There is nothing wrong with the fact that tattoos have a particular place in modern culture and they can be seen as really positive forms of expression, but that does not mean that people always get them right. Sometimes tattoos don’t work out as the fashion statements or modes of creative expression they are actually meant to be and the fact remains that tattoos are permanent.

However, these days, tattoos are only actually permanent up to a point. Laser treatment has changed the way tattoo removal takes place. Tattoos are now ‘permanent’ in the same way that scars are ‘permanent’: they will last forever unless they are removed using an advanced form of laser technology.

This advanced laser technology was once out of the reach of ordinary people when they could have made use of it, but it is now available at professional clinics and so much the better for people who suffer from skin complaints, scarring or, indeed, the permanent reminder of an ill-advised venture into body art.

Maybe the fashion statement no longer fits the way the wearer looks at life. Maybe the expression is completely out of date. Maybe the design has taken on new social connotations that are no longer favourable. Maybe the circles the wearer moves in have changed or their professional priorities are different than they once were. These are all more or less likely. The world changes; people change; attitudes change; and meanwhile ‘permanent’ features like tattoos are looked at in different ways.

So those are the reasons behind many people’s choice to have existing tattoos removed. What is the next step? The next step is to meet with a consultant at a respected laser treatment clinic with the aim of discussing laser tattoo removal therapy. This consultation is about sharing information and learning about the procedure in full. It is about having a team of experts design an individual programme of therapy to meet your requirements and expectations.

It’s also about making absolutely certain that you want to remove the tattoo. Body art is associated with the wearer by others and contributes to the identity they present outwardly to the world, so it is important to be completely sure of any plan for tattoo removal.

Once that consultation has taken place and a programme of treatment has been decided, the patient needs only to attend the sessions and undergo a short spell of laser therapy on the area of skin affected by the tattoo. These sessions will be separated sufficiently in time to protect the skin and to make sure it is not overexposed.

Over time, the tattoo will fade and disappear as the body responds to the treatment of the laser.

1. Angelina Jolie’s ‘Billy Bob’ tattoo

This A-list Hollywood actress may love tattoos, but she wasn’t so happy about having her ex-husbands name tattooed on her upper arm when the relationship ended. When she used laser tattoo removal to get rid of the inking, the famous beauty said:

“I’ll never be stupid enough to have a man’s name tattooed on me again.”

2. Cheryl Cole’s ‘Mrs C’ tattoo

The Girls Aloud singer’s break-up and divorce from footballer Ashley Cole was widely reported, making it particular embarrassing for Cheryl that she still had ‘Mrs C’ tattooed on the back of her neck.

3. Nicole Richie’s ‘Virgin’ tattoo

Reality star Nicole Richie told Starpulse about her decision to get this ill-judged tattoo, explaining:

“I’m a Virgo and the sign is a virgin. So when I was 16, I got the word virgin tattooed on my wrist, thinking I was sooo deep and cool. And now I just look really weird having virgin written across my wrist and I have to explain it.”

4. Kelly Osborne’s synthesiser tattoo

Back when she was a bit of a wild child, Kelly decided to get a rather silly looking synthesiser tattooed on her arm, a decision she now regrets. Explaining her mistake, Kelly said:

“I can’t play the piano and I have a keyboard because I went through my weird ‘80s phase and I was really drunk.”

Rosacea triggers

Medical professionals believe that there are certain triggers which can set off rosacea and make it flare up worse than usual in sufferers. These include:

• Emotional stress
• Exposure to the sun
• Hot weather and humidity
• Spicy food
• Consumption of alcohol
• Heavy exercise
• Hot baths and showers
• Wind and cold weather
• Some skin care products and cosmetics
• Hot drinks
• Certain medications and medical conditions

Are you tired of living with rosacea?

Rosacea is generally believed to be completely harmless, unless it starts to affect the eyes. However, for people who have it, rosacea can be very difficult to live with.

There is now a treatment available that can clear up rosacea, giving sufferers long term relief from the occasionally embarrassing and confidence-sapping symptoms of rosacea. The method to try is laser treatment, which is used to heat up and break down the blood vessels which cause the redness and flushing that is typical of the condition.

Many surgical scars fade with time, but few disappear completely. If you have very visible surgical scars that are affecting your confidence and giving you a negative body image, it’s time to take action.

How to improve the appearance of surgical scars

Immediately after your surgical procedure, you may be given special creams and lotions to apply to your skin to help your scars to heal. You may need to use this for a very long period of time.

However, once your doctors say it is safe to do so, you can consider using laser treatment to fade your scars significantly and even get rid of them completely. Unlike surgery, laser treatment is non-invasive, although treatment for surgical scars does tend to involve microdermabrasion, which is a kind of deep level exfoliation.

Once microdermabrasion has been used to penetrate the skin to the site of the scar, a laser is used to help boost the healing process. This causes the skin to heal very quickly, and when it does, your surgical scars should be just a distant memory.

