That tattoo on your arm meant the world to you when you were 18 years-old. You were an adult and could tat your entire body if you desired. Now that you’re older, the ink has faded or the meaning behind it is invalid.
Maybe your tattoo was really ugly in the first place and you just didn’t see it until people pointed it out. Whatever your reason, you are not alone. About one in four people regret getting a tattoo.
Tattoo Culture
Tattoos are an art of expression. When you get a tattoo, it usually has a great meaning and represents something profound in your life. However, not all tattoos are works of art. Some tattoos can become a nightmare.
Sometimes it is necessary, or preferable, for a person to have a tattoo removed. The reasons for tattoo removal vary from person to person, but the purpose remains the same. You want to get rid of a tattoo you no longer want and regret getting in the first place.
Laser Tattoo Removal
Whatever your reason for removing a tat, don’t fret. Complete tattoo removal is possible! Balms and ointments may promise to remove or fade tattoos over time, but they are not as effective as laser tattoo removal.
Laser tattoo removal works deeper than the surface of the skin. It penetrates skin to destroy the actual pigment beneath it. This results in more complete and effective tattoo removal. In order to fully understand how laser tattoo removal works, you must understand how tattoos work.
How Tattoos Work
High quality tattoos are not made with simple, common household ink. The ink for tattooing contains metals to create the pigment and keep it in place. The metal is inserted by a tattoo artist beneath the skin of an individual using a tattoo gun.
Your body’s immune system will detect the metals and pigment of the tattoo as a foreign presence and attack it. It starts its assault on your tattoo by trying to break up the ink. Once pieces are broken off, they are carried through your blood stream and filtered out of your body through the kidneys.
The metals in tattoos are what prevent your body’s immune system from damaging your ink. You have probably noticed that your tattoo has faded over time. This is because your body’s immune system has attacked and carried off some of the smaller pieces of pigment.
The metal in the tattoo is also the reason why you are asked if you have tattoos when certain imaging procedures are performed for medical purposes. The metal can result in some interesting results in x-rays and can impact your eligibility for an MRI.
How Laser Tattoo Removal Works
Laser tattoo removal works by effectively breaking up the metal of the pigments beneath the skin. When the laser hits the metal, it breaks it into multiple, smaller pieces. Think of it like striking glass with a sharp pointed object.
Breaking up the metal makes it easier for your body’s immune system to attack it and carry the pigment away from the skin.
Multiple Treatments
It typically takes multiple treatments to completely remove a tattoo. After your first procedure, you will see some significant fading. The laser will need to be applied again to break up the smaller pieces of metal that your immune system couldn’t carry off.
This is repeated until you are satisfied with the results.
Why Laser Tattoo Removal?
Balms, dermabrasion, excision, and salabrasion are not as effective as laser removal because they do not directly attack the pigment beneath the skin. These treatments seek to draw out the ink through the skin or attempt to cut out the tattoo, which can cause infection and scarring.
Laser tattoo removal is more effective and is safe in most cases. The side effects are minimal and you will see results after each treatment.
Who Performs It?
Laser tattoo removal can be performed by trained technicians, dermatologists, and cosmetic surgery specialists. Check credentials and ask questions during your consultation.
What to Expect
A numbing agent may be applied in some cases prior to laser treatment. You will be given goggles to protect your eyes and the technician is likely to perform a test to determine the depth of the tattoo or which type of laser will work best.
Black tattoos are much easier to remove than color because laser treatment damages their pigment the most. Some colors may require additional lasers to be used and may require more treatments than others.
Goodbye Tattoo
Laser tattoo removal is typically a safe, effective procedure that removes your tattoos over time. For best results, seek a highly trained professional technician who makes you feel comfortable.
