Laser Tattoo Removal

Recent times have seen a growing trend of tattooing, which goes hand in hand with an increase in the number of people wanting their tattoos removed. Earlier removal methods such as dermabrasion, chemical removal and excision only led to unfortunate episodes of scarring. Today, with the introduction of newer lasers, tattoo removal is possible without the side effects associated with previous methods. Lasers have become more effective and gentle and cause minimal scarring.

Steps involved in the process

The tattoo removal process involves a laser being carefully seclected in order to target and destroy the tattoo without causing much damage to the neighbouring tissues. Lasers come in varying pulse durations and different wavelengths and these laser beams are absorbed by specific colours. This allows the physicians to select the right combination of lasers for the colour and depth of multi-coloured tattoos. Arrange a brief consultation with your doctor in order to grasp the procedure and have the style, size, location and colour of the tattoo examined.

How does it actually work?

The area on the tattoo and around it is cleaned in order to remove oils present on the skin and a topical anaesthetic is applied for an hour. Depending on the tattoo colour, an appropriate laser wavelength is chosen and the treatment begins. The laser enables the top layer of the ink to break into smaller fragments. These particles are absorbed by the body's natural cleansing system over the next 4 to 8 weeks.

Side effects

The skin over the treated area becomes white and there may be some amount of bleeding. You will experience pain during the treatment often described as a stinging or burning sensation.

What is the time taken for this procedure?

On average every laser treatment takes about ten to twenty minutes. Multiple treatments are required to achieve the desired results - this number can vary depending on the colour and depth of the tattoo.

Tattoo inks

Some forms of tattoo ink and various colours can be easier or more difficult to remove by laser treatment. For example, India ink (graphite) tattoo can be removed easily with laser treatments. Colours that are difficult to remove are blue, green and yellow and sometimes require more than 20 laser treatments. Generally an average of 8 to 10 treatments for one tattoo should conveniently suffice. You must give at least a month in between treatments, so be ready to put in a substantial amount of time for the process.

Cost factors

Tattoo removal is far more expensive than getting a tattoo in the first place. In fact, a laser tattoo removal can cost between several hundred dollars to more than a thousand dollars depending on the location, type and size of the tattoo along with the number of sittings required.