HOW DO LASERS REMOVE TATTOOS?
All tattoos fade naturally over time. Your body views all tattoos as foreign particles and will try to eliminate them, but the ink particles are so big that your white blood cells cannot do much with them. Over time your lymphatic system will chip small pieces away, causing some fading of the tattoo to occur, but full removal on a tattoo normally will not happen in an average lifespan. The laser speeds up this process by breaking up the tattoo ink into much smaller particles that can be cleared faster by your own immune system. The laser emits a strong and focused beam of light that passes through the upper layers of skin to the particles of pigment in your tattoo. The laser light heats and vibrates the ink into smaller microscopic particles that are filtered and taken away by your body’s lymphatic system (your body’s natural cleansing mechanism) over a period of 8-12 weeks.
DOES IT HURT?
Everybody has a different perception of pain. Most people describe the sensation being like having a hot rubber band snapped against their skin. The procedure is very fast and will be over quickly. I use a Zimmer Cryo machine before, during, and after treatments, which will blow very cold air on the area, chilling the area and making the treatment much more tolerable.
CAN YOU REMOVE ALL OF THE COLORS IN MY TATTOO?
The Quanta Q Plus C laser I use has 3 different wavelengths allowing it to selectively erase a whole spectrum of colors, including stubborn blues and greens
WHICH COLORS ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT TO REMOVE?
My laser can treat all colors in your tattoo, although some colors respond better than others. Blacks and reds respond relatively quickly, while cooler colors such as blues and greens may require more treatments.
CAN MY TATTOO BE REMOVED WITH JUST ONE TREATMENT?
Most tattoos require multiple treatments for full removal. There are several different factors involved in determining how many treatments your tattoo will require, including skin type, location, color, amount of ink, scarring or tissue change, and layering. Your body’s response to the laser will also dictate the number of subsequent treatments. During your consultation, we will discuss the number of treatments we estimate you’ll need for your tattoo to be completely removed.
HOW LONG BETWEEN TREATMENTS?
It is recommended to go 6 to 8 weeks between treatments. Healing is not the reason for the spacing of treatments, as it is not the laser that expels the ink, rather, your own body and lymphatic system is what takes the ink away. This process occurs during downtime in between treatments.
WILL I SEE MY TATTOO FADE AFTER EACH TREATMENT?
Each person and each tattoo are different and unique, and therefore there are varying responses to the laser treatment. Depending on how your body and your tattoo ink respond to the laser, you may see noticeable fading with the very first treatment. Others may not see a change until they’ve had a few treatments.
WILL LASER TREATMENTS LEAVE A SCAR?
Scarring is always a possibility in any medical procedure, but by carefully following aftercare instructions, the risk of scarring is significantly less. If you are predisposed to keloids, or you do know you scar easily, your chances will be higher. On some occasions, hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin) or hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin) may occur, and will usually resolve itself over time. We recommend keeping the treated area out of the sun to lessen the risk of pigmentation issues.
ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS AFTER I RECEIVE A TREATMENT?
post treatment heat will continue to reside under the skins surface for an extended period of time. Therefore you will need to avoid any activities that will raise the body temperature or irritate the skin for 24-48 hrs. No workouts, hot showers, hot tubs, saunas, sun, etc. in this period
I LOVE MY TATTOO BUT THERE’S ONE PART THAT I DON’T LIKE. CAN YOU REMOVE JUST THAT PART?
Yes, I can treat just small portions of a tattoo. The laser is very precise, allowing me to treat only small areas and leave the rest of the tattoo untouched.
CAN I HAVE LASER TREATMENTS ON MY PERMANENT MAKEUP?
I can treat most microbladed or tattooed eyebrows. Eyebrows do require multiple sessions just like a regular tattoo, but usually fewer treatments. Following treatment, the area will be sensitive, so after 48 hours, makeup and sunscreen may be applied to the area. I do not treat lips or eyeliner tattoos.
HOW MUCH DOES LASER TATTOO REMOVAL COST?
The price of each treatment depends on several factors, including the size of the tattoo, color, depth, and density of the ink. The best way to get an idea of pricing would be to come in for a consultation.
