Today you have it, tomorrow it’s gone! First comes the romance… then the mystery… then the body art… and then come the dreams, empowered by the feelings of destiny unfolding…
Watch the video : A brief explanation of laser tattoo removal
We get it… Using your body as a canvass to express your purpose in life is a magical process and a powerful experience. For some it connects you to cultures all around the world and throughout history who found similar meaning in carrying the power and magic of art, as a part of your body… even if no one sees it but you.
But then, for whatever reason, the time arrives… and you want to clear the canvas. It’s time to get the tattoo removed.
Explore before and after photos of individual patient results from laser tattoo removal.
Explore before and after photos of individual patient results from laser tattoo removal.
How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work?
Laser tattoo removal works by targeting pigments that are found in tattoo ink. Each color will absorb a specific wave frequency of laser energy/light. Therefore, if your tattoo has many colors, you will need specific lasers with different frequencies of energy/light that will be absorbed by each color ink.
When the tattoo ink absorbs the correct frequency of laser light, the ink molecules are either vaporized or shattered depending on the “speed / length” of the laser pulse. Either way, once the ink has been disrupted, your body’s immune system will absorb the ink fragments and dissolve them away.
The most common type of lasers used for removing tattoos are:
The Q-switch: It produces energy pulses that are measured in thousands of a second. Lasers using Q-switched technology can generate short-duration light pulses with substantially higher peak power than continuous wave output.
The PICO: It produces energy pulses in billionth of a second. Recently, lasers with even shorter pulse durations have been produced, potentially allowing better chromophores targeting while causing less damage to adjacent tissue.
The energy from the laser fragments the tattoo ink
Colors that Respond Best
Black, blue, brown and dark blue respond the best to laser treatment while red, purple or orange present more of a challenge.
Yellow and green have historically been the most difficult to “erase.” However, since the invention of the PICO laser, these colors can now be properly treated. They due however require 2-3 further sessions to remove any leftover shadows that may appear.
Various laser wavelengths and the colors they work best on.
- 532 nm – red, orange, yellow, brown
- 694 nm – black, blue, green
- 755 nm – black, blue, green
- 1064 nm – black, blue
Amateur Vs Professional Tattoos
Amateur or poorly applied tattoos may not respond as well as professional tattoos.
Watch the video : An in-depth look at laser tattoo removal
A number of factors influence this difficultly, such as poor-quality ink, or ink that is inserted too deep in the skin where lasers cannot effectively penetrate.
What our extraordinary patients say about their laser tattoo removal experience.
“I’ve been seeing Dr. Pien for the laser treatments. I have only had 5 sessions and my tattoo has nearly diminished. I would absolutely recommend for tattoo removal. I will be back for sure for other skin care maintenance! Thank you Dr. Pien!!”
“Thank Dr. Pien for taking care of my daughter, her tattoo removal look great! She didn’t have any scar. Thank for your compassion of your work.”
What our extraordinary patients say about their laser tattoo removal experience.
“I’ve been seeing Dr. Pien for the laser treatments. I have only had 5 sessions and my tattoo has nearly diminished. I would absolutely recommend for tattoo removal. I will be back for sure for other skin care maintenance! Thank you Dr. Pien!!”
“Thank Dr. Pien for taking care of my daughter, her tattoo removal look great! She didn’t have any scar. Thank for your compassion of your work.”
The Laser Tattoo Removal Treatment
Just a few years ago there were lasers that could clear most of the ink… though it took many painful treatments and often left a shadow of certain colors that were hard to clear.
And Now…. There is the newly invented PICO laser, which can give you the best results ever, with fewer and less painful laser tattoo removal treatments.
Watch the video : The new PICO Laser for tattoo removal
Even better… if you want, the treatments can be entirely painless, by having our physicians anesthetize your skin during the procedure.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
The number of treatments depends on your tattoo’s age, size, type, depth of ink, quality of the ink, quantity of the ink and location of the tattoo. Typically, tattoo removal can take anywhere from four to fifteen treatments.
Will I Bleed?
You may see slight bleeding, redness, swelling, and blistering for several hours up to 3 days following treatment.
What to Expect After Treatment
Immediately after the procedure, the treated area will have a whitish / grey or red discoloration with pinpoint bleeding. There may also be some blistering or slight oozing. Localized swelling it typical and may last 3-5 days.
Most practices will provide the patient with topical antibiotic ointment and a soothing moisturizer that keeps the area from drying out. Icing may also speed up recovery, and over the counter pain medications such as Tylenol can help “take the edge off”.
The most important recovery protocol is to use common sense. Don’t aggravate the treated skin. Keep it clean. Protect it from contamination. Protect it from drying out. Keep it out of the sun. DON’T PICK AT IT!!!
The Healing Process
For 2-3 weeks following your treatment to remove your tattoo, you may see, peeling, and/or scabbing and/or flaking of the treated area. Be gentle. NO scrubbing! While the treatment site is healing, avoid sun. Keep the area clean and well moisturized with a cream that allows your skin to breath! (Not Vaseline or other petroleum jellies)
When the site is completely healed, you are ready for another laser treatment.
