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You are here: Home > Procedures & Treatments > Tattoo Removal
Tattoo Removal
Tattooing in humans is an ancient art form dating back as far as the Stone Age (12,000 BC). The word"tattoo" is derived from the Polynesian word "tatu" and refers to the acquisition of pigmented particles in the skin. There are basically two types of modern tattoos applied to the skin of millions of people today: professional or amateur. Professional tattoos generally contain more ink which is deeply placed in the skin. They may contain a variety of metallic pigments such as cadmium, mercury, and cobalt which may be particularly difficult to remove, requiring many treatment sessions. Amateur tattoos usually contain carbon based India ink that is much more easily removed.
How does laser tattoo removal work?
We use a Q-Switched laser which selectively targets the pigmented particles of the tattoo with a brief (billionths of a second) single pulse of light. This selectively destroys the pigment without damage to the adjacent skin. The Q-switched laser pulse fractures the ink into smaller particles which are eliminated through the surface of the skin, or taken away by the body's scavenger white blood cells.
What can I expect from a treatment?
Typically, a small two by two inch tattoo will only take a few minutes to scan with the laser; a larger tattoo will require more time. Immediately after laser exposure, the tattoo appears ash white with slightly swollen skin. This opaque appearance usually resolves within 24 hours. A crust can appear over the tattoo which sloughs off 10-14 days later. Fading of the tattoo will be noticed over the next 4 to 8 weeks.
How many treatment sessions will I need?
Re-treatment is suggested at 4 to 8 week intervals. Due to the variety of the mixing of inks, it is impossible to predict exactly how many treatments are necessary to fade a tattoo. Typically, amateur tattoos clear after two to six treatments, whereas professional tattoos can require 8 to 12 or more treatments.
What about different ink colors?
The easiest colours to remove are black and navy blue. Neon colors, especially yellow, are very difficult to remove. Not all tattoos can be completely removed. Some red, white, and flesh toned ink colors can darken (i.e. turn black) immediately after laser treatment. This blackened tattoo pigment cannot always be removed with successive laser treatments. Therefore, a test site has to be done on these ink colors to assess the potential for darkening. If there is no darkening, the treatment can proceed. If there is darkening, four weeks later the small test site has to be treated again to determine if the darkened ink can now be faded.
