D G C © 2008

Updated May 08

SKINLASER DIRECTORY 15

International Skinlaser Directory © 

All rights reserved. No part of this Directory may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission from:

Pod Publications, PO Box 7, Cupar, Fife KY15 4PF, Scotland, UK.

 Please note: the editor, designer, compilers, authors and publishers cannot be held responsible for any loss or claim arising out of the use, or misuse of any of the information contained in this book/web site.

  The authors do not endorse, approve or guarantee any of the items in these web pages or the effectiveness, quality or safety or any such items or services. They are not responsible for any error or omission or fact. Consult your doctor (medical practitioner/GP) before embarking on any course of treatment

The annual Skinlaser Directory is now in its sixteenth year. It provides GPs, Laser Nurse Specialists and patients with essential facts about skin lasers and intense pulsed light devices and treatments. Some of these treatments may be available, still, within the NHS.

The Disfigurement Guidance Centre produced the first annual International Skinlaser Directory in 1993 to meet the clearly definable need for impartial, informed, up-to-date information on rapidly proliferating laser clinics in order to facilitate appropriate referral.

Entries are totally free and the Directory has no advertising and no overt or covert commercial input whatsoever. It is sponsored, prepared and distributed by the Disfigurement Guidance Centre, a long-established charity.

The Directory is supplied on request – again, completely free of charge - to GPs and Laser Nurse Specialists in the UK as part of the DGCs ongoing support for the medical profession in the interest of clinical excellence and improved patient care.

The new edition has been updated to meet the rising demand for authoritative and un-biased laser information. We have extended entries to include Healthcare Commission Registered laser and IPL services available in the Independent sector. All registered clinics have been approached and we have included those who completed our detailed questionnaire.

The text is compiled from written information provided by the Head of Clinic/Department/Hospital Management in response to our questions and it is, therefore, as complete as these returns make possible. We recommend that referring professionals should make the appropriate enquiries within the resource framework we have supplied.

New technological advances and improved techniques are steadily extending the range of conditions which can be treated: some clinics now include pigmented lesions such as melasma. Clear and understandable contributions from experienced and highly regarded clinicians provide practical guidance on the scope of laser/IPL applications.

As yet, no single laser is capable of optimum treatment of all conditions and lasers/IPL devices can be dangerous if mishandled or used without a proper clinical assessment and treatment protocol. As treatment outcomes can vary, you may wish to consider, also, the medical/laser/IPL experience, training and peer reputation of the operator.

It should be noted that many NHS laser clinics accept patients for private treatments. Also, that some private hospitals accept NHS referrals. The comparative costs are worthy of careful investigation in relationship to waiting lists and to the size of the area to be treated at any one session. Additionally, you could find it useful to establish the interval between the initial consultation/patch test and full treatment.

The final consideration may well include the advisability and/or the availability of General Anaesthesia and enquiry into any alternative provision for young children and patients requiring extensive treatment. Prices quoted do not always include the cost of anaesthesia or additional medication: you may wish to establish fees and any such additional costs prior to treatment.

The next edition of this unique Skin Laser referral guide is now in preparation. We would appreciate and very much welcome your comments and suggestions. If your laser clinic is not in this Directory and you would like to be considered for the next edition, free of charge, please write to the D.G.C. for Skinlaser Directory Number 16 questionnaire.

All correspondence to:

International Skinlaser Directory

DGC, PO Box 7, Cupar, Fife KY15 4PF, Scotland, UK.

24 hour fax: UK: 01337 870310 – Overseas: +44 1337 870310.