Mapperley Park Clinic

We began in 1993 with a Q-switched Ruby Laser - amazingly, this system is still working today! You may hear many things said about lasers and Intense Pulsed Light and some of these things will even be true.

When we started using lasers in 1993, they were only used in the medical community and IPLs had not even been invented. There were perhaps 5 laser companies selling 5 different systems to less than 100 service providers, mainly in hospitals. In 2008, the technology has extended and is delivered by GPs, dentists, beauty and beauty therapists: IPLs now make up 90% of sales and there are at least 20 companies offering over 100 models servicing thousands of service providers, only a minority of which are legally registered with the Healthcare Commission.

This rapid expansion of the sector has not necessarily been matched by experience, skill or knowledge and many unsupportable claims are made about what lasers and IPLs can and cannot do.

The main things to remember are:

• There are different horses for different courses: there is no single system that can do everything - if there was, we would use it.
• Not all systems are equal - there is a huge range of systems available from first class to economy class.
• You will get what you pay for.
• Not all expertise is equal - there is a huge range of experience available from expert to novice.
• Not all claims are equal - overselling is common in this sector and you should question any claims that are made - including this one!

Lasers must be registered with the Healthcare commission to be used legally. Illegal users will not hold valid insurance in the case of a negligence claim. Make sure you choose from a Registered service provider. Look for this sign and ask to see a Registration Certificate: