As the years go by, people change. Tattoos may fade a bit, but typically last forever. More and more people are realizing that at least one or more of their tattoos just don’t fit them. They are looking for someone to help them remove what they have and replace it with better art, cleaner work, or even something better suited to who they are. Luckily, tattoos aren’t as permanent as they once were. We now have the technology to remove them.
If you have a tattoo you’ve considered getting rid of you’ve probably looked into getting it removed. Seeing videos of lasers zapping away ink can be intimidating. It may look scary, but tattoo removal is completely safe. We can help you get your tattoo removed permanently or ready for a cover up. Read on to find out how laser tattoo removal works and why it is the right solution for you!
How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work?
Lasers emit a concentrated beam of light at a single wavelength. While the light from a common laser pointer does not affect skin cells, some lasers are powerful enough to cut through even metal. So how does the laser remove the ink without harming your skin?
This works because the lasers used in tattoo removal emit a pulse of light rather than a steady beam. The ink particles of your tattoo are much smaller than your skin cells. This means that they heat up much more quickly. In the nanoseconds that the laser pulse is hitting your skin, the ink particles heat so quickly that they explode. Your skin cells heat up to the point where you will feel a sting, but the pulse is over before they have a chance to really heat up.
Once the ink particles have been broken into smaller pieces your body works to flush the ink out. Your tattoo could start fading as quickly as the first week, but make take up to 6 to 12 weeks to see results.
It’s much easier to remove older tattoos because the ink has already weakened over time. It breaks apart with fewer sessions. If you already regret your brand-new tattoo, be prepared for a longer removal experience.
Targeting Specific Colors
We mentioned earlier that laser beams emit a single wavelength of light. This wavelength can be adjusted. Each color has a color wavelength that absorbs the most quickly.
It’s kind of like how a black shirt absorbs heat from the sun much more quickly than a white shirt. Black ink is the easiest type to remove because black absorbs all colors in the light spectrum. Red ink absorbs green light faster than any other light, while green ink absorbs red light. If you look at a color wheel, you will find that opposite colors always have this relationship. Colors absorb their opposite light while reflecting the visible color that we see.
The tattoo removal specialist will adjust the wavelength of the laser for each color that needs to be removed to ensure that everything disappears evenly.
What Happens to the Exploded Ink?
Now that your tattoo ink has been broken down into smaller particles, what happens next? Your tattoo will still be quite visible, don’t worry, it won’t stay this way. At this point, all you have to do is be patient and let your immune system take over.
Your body is very good at removing unwanted particles. Now that the ink has been broken up, your lymphatic system will begin to flush the particles out just like a virus. It usually takes about 6 – 12 weeks for the body to finish getting rid of these loosened ink particles. This means that you will have to be patient as you wait between sessions.
How Many Sessions Will It Take?
Every tattoo removal will require multiple sessions. As previously mentioned, newer tattoos will take longer to remove or fade. Larger tattoos and especially tattoos with many colors will take the most number of sessions. Your specialist can give you an idea of how many sessions it will take.
Keep in mind that even the most seasoned tattoo removal expert can not know for sure the exact number of sessions a complete job will take. Every tattoo artist has a different approach to how they put down ink, what kind of ink is used – that’s part of why each removal is unique. The number of sessions also depends on each individual client’s lifestyle and overall health, as well as how their skin and lymphatic system react to the removal process.
You can get a ballpark estimate of how many sessions it will take, but don’t be surprised if you might need to come back for extra sessions.
Does it hurt?
Yes. Some say it is comparable to getting a tattoo, while others say it’s similar to the continuous snap of a rubber band hitting the skin, but many agree that it might just be a notch above that on the painful scale. Fortunately, each session of the laser tattoo removal process is so quick–a few seconds to a couple of minutes of laser to skin contact (depending on the size and density of the tattoo) that we can all agree is much easier to handle than an entire tattoo session. That being said, Goodbye Rhonda insists that our clients are as comfortable as possible and we have a few tricks up our sleeve to insure this!
First we will numb the tattoo area with an ice pack, a simple yet very effective way to improve the tattoo removal treatment experience. Then, our cold air machine, the top of the line Zimmer Cryo 6, emits freezing cold air that can be applied before, during and after the treatment. This allows for continuous cooling and is a favorite of our clients.
Another option for pain reduction is topical numbing cream with typical active ingredients such as lidocaine or benzocaine. Some in the industry say these creams may hinder the effectiveness of the laser when removing a tattoo, others disagree and use them as their primary skin numbing method. The cooling of the skin seems to do the job for most, but we can recommend a numbing cream if you are interested and/or may have a product for purchase at our shop.