There are several types of skin pigmentation disorder, such as:

• Age spots or liver spots – these appear as the body’s ability to protect against sun damage deteriorates, causing melanin to form in patches
• Hyperpigmentation – this is when the skin produces too much melanin, causing birthmarks and other pigmentation problems
• Hypopigmentation, vitiligo and albinism – these are all conditions where the skin becomes lighter, and they are caused by the body producing too little melanin
• Hemangiomas - these are pink or red marks caused by the bunching together of small capillaries in the skin
• Port wine stains – these are a type of birthmark which appears as a large red or purple mark on the skin, caused by abnormal capillary development
• Melasma – this is a pigmentation problem which often appears during pregnancy as a result of hormonal changes in the body.

With the exception of albinism, most of these pigmentation disorders can be effectively treated using laser treatment.

For women, hair on the skin of the armpit is generally thought of in many countries as being unsightly, and some people even see it as unhygienic. This is why so many women make hair removal in this area a priority.

The most common method of removing underarm hair is shaving. However, this can cause a lot of irritation to the skin of the underarm, and it is not even that effective. Whilst shaving can cut the hair close to the skin, the roots can often still be seen (especially in women with pale skin and dark hair).

Wouldn’t it make life much easier if you could get rid of underarm hair permanently? Well, now you can, using method known as laser hair removal treatment.

As the underarm is a relatively small area, laser treatment can be carried out quite quickly. After a few short sessions, your underarm hair will be removed without trace and you can get on with your life with confidence.

Please visit our Laser Hair Removal for Women page for more information or contact us on 020 7307 8712.

What are keloid scars?

Keloid scars are the result of an overly aggressive healing response by the skin, and they often grow beyond the site of the initial skin damage or injury. You can tell a keloid scar by the raised overgrowth of skin that appears on the site of an injury, blister, vaccination, acne or even a body piercing.

Keloid scars can be effectively treated by laser treatment, which is a non-invasive alternative to surgery.

Keloid scars in darker skin

People with black skin tend to be more susceptible to keloid scars than people with lighter skin. Treating these scars in black skin used to be tricky, but it is now possible thanks to advances in laser technology. Specially developed laser treatment for black skin, combined with microdermabrasion and ultrasound therapy, can be very effective in treating keloid scars.

To help stave off the effects of ageing on the skin and keep looking as young as possible, follow these useful tips:

• Protect your skin from the sun. The sun can damage your skin, and as you get older, your skin’s collagen levels drop and this damage can be hard to repair. By covering up in the sun and wearing lots of sunscreen, you can avoid fine lines and wrinkles as well as problems with pigmentation.
• Give up smoking and cut down on alcohol consumption. Both drinking and smoking can be bad for the skin, ageing it faster than normal. If you quit the cigs and reduce your alcohol intake, your skin will stay looking younger for longer.
• Use a moisturiser that is rich in anti-oxidants. Look for moisturisers which contain vitamin C, green tea extract or ferulic acid.
• Eat more fruit and vegetables and foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

If the effects of ageing have already affected your skin, you can repair any lines or imperfections by undergoing skin rejuvenation treatment, which is a kind of laser treatment.

A key example of a person who can benefit from laser hair removal treatment in a professional sense is a bodybuilder.

People who bulk up their bodies and train to vastly improve their muscle tone and definition understandably want to show off the fruits of their labour, particularly in professional bodybuilding competitions.

This is why laser hair removal treatment could be particularly beneficial for bodybuilders, as it can be used to permanently and completely remove all unwanted body hair in areas all over the body. This includes the legs, arms, back, chest and buttocks, so that bodybuilders can show off their rippling muscles in all of their glory without unwanted body hair getting in the way.

If you are serious about bodybuilding, laser hair removal could be right for you. After an initial investment and a course of treatment, you can say goodbye to unwanted body hair and concentrate on training and fine toning your body to achieve the physical perfection you desire.

Please visit our Laser Hair Removal for Men page for more information or contact us on 020 7307 8712.

• Childhood scrapes and other injuries
• Burns and cuts sustained in the kitchen
• Self-harm
• Accidents
• Severe acne

Most of these scars are permanent, or at least very long lasting. There are creams, lotions and even injections (approved and carried out by a medical professional) you can try to improve the appearance of scars, but these don’t tend to be very effective. You could end up wasting time and money on treatments that just don’t work.

Laser scar treatment

One treatment that is known to be effective at getting rid of scars of all kinds is laser treatment. It can treat burn scars, acne scars and even the keloid scars which tend to appear on black skin that has been damaged.

Laser scar treatment is completely safe if carried out by a reputable laser treatment London clinic, and it is not known to cause much pain or discomfort. After a course of treatment, your scars will be rendered virtually invisible and you will finally be able to get rid of those unsightly reminders of past accidents and injuries.