Archive for Skin Care
Laser Tattoo Removal A Second Chance
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Many people do things that they regret at some point in their life, especially when they are young. Decisions can seem like a great idea one day and after the action has been taken on the decision, it can seem like a terrible decision down the road. If you have made a decision that you have regretted, hopefully steps have been taken to reverse the decision you have made, which is sometimes possible and other times is not possible.
One decision that you may have made but now regret may be getting a tattoo. Many people gets tattoos that they think are great when they are young but as they grow older they begin to think differently about the tattoo and start to dislike it, or even become embarrassed of it. Thankfully, you now have the option of laser tattoo removal if you are one of the those many people that wishes that had never gotten their tattoo. This option is also much more effective than other treatments that claim to remove tattoos as well.
When you decide that it is time to get rid of your tattoo and are thinking about using laser tattoo removal as the option to get this done, you will probably have many questions that you want to ask your specialist before deciding to move forward with the option. With this, it is a good idea to make a preliminary appointment with the specialist to learn about the risks and the benefits of the treatment before scheduling the appointment to have your tattoo removed.
Some of the questions that will likely be running through your mind before you make an appointment with a laser tattoo removal specialist are if the procedure will hurt, how long it will take, how much it will cost, if there are any side effects, or if you will have a scar form the treatment. These are all questions that will likely be addressed by the specialist and be sure to ask them if you have any more questions that have not been answered. It is always a good idea to have all of your questions answered as they come up instead of worrying about them if they are left unanswered. You will likely find that there are many more benefits to having this procedure done than there are risks because you can finally be rid of the tattoo that you have grown to dislike and can reveal that part of your body that you were likely covering up due to embarrassment.
Do you Want your Tattoo Removed, the Laser Way?
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Laser tattoo removal
Laser tattoo removal works on the principle of selective thermolysis where the targeted tattoo is exposed to the energy delivered by laser. This energy exposure results in selective destruction of the foreign pigment while ensuring minimum damage to the surrounding skin.
Lasers can be applied to remove all sorts of tattoos be it professional, amateur, cosmetic, medicinal, and traumatic tattoos. The different colors present in the tattoos may respond differently to laser tattoo removal, but they do get removed to quite some extent. Thus laser tattoo removal presents itself as a non-invasive and effective treatment for unwanted tattoos.
The right candidate
Anyone with a need to remove an undesired tattoo can opt for laser tattoo removal. It is not the person’s physical characteristics which decide the extent of removal but the colors used. Though most tattoo colors can be eliminated or lightened more or less, skin colored tattoos may undergo irreversible ink darkening. This may be the case with white, pink, flesh-toned and light brown tattoo inks. Also red ink tattoos may turn black. In these situations do ask or say yes to a test dose.
Some Facts
Although, laser tattoo removal for sure is the best solution to the unwanted tattoo woes; it has got its warts which need to be kept in mind. Some of them are:
1. Since results are color dependent total elimination is not possible, however you can be sure of dramatic lightening. Amateur black tattoos respond more quickly than professional and multicolored tattoos.
2. To get maximum benefit multiple sessions are usually required.
3. Doubly treated tattoos may require additional treatments.
4. If the tattoo is multicolored, it would require exposure to lasers of several different wavelengths because of the selective absorption characteristics of a particular color.
Types of lasers used
Q-switched Ruby Laser (QSRL)
It is a red colored laser which works best for dark blue and black inks. With tattoos in these colors, results have been exceptional. So far as red and yellow color is concerned results have been less than satisfactory. The response of green tattoos is variable. The QSRL is also effective in treating medicinal and traumatic tattoos.
Q-switched Nd:YAG
This laser works both for amateur and professional tattoos of all colors. But best results have been observed in case of black tattoos, as is the case with the ruby laser. Moreover this laser works quite well for darker skinned individuals. Also unlike QSRL, which is ineffective in case of red and yellow color, Q-switched Nd:YAG is highly effective for these colors in frequency doubled setting (532 nm).
Q-switched Alexandrite Laser
This laser is quite like QSRL in treating tattoos especially when treating green tattoos. However up to 50% of patients can experience textural changes in their skin after treatment.
Flashlamp-pumped Pulsed Dye Laser
This laser does not penetrate deep into skin because of its wavelength which is 510 nm. Hence it is not so useful when it comes to deeper tattoos. However, it is effective for the treatment of brightly colored tattoos such as those that use red, purple, and orange inks. The major side effect of this laser is bruising.
Post-procedural Care
After the procedure some swelling and blistering is commonplace, so is crusting. So don’t panic they will go by themselves after some time. Do take good care of the wound to aid the healing process and to prevent infection.
To ensure fast and safe healing, make use of prescribed antibiotic ointment with regular dressing changes. If you feel the need of alleviating any resultant pain, consult the physician to recommend you some pain killer. Also avoid exposure to sun to prevent tanning.
Conclusion
Laser tattoo removal has brought an effective, less painful solution to people who want to get their tattoos removed or faded.
Fade your Tattoo But Carefully!
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The word “tattoo” comes from the Tahitian word tattau; meaning, to mark. It has been around for ages. Tattoos have been found on Ice Age remains and Egyptian mummies. More than 20 million Americans have one or more tattoos.
Just as the demand for getting tattoos has increased, so has the demand for having the tattoos removed or faded. A survey by the American Society of Dermatological Surgery found that around 50 percent of the people who get tattoos eventually regret having them. And look for ways either to fade their tattoos or have them removed altogether.