On top of it all, we will even give you a popsicle after your treatment! You got this!!
Common misconceptions
Many people forego laser tattoo removal because they think that it leaves a scar. They would rather live with an undesirable tattoo than a blemish of the same size. This is an understandable myth. In the past, laser tattoo removal used a CO2 laser. These are the same types of laser used in manufacturing and used to cut through plastic, wood, or even metal. They would remove the tattoo at the cost of severely damaging your skin.
These are not used for tattoo removal anymore! We now use a q-switching laser with a neodymium YAG laser. This is the same type of laser used for corrective eye surgery. This light can be used with a much higher degree of accuracy. Any horror stories you may have heard about laser tattoo removal are a thing of the past.
Our Laser
The Lutronic Hollywood Spectra laser is considered the gold standard for tattoo removal. This leading laser company developed the Hypersurge™ Resonator to produce a unique spatial delivery of the energy that produces significantly increased tissue undulation, which has not been able to be replicated with other lasers, including picosecond devices. It produces very short high energy pulses that break down the tattoo ink into very small particles that are readily absorbed by the body. The Spectra laser is able to treat the widest range of tattoo colors, intensities, and depths. It allows us to maximize treatment results while minimizing patient discomfort and recovery time.
“Hollywood Spectra is clearly the laser of choice for tattoos. Hands down it is the best laser system when it comes to tattoo removal.” — Kevin Duplachain, MD
Aftercare
After a laser tattoo removal session, it is your responsibility to keep the tattoo well cared for. Proper home care is essential for healing the skin that has been treated by the laser.
While thorough aftercare instructions will be provided after your treatment, the main points are:
- -Keep the treated area clean and dry. Do not apply any unnecessary lotions, creams or makeup.
- -To manage any pain, you can take Tylenol (but NOT aspirin) and try applying aloe vera or ice packs for a cooling effect.
- -Blisters and scabbing are possible and normal. Do not pick them. However, if a blister were to become cumbersome, use a sterile needle to pop and drain. Next, clean the area, apply antibacterial ointment and cover with a bandage.
- -Mild swelling, redness and tenderness are normal for up to one week, followed by itching. Use Aquaphor, vitamin E ointment or hydrocortisone cream to help alleviate this.
- -It’s ok to shower after a few hours of treatment, but avoid high pressure water or scrubbing the area. Baths, hot tubs, swimming pools or any form of soaking are not recommended until all blistering and scabbing is healed.
- -For the first two weeks following treatment protect your skin from the sun. Use sunblock of at least SPF 30 for 6 – 8 weeks after treatment.
Alternative Tattoo Removal Methods
You may hear some people say that there are cheaper, less painful methods to remove tattoos that you can do at home. We strongly urge you to avoid trying these methods. They are ineffective at best and dangerous at worst.
Saline Injection
This method attempts to break up the ink with a saline solution rather than laser light. The hope is that the saline will dilute the ink and push it up into the outer layers of the skin, where it will be discarded along with regular dead skin cells.
In the best-case scenario, this method would take far more sessions than laser removal. Each session may be cheaper, but you could easily end up paying more in the long run for a less successful outcome. You also run a higher risk of developing scar tissue. Each injection creates a new wound in the same spot, a good way to develop a lasting mark.
Dermabrasion
This one is pretty much what it sounds like: exfoliating the skin to the point where you are reaching the inner layers where the ink resides. This is sure to be a much more painful process than laser removal, with a high risk of scarring.
Creams
Some over-the-counter products tout their ability to remove tattoos with a simple topical cream. Don’t believe them. These creams do nothing more than bleach your skin. Not only does bleach wreak havoc on your body, but it can also scar your skin. To top it off, these treatments don’t work. The most they can do is turn your tattoo into a smudged mess surrounded by skin with pigment damage.
Excision
This is the most traditional method of tattoo removal. It involves literally removing the tattooed skin. This is guaranteed to leave a scar and is not feasible for anything more than the smallest tattoo.
Tattoos – Not So Permanent After All
The one thing everyone knows about tattoos is that they last forever; it’s part of their mystique. But thanks to modern technology, we now have the ability to reverse that decision, or at least fade a tattoo for a sweet new cover up.
If you’ve got tattoo you’d like to remove or fade, email or give us a call! We’d be happy to answer any further questions you may have. We can also take a look at your tattoo to give you an idea of how long your personal laser tattoo removal journey may take. Get an online quote or book your free in person consultation today!
Kiss your unwanted tattoo goodbye!