Pros and Cons of Laser Tattoo Removal
There’s a reason that laser removal is considered to be the gold-standard. What are some of the benefits of choosing laser treatment to remove your unwanted tattoo?
Pros
- Most effective: Laser treatment is considered to be the most effective way to completely remove tattoos. By choosing this option, you have the greatest likelihood of living your life without the slightest trace of your regretted tattoo.
- Least invasive: Since there is no actual cutting into the skin, laser removal carries the least risk of infection and scarring.
- Outpatient procedure: This treatment can be done on an outpatient basis, meaning it takes less time from your schedule.
Cons
- Time intensive: This treatment requires multiple sessions.
- Pain: Many patients describe this procedure as being more painful than getting the tattoo in the first place. However, if the patient is particularly sensitive, or the tattoo is in a particularly “sensitive spot”, we can also administer something called “tumescent anesthesia”, where the anesthetic solution, such as lidocaine, is injected under the skin. In this case the patient typically feels no pain at all. Obviously, this requires more time and resources, and incrementally increases the cost of the procedure.
Explore the photos below to see how laser tattoo removal is performed.
Explore the photos below to see how laser tattoo removal is performed.
Laser Tattoo Removal FAQs
Q. What are those bumps on the skin when the tattoo is being removed?
A. When the laser energy is absorbed by the tattoo ink the ink is actually vaporized and explodes very similar to a little steam explosion. This little steam explosion causes a sore by disrupting the surrounding tissue. The swelling that you see is part of the normal inflammatory process of healing. Therefore, as the skin heals, the bumps will go away.
Q. Can the tattoo removal laser cause cancer?
A. Good question… Absolutely not! The energy that medical lasers emit is NOT the kind of laser energy that can cause cancer.
Q. I’ve heard that removing a tattoo hurts and can leave a scar behind. Is this true?
A. When done correctly by an experienced professional, with the proper devices, removing a tattoo can be very effective and leave no scarring. The treatments can also be completely painless with the use of an anesthetic.
Q. What hurts more, getting the tattoo or having the tattoo removed?
A. For the majority of people the tattoo hurt going in and it will hurt coming out. However, it doesn’t have to hurt coming out. It is completely dependent on the patient whether we may or may not need to use an anesthetic. Their skins condition, where the tattoo is located on their body, the amount of ink that was used, the depth, size and age of the tattoo.
If anesthetic is appropriate, or the patient simply wants us to take the edge off, there are a number of options. A topical numbing cream along with an over-the-counter pain killer such as Tylenol is usually enough to reduce the sensation to a tolerable level.
For a patient who is particularly sensitive or who has a tattoo in a particularly sensitive spot we can administer something called tumescent anesthesia. This typically results in the patient feeling no pain at all as an anesthetic solution (lidocaine) is injected directly under the skin where the tattoo is located. This form of anesthetic will increase the cost of removing the tattoo as more time and resources are required.
Q. I’ve heard that tattoo ink contains mercury. Is it more dangerous to vaporize the mercury by removing the tattoo ink versus just leaving the ink in your skin?
A. It is bad news to have mercury anywhere in your physiology. It is best to get rid of it as it is the mother of all inflammatory heavy-metal toxins.
Regarding mercury that is in tattoo ink, fortunately, from what I am able to find, tattoo ink today does not contain mercury. If your tattoo does contain mercury, it is a very good idea to get it out of your skin. The only way of doing this that I know works is with laser treatment. Be sure to alert your practitioner that your tattoo may contain mercury. They will need to protect themselves, and you, from inhaling the mercury that the tattoo removal laser is vaporizing.
Q. Are there other procedures that can remove a tattoo?
A. For complete tattoo removal, most individuals choose one of three surgeries: dermabrasion, surgical excision, and laser tattoo removal.
Dermabrasion is typically the cheapest option and essentially involves sanding off the tattoo.
Surgical excision is the most suited for smaller tattoos, but it is the most invasive.
The gold standard of tattoo removal is laser tattoo removal. It is the best procedure for completely removing tattoos. It also carries the lowest risk of scarring and other negative side effects.
Q. How much does laser tattoo removal cost?
A. Cost depends on the size of the tattoo and the type of pigments used. Darker inks, for example, are easier to treat than pastels.
On average, the cost is $150 for the first square inch plus $50 per additional square inch. This is per treatment.
Typically, 5 to 10 treatments are needed to completely remove a tattoo.
Q. How many sessions are required?
A. 5-10 sessions are typical and in rare cases 15-20 sessions are sometimes needed.
The number of treatment sessions required is also determined by pigment color, composition, density, depth, tattoo age, body location, and the amount of tattoo ink present.
Q. What factors influence the results of this treatment?
A. Though many factors influence the outcome, we have divided them into three logical categories:
- Laser dependent factors such as laser type and beam modifications.
- Tattoo dependent factors such as size and depth, pigment color.
- Host dependent factors, which include primarily the presence of a robust immune response.
Q. What is the best laser for tattoo removal?
A. While no single laser system can remove all tattoos, Q-switched lasers can successfully fade most tattoos with minimal side effects. As the demand for getting a tattoo grows, research into tattoo removal will too with the development of picosecond and femtosecond laser technologies.
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