PFD Patch vs the R20 Method: Understanding the Difference

A PFD patch and the R20 method appear in discussions about multiple-pass laser tattoo removal, but the terms describe different things. One identifies an accessory incorporating perfluorodecalin; the other names a repeated-exposure method investigated in a particular study.

For clinicians reviewing the literature, a useful comparison starts with the question each study asked.

What did the original R20 study examine?

Kossida and colleagues studied 18 tattoos in 12 adults. The investigators compared a single laser pass with repeated exposures separated by 20-minute intervals, using a split-tattoo design. Tattoo lightening was evaluated later using blinded photographic assessment.

The study concerned a defined laser, patient group and protocol. Its small sample limits how broadly its findings can be applied. Read the original R20 study rather than treating the name as a universal treatment recommendation.

What did a PFD patch trial examine?

A separate 2017 trial enrolled 30 people with predominantly dark blue or black tattoos. Using a 755 nm nanosecond Q-switched Alexandrite laser, researchers compared the number of passes possible within a defined treatment interval with and without the studied PFD-infused patch.

That investigation measured passes within its specified setting. It was not a direct comparison against the original R20 method, and it does not establish identical results for other patches. Read the PFD patch trial by Biesman and Costner.

Compare the same outcome

Before placing two findings side by side, record the laser and pulse type, tattoo characteristics, comparison group, follow-up period and measured endpoint. More passes during one interval and greater fading at a later visit answer different questions.

Our editorial recommendation is to use this comparison as a reading framework, rather than a treatment protocol. Neither paper supplies instructions for an unstudied patch-and-laser combination or a guarantee of fewer appointments.

Continue your PFD review

Read how PFD patches work and our guide to what PFD evidence measures. For clinic purchasing, review the NovaClin Labs PFD patch listing and request documentation for the exact accessory and intended laser system.

NovaClin Labs. Quietly Clinical.