Tattoos have always been an artistic way to express who you are and what you love in life. For some people this may be represented through pictures of animals, people, or the name of that special someone. Not always do we love the same thing today as we did last year and for that reason we have tattoo removal. Many people consider tattoos to be permanent, but through medical applications it is now possible to remove them.
There are several methods of tattoo removal. Dermabrasion, home fading creams, excision, and laser to name a few. Dermabrasion uses a rotary tool to literally sand away the layers of skin until the tattoo has faded. This can leave you with significant scarring and a partially removed tattoo. Home fading creams have not been proven to work. Many home treatments use acids that eat away at the skin until the tattoo is faded. I have seen a few tattoos that have had exposure to these creams and it was not a pretty sight. Excision is a treatment involving a physician who would cut away the tattooed area of the dermis and sew the skin back together. This can only be performed on small tattoos and this too leaves you with a large scar. Laser tattoo removal is the most non-invasive method of tattoo removal. Most lasers have a very low risk of scarring and very impressive results.
Bella Medical Spa uses the Medlite C6 laser system for tattoo removal. “ The Medlite laser provides maximum tattoo removal while leaving the surrounding skin unharmed.” I know, it sounds almost too good to be true. This is how it works; the tattoo ink is targeted by a specific wavelength of light, not affecting any neighboring tissue. The inks rapid absorption of the light causes it to shatter into tiny particles. Subsequently the body’s natural filtration system picks up the ink and disposes it as waste. Darker pigments resolve the best, black being the easiest, while yellow, white, and green can be more difficult. All types of tattoos can be treated, including professional, homemade, traumatic, and surgical.
How many treatments does it take? That is the question I hear most and my response is the same with each person. Everyone is different; some people may only need 3-4 treatments while others may need 15, the average however is about 7 treatments. Fading of the tattoo is seen from the first treatment. Many factors contribute to how well a tattoo can be removed. There are several different types of tattoo ink that are in use worldwide. Not knowing what type of ink was used or how deeply it was applied makes it impossible to predict how much of the tattoo can be removed. Will it completely disappear? In most cases, yes. Nearly everyone sees at least 95% fading, which leaves you with hardly a memory of what was once there.
Does it hurt? Remember the old saying “No pain, No gain”? That applies to tattoo removal. Most people find the treatment uncomfortable but not painful. It feels similar to a small rubber band snap. An ice pack is applied pre-treatment to help numb the area. Many of the patients do not require a topical anesthetic cream, but it can be applied 30 minutes pre-treatment if needed. Each session of tattoo removal is very quick in comparison with how long it took to get the tattoo. After each treatment the area will be sore for about a day and you will begin to see fading within the next few days.
If you have a tattoo that does not represent who you are anymore or if you have one that you just plainly do not like, then let laser tattoo removal be your option…because you are always allowed to change your mind.
Before and After:
Before after 2 treatments
(Client needs additional treatments before it will be completeley gone)
