Laser Treatment for Tattoo Removal

There are a lot of reasons for possibly wanting a tattoo removed the positive element of tattoo removal is that you are no longer burdened with a tattoo you seriously regret. If a tattoo is holding you back from getting a job you want or keeps you from attaining your goals, a little pain and scarring may be worth it. If you have a gang-related tattoo and are no longer associating yourself with that or any other gang, it would be in your best interests to have it removed. If you are wearing a tattoo of a past love and now you have a new special person in your life, it would be unkind to your new love not to get rid of the old tattoo.

Unfortunately, tattoo removal using most non-laser methods has significant disadvantages such as incomplete pigment removal, non-selective tissue destruction and unsatisfactory cosmetic results such as atrophic or hypertrophic scarring. Older methods of tattoo removal have involved the application of caustic chemicals such as Phenol Sulphuric acid. Slightly more refined methods of tattoo removal have included abrasion with salt (salabrasion), cryosurgery, dermabrasion, electrocoagulation, and the use of an infrared coagulator. All of these procedures are associated with significant scarring and in most instances the result of tattoo removal looks much worse than the tattoo itself. Conventional surgical methods have been used to treat tattoos however their use is limited to the removal of small tattoos. Surgical removal of large tattoos usually yields disastrous results and therefore has been abandoned.

Now, there is good news for those who have an unwanted body design. Newer laser tattoo removal techniques can eliminate your tattoo with minimal side effects.

Lasers work by producing specific wavelength of light that pass harmlessly through the top layers of the skin to be selectively absorbed by the ink. This laser energy causes the tattoo ink to break into smaller particles that are then removed by the body's natural filtering systems. The laser selectively targets the pigment of the tattoo without damaging the surrounding skin. It can remove professional, amateur, traumatic and surgical tattoos.

On the average, professional tattoo require 6-8 treatments, while amateur tattoo require 4-5 treatments, all spaced approximately 6-8 weeks apart. The number of treatments depends on the amount and type of ink used and the depth of the ink on the skin. Because each tattoo is unique, removal techniques must be tailored to suit each individual case.

Black, blue and red tattoo inks will resolve the best. Orange and purple inks usually fade as well. Yellow and green inks are typically the hardest colors to remove thus additional treatments are needed.

The impact of the energy from the power pulse of light is similar to the snap of a rubber band. Most patients do not require any anesthesia. However, depending on the location of the tattoo and the pain threshold for the patient, the physician may elect to use some form of anesthesia (topical anesthesia cream, painkiller injections at the site of the procedure). After the treatment, the area will feel similar to light sunburn.