Laser Tattoo Removal – How Does It Work?
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People like to get tattoos when they are younger and sometimes do so for stupid reasons. Often, after ten years of so of having a tattoo, the person may decide they don’t want it any more. There are many reasons that a person may want to have a tattoo removed. Perhaps they have a named of an old lover tattooed on them, or they have a gang tattoo that there are no longer associated with. Some people have tattoos in places that will prevent them from getting a job they want. Some people might also have a tattoo that symbolizes hate or racism, and they no longer feel this way. Whatever the reason is, there are methods of tattoo removal out there. Laser tattoo removal is one option for people considering the removal of a tattoo which is the most common method of tattoo removal. Laser removal involves targeting the tattooed area with pulses of concentrated light that will in turn break the ink fragments up into tiny particles which are then removed by you’re immune system. This process does not happen after one session, however, and the more treatment you have, the more likely the laser will destroy the ink. However, the more treatments you have also means heightened damage done to your skin. Excess treatments can lead to blistering of the skin, painful sores on your skin, scabs and even scarring. Since technology has advanced so much, the risks of skin damage have become minimal and many experts say it is very rare for scaring to occur. However, there is always some risk involved. Laser tattoo removal can be quite painful, as some people have described it as feeling like being splattered with hot grease. Laser tattoo removal can also hurt your wallet though. Depending on the size and detail of your tattoo, you might need to have up to ten sessions in order to fully remove all of the ink. Each session costs in the range of $250 to $850. There are many other options for you to consider before you decide if laser tattoo removal is right for you. No method is 100% effective and guaranteed, but many will get you the results that will satisfy you. Laser removal is one of the best treatments for removing a tattoo, but remember, if you have a large colorful tattoo, you may spend thousands of dollars on treatment and it will not even be fully removed.
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 Removal Options
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The removal of a tattoo is often thought of as being a very painful process. Although the process may have been very painful in the past, the technology of today offers methods of removing tattoos. Currently, there are two options to remove tattoos that are rapidly becoming more and more popular – laser technology and light based technology.
Both surgeries used light energy to destroy the ink in the tattoo. The ink in the tattoo will absorb the energy of the light, breaking it up. Once the ink starts to break up, it can easily be passed through and out of your body through filtering. In most cases this is extremely safe, as the ink is broken down into micro size to where it can easily pass through the body with no complications.
The process is actually similar to the surgery in which hair is removed. The surgeon or doctor who performs the surgery will hold a wand to the skin that is being treated. As he does this, the pulses of light are aimed at the tattoo, breaking up the ink. The wand is normally held right up against the tattoo, as this makes the pulses of light much more effective.
Normally, the feeling that you’ll experience is best described as an elastic or rubber band flicking constantly against your skin. If the tattoo is big, the pain could certainly be a bit more intense. The area where the tattoo is at is also important, as sensitive areas may cause you quite a bit of pain and discomfort. If the area in which you have the tattoo doesn’t have a lot of muscle or tissue, you’ll more than likely want to be numbed as much as possible before starting the procedure.
Both laser and light based treatments are somewhat similar. With both tattoo removal procedures, the doctor that is doing the procedure will always apply a cooling gel to the tattoo area that is being treated to cool the skin and conduct the energy of the light. This cooling gel helps to draw the light, and at the same time protect your skin. The gel will feel cool to the touch, although it will help your skin when the light pulses start to break the ink apart.
If you’ve been thinking about having a tattoo removed you should consider both light and laser based procedures. Keep in mind that they are both expensive, and both impose risks. Depending on how big your tattoo is and what the procedure involves, you may need to spend a night or two in the hospital. Even though both procedures do offer ways to have your tattoo removed, you’ll need to think long and hard before you make a final decision.For More about Tattoos visit FREE TATTOOS DESIGN
Things to Know About Tattoos
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Getting the first tattoo can be a very hard decision for a lot of people. For some people just deciding what design to get is the problem while others may struggle with deciding what colors, size or where to place the tattoo. After all the other decisions have been made, please take some time to pick the right tattoo parlor for you. There are some different things to know about tattoos.
Most people understand the tattoo ink has been developed to last a life time. The style and design of the tattoo should not be made on a whim. If this is your first tattoo, please make sure this is something you will be comfortable about and proud of for the rest of your life. Never get a tattoo thinking that it can be removed later with the laser tattoo removal process, you should not consider even having the tattoo applied if you are thinking this. Certain colors will also have different meaning for different people to choose.
A good tattoo parlor can make almost any design that you can think of. Most of the tattoo artists think of the skin like a blank piece of canvas waiting to be developed. But do keep it realistic, the tattoo artist can only do so much. For example, the lower back tattoos can not be placed on your little finger. W
hile the placement of the tattoo is important to you, take the time to consider the loved ones around you. The idea of tattoos today is not as taboo as it was several years back but there are still some people that may be offended by them. Will your job allow you to show the tattoo or will it have to be covered up? Location is important in more ways then one.
Once the size, style, location and design of the tattoo has been decided, now it is time to find your tattoo parlor. You should take some time in choosing your tattoo parlor. Getting a tattoo is a very personal experience and you need to feel comfortable with the tattoo artist and with the tattoo parlor. If this is your first tattoo, take plenty of time to find a parlor that you feel good in. It is always a good idea to talk with the tattoo artist and make sure you are both in agreement with the work that is to be done. Tattoo safety is very important in todays society. If the tattoo artist is opposed to your ides, that the time to listen. The tattoo artist is the professional and is the one who works with the equipment and the pallet or the skin and knows better then the average person why something should not be done. Listen and learn is a good idea in this situation. If the tattoo artist is not comfortable with the design or placement of the tattoo, you may want to either reconsider the tattoo or the artist. This is the work of the artist and it will be seen for years and they want you to be proud of it;
Tatoo Removal Made Easy
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Tattooing, which is defined as the permanent insertion of ink or other pigments below the skin using a sharp instrument, has been used for cosmetic and ritual purposes since the Neolithic era. It has been used to identify criminals, invoke magical powers and, most recently, to adorn the skin with colorful designs in what has become a major trend.
