Over the past twenty years, tattoos have become part of the mainstream American culture. It is estimated that over twelve million Americans have at least one tattoo and that there are approximately 4,000 tattoo studios now in business in the United States. Informal surveys indicate that one out of two persons who gets this form of artistic expression comes to regret it, and looks for ways to get rid of them.
Unfortunately, and for many years, skin surgery was the only way to remove tattoos. New medical procedures and techniques, including the use of lasers help many people of all ages to eliminate something that, for a variety of reasons, is not wanted on the skin: what once seemed like a good idea may not fit your new image, and you wish it would just go away.
What are tattoos?... They are permanent marks or designs made on the deep layers of the skin by the injection of pigments, in the form of ink.
Using the most advanced laser and other techniques may remove approximately sixty to seventy percent of a tattoo, particularly if its color is blue, red or green. Black pigments also respond well to laser treatments; yellow pigments are extremely difficult —if not impossible— to remove.
| Twenty-nine years old female patient with a dark black, blue and red tattoo on her right upper back, professionally done at age 16. Picture on the right shows results two weeks after the last of ten treatments. |
| Thirty-two years old male patient with a dark black and red tattoo on his left inside forearm, of average quality, done at age 19. Six treatments were necessary to remove the tattoo, done at six weeks intervals. Low and medium light energy was used to clear the pigments, due to very sensitive skin. |
| Twenty-nine years old male patient with a dark blue, black and red eagle tattooed on his upper back, professionally done at age 22. Ten treatments were necessary to remove the tattoo's densely packed dark pigments. The picture on the right side shows traces of pigment resistant to further treatments; the patient was very satisfied with the outcome. |
How do treatments work? Medical lasers utilize an intense beam of light to lighten the tattoo with each treatment. The light energy may be delivered as a continuous wave of light or in pulses, depending upon the treatment and the type of laser utilized.
When the ink particles of the tattoo absorb the light from the laser, they are broken up into smaller fragments, which are then absorbed by the body's white blood cells and carried away by natural cleansing mechanisms. The cleansing process usually takes four to six weeks. Pigment that is deeper in the skin layers and darker, more concentrated, will require numerous treatments to remove, usually between six and ten.
Do treatments hurt? Carefully applied, treatments do not hurt; after each treatment, some patients may describe a mild to moderate feeling similar to a sunburn, which fades in a few minutes.
It is not necessary to do so but patients with very sensitive skin or with tattoos on the face or neck, feel more comfortable with the application of a local numbing cream or ice on the area prior to treatment.
Occasionally, and immediately after a treatment that requires the use of high energy light — for instance with very dark, dense tattoos— the skin may look pale and the area immediately around the tattoo may be red for a few minutes and may have mininal swelling. Both effects are greatly minimized by our use of cold compresses, both before and after treatments.
After each treatment, tattoos lighten gradually over the next four to six weeks. Sometimes mild lightening of the skin may occur around the treated areas. On normal skin, tone should return within a few weeks following the last treatment session.
The ink used in tattooing is not regulated and it is estimated that more than one hundred different inks from a variety of sources are used at present. This fact explains why some patients may have only partial clearing after several laser sessions.
How many treatments are necessary to remove a tattoo? Getting a tattoo may take just a few minutes... but removing it may take several months — some may require over a year of continous treatments.
Although it is difficult to predict how many treatments will be needed to get rid of a tattoo, on average, 6 to 10 treatments, scheduled four to six weeks apart, often yield satisfactory results. Occasionally, depending on the type and density of the inks used, and the amount of laser energy applied during each treatment, it is possible to see results after four or five treatment sessions.
The number of treatments required to achieve a satisfactory result depends on several factors: size, location, depth and color of the tattoo. Also, the nature of the inks and pigments used to create a tattoo play a significant role: at this time, more than one hundred and fifty different types of inks and pigments are used.
For all these reasons, a complete removal of a tattoo cannot be guaranteed, even by applying numerous treatments, while preserving the integrity of the overlying skin and avoiding the formation of a scar.
Treatment sessions take from 10 to 30 minutes and are typically scheduled four to six weeks apart to allow the body to remove the maximum amount of tattooed pigment after each application.
Most patients will see some fading and improvement in their tattoos after four or five treatment sessions. Large, dark and heavy pigmented tattoos applied by a professional tattooist require multiple treatments over several months in order to achieve satisfactory results.
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Tattoo Removal Fees: $280 - $380
per session, depending on tattoo size, color, density, etc.
We offer reduced rates for treatment packages.
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