By Anonymous August 20, 2014
Dr. McVean is not a "Doctor" at all. The school that she credits her degree from (1998 Naturopath Doctor N.D. Clayton School of Natural Healing) is a sham and has be discredited and was shut down in 2010. I would not recommend anyone seek advise or diagnosis from this clinic. See website called "Quackwatch" for information about Clayton School of Natural Healing. ...read more
By chipchip at Citysearch November 12, 2007
Went in for acne consult. Dr. Bailey was very promt and patient with me. She answered all my questions. Had a micro laser peel and what a difference ! Highly reccomend this place, great staff everyone was friendly and helpful. They even let me do a payment plan. ...read more
When the decision is made to remove a tattoo, we know you want it gone as soon as possible. Yesterday would be GREAT! Sadly, tattoo removal is a process. On average it takes between 5 and 10 treatments to completely remove a tattoo. Some homemade tattoos can take fewer treatments, while some dense, professional tattoos may take more. Laser treatments are spaced about 4-8 weeks apart in the beginning. Toward the end of the removal process, treatments may be spread further apart. Why is that much time between treatments necessary? First and foremost, the body needs time to heal between treatments. When you first got the tattoo, it took a few weeks or more for the skin to heal. It will take about the same amount of time for the skin to heal after laser treatment. Also note that the skin often appears healed on the surface, but could still be healing underneath. For that reason, it is best to wait a full four weeks or more between treatments as treating too soon could cause the laser treatments to be more uncomfortable. Also treating over unhealed skin, could increase the potential for scaring. Second, your immune system needs time to flush out the ink that is shattered during laser treatments. Remember it is your immune system that actually does the removal, but it needs the laser to break up the ink into manageable sized particles. The immune system is also responsible for healing the skin. When the immune system is working on multiple tasks at one time, it tends to work more slowly on “less critical” jobs, in this case that would be removing shattered ink. Allowing more time after the skin appears healed, allows for the immune system to focus more attention to removing the shattered ink. More time between treatments could allow you to see more fading from one treatment to the next. At Vanish, we understand you want your tattoo gone as quickly as possible. Please keep in mind that when more time is recommended, it is to ensure you see the best results possible. Of course, no one wants your tattoo gone sooner than you, but Vanish staff is a very close second. If your tattoo fades and vanishes with fewer treatments than initially expected, we know you’re going to be so pleased you can’t help but share your experience with others and that’s not only a win for you, but also for us. Who doesn’t love a “win-win”? As always, if you have any questions or concern about your treatment or the way your tattoo is responding, don’t hesitate to ask. Vanish staff is always ready to answer your questions and make sure you fully understand the laser tattoo removal process. ...read more
By Vanish Laser Tattoo Removal and Skin Aesthetics September 25, 2014
There’s been a lot of hype lately with regards to the newest FDA approved tattoo removal laser, Picosure. Its’ been seen on news publications across the country; states are happy to announce its arrival to one of their cities; and a quick Google search for “laser tattoo removal” will likely result in numerous listings devoted to the Picosure laser. So what’s all the fuss? Is it in fact the biggest breakthrough in laser tattoo removal in decades? Perhaps in some regards, but not to the extent the media hype would lead you to believe. The biggest difference between the Picosure laser and the more widely used Q-switched lasers like our Astanza Trinity is the pulse-width (the amount of time the laser’s energy is applied with each pulse). A Q-switched laser has a pulse-width of 1 nanosecond. As its name would suggest, the Picosure has a pulse-width of 1 picosecond, one thousand times smaller than a nanosecond. What does a shortened pulse-width mean for laser tattoo removal? In theory, a shorter pulse-width would mean less pain during treatment and less temporary tissue damage therefore a shorter healing time. After performing a Google search for “Picosure reviews” we found www.realself.com/picosure. There are some very detailed accounts including pictures chronicling patients’ journey through picosure treatments. Most of the pictures and descriptions of the healing process as well as many testimonials of the discomfort felt during treatment seem very closely related to what can be expected with treatment from