Indeed, a recent telephone survey done by the American Academy of Dermatology reports that 36 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29 are tattooed, and 24 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 50 have been inked. This represents a 16 percent increase over a similar survey done in 2003!
But what happens when that tattoo you thought was so cool 20 years ago just isn’t cool anymore?
Yes, tattooing has been around a long time, and something that has always gone along with tattoos since the very beginning is the desire to remove them. Whether the desire to remove the tattoo is a result of social, cultural, or physical reasons, people go to great lengths to get the job done.
Early techniques for removing tattoos included painful and scarring procedures such as sanding, cutting, and burning the skin. Unless you were willing to go to these lengths, tattoos were seen as permanent and irreversible. However, thanks to medical advances in the field of dermatology, surgeons are now able to remove tattoos safely and effectively.
Methods for tattoo removal today include dermabrasion, surgical excision, salabrasion, chemical peels, and laser surgery. Let’s examine how tattoos are removed with each of these methods.
Dermabrasion
With dermabrasion, the surface and middle layers of the skin are “sanded” away with a hand-held scraping or sanding tool. This process removes the pigmented skin and encourages the growth of new skin.
Dermabrasion is not for everyone. If the tattoo is old, or if the ink has been injected into the subcutaneous fat, dermabrasion may not work. Also, if the tattoo was done by an amateur and the ink is deposited at varying depths in the skin, complete removal may be difficult.
Side effects include skin discoloration, infection at the site of the tattoo, and scarring from repeated scraping and sanding. Complete removal of all the ink is not always possible.
Until laser surgery was introduced, dermabrasion was considered one of the most popular and effective ways of removing tattoos.
Surgical Excision
Surgical excision is performed under general anesthesia. During the process, the surgeon literally cuts the tattoo out of the skin, and closes the wound with sutures. This technique is more suitable for smaller tattoos.
This is one of the more invasive tattoo removal procedures, and complications include swelling, infection, and scarring.
Chemical Peel
A chemical peel, during which trichloracetic acid is usually used, progressively removes layers of skin, and eventually the tattoo.
Depending upon the age of the tattoo, and whether the ink is evenly distributed, it is not guaranteed that a chemical peel will completely remove a tattoo. Chemical peels can also cause permanent damage to the skin, such as lightening where the design used to be, or scarring.
Salibrasion
Salibrasion is perhaps one of the oldest methods of tattoo removal, and requires the skin to be “sanded” with salt. A local anesthetic is usually injected around the design, and the skin is aggressively rubbed with salt or a salt sanding block.
Complete tattoo removal can’t be guaranteed, and the procedure can leave the patient with raw, red, burned skin. Scarring is also a possibility with this method.
Laser Treatment
Laser treatment was introduced in the 1980s, and presented the best alternative to tattoo removal. The CO2 laser beam was used to vaporize the ink and the overlying skin, and was less painful, safer, and much easier than other techniques. However, the technique was not perfect. The healing process was long, there was considerable risk of scarring, and in almost all cases a faint image of the tattoo was left behind.
Q-Switched Lasers
Q-Switched Lasers were introduced about 10 years ago, and have been shown to be the most effective way to date to remove tattoos. Q-switched lasers emit light in very short but powerful flashes, which pass through the skin and break up the tattoo pigment.
Because the absorption of the laser light affects the energy’s ability to break up the pigment, different types of q-switched lasers are best used on different colors of pigment.
There are four different types of q-switched lasers:
1.Q-switched ruby lasers have a red light and are effective on most black, blue, and green pigments.
2. Q-switched alexandrite lasers emit a deep red light and are effective for most black, blue, and green pigments.
3. Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers emit an infrared light and are effective on most black and dark blue pigments.
4. Q-switched frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers emit a green light and are effective on most red, black, dark blue, and purple pigments.
While tattoo removal with q-switched lasers is completely safe, patients usually experience discomfort on the same scale as receiving the tattoo. A topical anesthetic can be applied one to three hours before treatment. The more treatments the patient has the less pain he or she will feel, as there will be less pigment to absorb the laser energy.
Antibiotic ointment and a light dressing are applied to the area after treatment and normal activity, including showering, can resume the next day. Light blistering or bleeding following the treatment is normal and should subside within a day or two.
All tattoos will require more than one treatment, the average being between five and 10 treatments depending upon the depth of the tattoo, the colors used, the location of the tattoo, and the health of the patient. Fading of the tattoo should be evident about two weeks after treatment, and another treatment can be done as soon as a month later.
While scarring will not occur as a result of q-switched lasers, mild skin texture changes can occur. Darker skinned patients may also experience some skin lightening, though this is usually temporary.
Is it guaranteed that the tattoo will completely disappear when treated with a q-switched laser? Well, because more than 100 tattoo inks are used today, and none of them are regulated by the FDA, it is impossible to predict how a particular ink will respond to laser treatment. However, in most cases the tattoo will completely disappear.
To find a physician board-certified in laser surgery who removes tattoos look in the yellow pages under Cosmetic or Laser Surgery, and/or Tattoo Removal. Or contact the Ethical Cosmetic Surgery Association to find a practitioner in your area.