a vest top, having to deal with an unruly bikini line, dark shadows on the underarms or stubbly legs is a problem that can be eradicated with laser treatment for hair reduction and now is the best time to start having treatment.

How about asking your loved one for laser treatment for Christmas this year? Gift vouchers at the Devon Laser Clinic are available on request and would also make a perfect present for that hard to buy for person.

Just ring on 01271 327700 to start your laser journey.

This is the new Devon Laser Clinic website that has been in the works for a few weeks now.

Fonts

We have a new logo – very similar to the the original, but with changed colours to suit the new site colours, and different fonts. In order to make the fonts easy to find in the future we chose them from the freely available Google fonts.

The diagram below shows the fonts. And here are the links if you want to get hold of the same ones.

• Cinzel Decorative
• Lato

Web Design

We used WordPress to build the site, and used the Genesis Framework as our theme set. The theme itself is based on Outreach which is a Genesis child theme but it has been modified to look very different from the original.

Liz Jamieson
Marketing Shelf