our Astanza Trinity Laser. Picosure’s creators’ accounts of how effective their laser is at removing tattoos, leads many to believe that it can remove a tattoo in as few as one treatment and if not just one, certainly far less than a Q-switched laser. Further review of patients’ accounts of their treatments showed that multiple treatments were needed in many cases and unless the tattoo is full of blue, green, or purple inks, the Picosure is not the only laser used to treat the tattoo. Reds and yellows are especially resistant to the Picosure. This is because the Picosure laser only has one wavelength, 755nm (Alexandrite). Sadly not all colors will respond to the same wavelength. Black responds to most wavelengths so the Picosure does a pretty good job of fading black inks, but it is most effective against blues, greens, and purples. We'll be upfront here: according to pictures posted by actual patients, blues, greens, and purples seem to respond to the Picosure better than our Q-switched 694nm (Ruby) wavelength as far as speed of color loss. If a patient has reds, yellows, and oranges in their tattoo the Picosure is not the right laser for them though. Another laser will need to be used to effectively fade those colors, and what will the proponents of the Picosure use instead? Yep, you guessed it, they’ll be forced to go right back to a Q-switched laser like the Astanza Trinity we use here at Vanish because for reds, yellows, and oranges you need a 532nm wavelength. Here's the clincher: with the cost of Picosure laser treatments nearly double the price of Q-switched laser treatments, is it really worth it to go with the Picosure? That is totally up to the consumer, however if given a choice, I'd lean towards going somewhere that could use one laser to deal with ALL the colors that need to come out. That just makes more sense. Upon looking at the long track record of efficacy and documented safety and results from the Q-switched Astanza laser, well...why re-invent the wheel? Go with what has been proven to work. ...read more
By Vanish Laser Tattoo Removal and Skin Aesthetics August 20, 2014
Anytime there is physical trauma to the skin, there is a potential for scarring, however, with the right laser the risk of scarring is extremely minimal. Some lasers are very effective in removing ink from the skin, but are not designed to do so. By using a laser for tattoo removal that was not designed for that task is a very risky move. Hair removal lasers, IPL, and CO2 treatments can cause major scarring if used to treat tattoos. In addition, improperly calibrated tattoo removal lasers can have an adverse effect on the skin as well which could lead to scarring.There is also a heightened risk of scarring when you have a high history of abnormal scarring (think keloids), or you are a “bad patient,” like one of our laser specialists, and pick at your scabs. Following proper aftercare techniques; such as keeping the area clean, dry, and covered for the first few days; changing the bandage regularly; and allowing the tattoo ample time to heal between treatments, can reduce the already limited risk of scarring from laser tattoo removal treatments.For a detailed list of proper aftercare procedures, click here…http://www.vanishdfw.com/vanish-laser-clinic-patient-concierge/laser-tattoo-removal-and-skin-aesthetic-after-procedure-care.html. When there is pre-existing scar tissue in the tattoo, be it from the tattoo process itself or some other trauma, it is likely that the scar tissue will be visible after the tattoo has been removed. The photo below shows a tattoo that was treated before coming to Vanish. There is significant scar tissue present in the "before" photo (top left) most likely from a laser not designed for tattoo removal or from an improperly calibrated laser. We were able to continue to lighten the ink with our Astanza Trinity Laser, however the pre-existing scar tissue remained virtually unchanged.As always, don’t hesitate to talk to our laser specialists if you have any questions or concerns. It is our goal that you are not only pleased with your treatments, but are confident in the care you are receiving and that your tattoo is progressing properly. ...read more
By Vanish Laser Tattoo Removal and Skin Aesthetics August 02, 2014
Growing interest in natural health, holistic health or alternative medicine, has resulted in healthcare education expanding to include training in natural health and nutrition. There are hundreds of accredited natural healing programs offered by colleges and universities around the world. Although pro... ...read more
Holistic health practitioners take a different approach to healing the body and mind than traditional western medical professionals do. In many cases you can benefit from seeing a holistic practitioner in addition to your regular doctor. Finding alternative therapists and practitioners isn't difficult. ...read more
