Medicine:Kirby–Desai Scale
The Kirby–Desai Scale is a predictive scoring system used in dermatology to estimate the number of laser sessions required to remove a tattoo.[1][2]
History
William Kirby and Alpesh Desai developed the scale while working at a specialized tattoo removal clinic in Beverly Hills, California, after observing variations in treatment duration among patients. They conducted a retrospective analysis of 100 patient cases treated between 2004 and 2008, discovering a strong statistical correlation (r=0.757; p<0.001) between their proposed scoring system and the actual number of sessions needed for clearance. Their findings were published in The Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology in March 2009.[3][4]
Scoring system
The Kirby–Desai Scale aggregates six variables, each scored on an ordinal scale.[4] Fair skin phototypes, proximal body sites, black monochromatic ink, sparse pigment, unscarred skin and single-layer tattoos receive low points, while darker phototypes, distal extremities, multicolored or highly saturated ink, scarring and layered or cover-up work add progressively higher points.[5][6][7] In the original algorithm the sum of the six values approximated the number of recommended laser sessions, with an error margin of roughly ±2.5 treatments.[3][8]
References
- ↑ McGinty, Jo Craven (August 31, 2018). "Tattoo Industry Wins Over Millennials". Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/tattoo-industry-wins-over-millennials-1535713200.
- ↑ Sall, Adam (June 25, 2020). "Tattoo Removal: Things You Need to Know According to a Dermatologist". https://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/tattoo-removal-things-you-need-to-know-according-to-a-dermatologist/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kirby, William; Desai, Alpesh; Desai, Tejas; Kartono, Francisca; Geeta, Patel (March 4, 2009). "The Kirby-Desai Scale: A Proposed Scale to Assess Tattoo-removal Treatments". The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology 2 (3): 32–37. PMID 20729941.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ganeev, Rashid A. (17 October 2013). Laser – Surface Interactions. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media. p. 177. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7341-7. ISBN 978-94-007-7341-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=H8DEBAAAQBAJ. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ↑ Ellison, Katherine (May 31, 2020). "Getting his tattoo took less than 20 minutes. Regret set in within hours". Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/getting-his-tattoo-took-less-than-20-minutes-regret-set-in-within-hours/2020/05/28/3b85d8e8-960a-11ea-82b4-c8db161ff6e5_story.html.
- ↑ "Kirby-Desai Tattoo Removal Calculations". https://www.medicalphysics.institute/tools/kirby-desai-tattoo-removal-calculator.
- ↑ Cheng, Suzanne Wei Na; Goh, Chee Leok (22 November 2024). Updates on Lasers in Dermatology. Updates in Clinical Dermatology. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. p. 63. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-71155-8. ISBN 978-3-031-71155-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=8i4zEQAAQBAJ. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ↑ "One in four people regret their tattoo. How can I choose the best laser removal?". The Guardian. March 10, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/commentisfree/2024/mar/11/tattoo-removal-best-laser-removing-cost-australia.
 |