Tattoos were meant to be permanent, so removing or fading them was difficult until now. However, with the recent advances in technology, laser therapy has become the preferred method for removal of tattoos.
The Q-switched ruby laser is considered the first preference for most of the tattoos, except for red ink, which is best treated with an Nd: YAG laser. Some people prefer laser treatment for tattoo fading rather than complete removal, as fading tattoos is less painful and less expensive.
Procedure of laser tattoo removal
Laser works by emitting short but intense pulses of light that pass through the epidermis and get absorbed by the tattoo pigment. The laser energy breaks the ink pigment into tiny particles which are then easily removed by the body’s immune system a few weeks or months after the laser treatment.
The amount of time and the number of laser treatments require to remove the tattoo depends on several factors such as:
• The color of the ink is a big factor in determining how many laser treatments you require. Black and blue colored tattoos get removed easily whereas green and yellow pigments are the hard to remove.
• Professional tattoos are harder to remove as compared to street tattoos as professional tattoo makers use better quality ink and equipment.
• It is tougher to remove a new tattoo rather an older one as the pigment in the new tattoo is likely to be denser
• Size of the tattoo
• How deep the ink is injected
• Location of the tattoo and
• The individual’s ability to heal
If you’re going to get your tattoo removed or faded through laser procedures, remember to do your research and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Question you must have answers to before you go in for the treatment:
Cost of the Treatment
Prices for laser removal depend upon the size of the tattoo, type of inks used etc. The bigger the area; the higher the charge. Fix up an appointment with the removal practitioner or the dermatologist and get the estimate.
Pain Involved
Fortunately laser removal or fading is relatively painless procedure. But still the amount of pain felt will depend on the type of tattoo, the level of treatment and your own tolerance level. Some people feel more pain than others. The truth is that you will only know how painful it is until you try it.
Chances of Side-effects
Normally the area blisters after the treatment. The skin returns to normal within 4 to 6 weeks. The possibilities of side-effects are few but it may include hyper pigmentation, hypo pigmentation, infection or a little chance of permanent scarring. Get all your doubts cleared before going for the treatment.
Number of Treatments
If you think that one fine day you would go in to the clinic, and walk out the very same day tattoo free, then you are dreaming in vain. It takes a number of sittings for tattoo fading or removal. Generally the number of treatments depends upon the depth, color and the composition of the ink.
Relation between Tattoo Removal and Breastfeeding Mothers
There is no evidence suggesting that tattoo fading or cover up tattoo affects breastfeeding in any way. The body filters the ink particles via the white blood cells and mothers are unlikely to face problems if they follow the recommended aftercare procedures. But if there are concerns about a tattoo, then the mother should consult the dermatologist or her physician for proper advice.
Tattoo Laser Removal: Is It For You?
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You certainly see a lot of things during the warmer weather. In some places, it is a time for people to escape the heat by wearing as little clothing as possible. That is also a time for people to show off their body art. As much as some people love their body art, there are others who would like nothing better than to have it removed.
Tattoo laser removal is considered the safest way to have body art removed because it is done at a medical facility by a licensed dermatologist. In order to have a better understanding of how tattoo laser removal works, it is very important for a person to understand how the body art was originally applied.
What basically happens during a tattooing session is that the needle simultaneously pokes holes in the upper epidermal layers and injects those holes with ink. The ink then bonds to the skin molecules, which is supposed to make the tattoo permanent.
Tattoo laser removal incorporates two things. First of all, the heat of the laser penetrates the upper skin layers and ruptures the skin molecules slowly, which eradicates the visible signs of the tattoo. At the same time, the light of the laser stimulates an extra amount of blood to flow into the area, creating new skin tissue to replace the old tissue. It is important to note that tattoo laser removal must be done gradually in order to prevent scarring. So, the patient can expect several sessions over a period of a few weeks or months.
Tattoo Remover With Laser Technology
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With the proliferation of tattoos in recent years, doctors have seen an increase in the number of people requesting tattoo removal. The reasons for this vary: the tattoos may be poorly placed or executed, the site may have become infected, or the person may simply have outgrown whatever impulse led to the tattoo.
Lasers work by producing short pulses of intense light that pass harmlessly through the top layers of the skin to be selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment. This laser energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are then removed by the body’s immune system. Researchers have determined which wavelengths of light to use and how to deliver the laser’s output to best remove tattoo ink.
During laser tattoo removal, the laser is used to selectively target and destroy the tattoo without damaging the surrounding tissue, which greatly decreases scarring. Lasers have differing wavelengths and pulse durations, and different laser beams are absorbed by specific colors, allowing physicians to choose the precise combination of lasers for the depth and color of a particular tattoo as well as for multi-colored tattoos. After treatment the skin is more uniform and natural in appearance, although some changes in skin texture and color are unavoidable.
With any tattoo, color is very important. Black and white are the most commonly used colors, although there are other colors used as well. Tattoos need to have an equal balance of color, along with the right shape. If the shapes used in your design follow the contours of your body, the tattoo will look even more impressive. Therefore, you should always have your tattoo applied by someone with a lot of experience.
Today, electronic tattoo machines are the most common methods of tattooing. With electronic tattoo guns, the ink is injected into the skin by a group of needles that are attached to a bar. The electronic gun moves very fast, going in and out of the skin hundreds of thousand of times per minute. If an experienced tattoo artist uses the gun, the results can be amazing. Experienced tattoo artists are always the way to go, as they have the experience to give you the results you want. With the right tattoo artist and the right application technique – you should have a tattoo that you can be proud of.