Laser Tattoo Removal

A tattoo can be easily defined as a decorative body design. Tattooing is an art which used indelible inks and attractive designs.   Tattooing has a long history. Lots of indigenous people’s around the world had some kind of tattoos on their body. The history reveals that tattooing is a part of the culture of indigenous people. Therefore you can say that tattooing has been descending from the indigenous peoples.

However the history of tattooing as such, in the modern world tattooing is a mania. Actually it is a culture. More than 50% of Americans are having at least a one tattoo on their body. Those days, a person who is having a tattoo on their body was rated as strange persons. One of the reasons for that was its popularity among the underrated people in the society such as gangsters, thugs and murderers. However, in the modern society having a tattoo is only a passion. Sometimes tattoos represent the taste and culture of the person. There are some people who have tattoos on their whole body. Some prefers to have tattoos on secret places. That purely depends on the taste of the person who is having the tattoo. Lots of famous celebrities are having tattoos on their bodies. Those tattoos have become their identities than their artistic work.  The most famous Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is the best example for that. The tattoos on her lower back and forearms   are world-famous ones.

Even though tattooing has become that popular, lot of people after a certain time try to remove or modify their tattoos. Indeed that is the nature of the humans. That is the driven force of fashions. People never satisfy with the things that they have. They always need the changes. However, the removing of tattoo is a cumbersome thing. The ink that use to tattoo is very hard and indelible. That makes it difficult to remove.

However, there are plenty of techniques that have been used to remove those permanent tattoos.  The traditional ways are sometimes dangerous and has some kind of harmful side effects. Those traditional methods involves in using chemicals and some harmful scrubbers. This can be seriously harmful to your skin. One of the most advanced and successful technique of removing a permanent tattoo is the laser technique. This laser technique has become more popular as it has minimal side effects.

• What is laser therapy of tattoo removal - The lifetime of the tattoo is mainly depend on the Ink which used for the tattoo and the experience of the tattoo artist. Some tattoos are almost impossible to remove. Sometimes they need surgeries. However surgeries are very scaring things. The laser therapy does not include any complicated processes. The therapy is completely a bloodless one.  The laser radiant’s release an unbroken light beam on to the tattoo.  That results of breaking the color lines of the tattoo in to tiny parts. Once the color lines are broken in to tiny parts the tattoo become fragile. However, sometimes you may need to apply the laser treatment few sessions to get the expected results.   This is purely depending on the depth and old of the tattoo.
• What kind of tattoos can be removed easily - people who is having fair skin has more chances of getting removed the tattoo than the people who is having dark skins. Fair skins easily absorb the laser radiants than the dark skins. The tattoos on the areas such as chest, arms and thighs can be easily removed than the tattoos on other areas such as ankle, fingers and on head. The tattoos on the areas were there have high body fats can be removed easier than the  tattoos on other places.
• Does the laser tattoo removal hurt you – as you all know, placing a tattoo on the body is a painful experience. Likewise, the removing is also a very hurting experience if you didn’t select the right method. However the pain is very nominal comparing to other tattoo removing alternatives such as chemical removers and hard scrubbings.
• Does it have any side effects – side effects of the laser treatment can be disregard comparing to the side effects of other alternatives. However, there may be some side effects such as fading of the color of the skin.

How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work?

When I think of LASER, a picture of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers comes to mind making his usual hand gesture and demanding the world leaders a ransom of a zillion dollars. But that is beyond the concept of laser treatment when it comes to tattoo removal. Yes, permanent tattoo removal is now possible thanks to laser treatment. Gone are the days when you have to wait for creams to lighten and erase your unwanted ex’s name. Say goodbye to permanent scarring too by salabrasion and surgical removal. The treatment might be quite expensive and is determined by the complexity of design, age and size of the tattoo. Many who have had treatment swear that it was really worth it.

So how does a destructive “LASER” do it? Well as mentioned it is unlike a destructive, atom-splitting laser at all. A low impulse laser is used to target the tattoo ink pigments. The impulse or the beat of the laser excites the ink pigments and cause them to break up into tiny fragments. After they break up, they can easily be absorbed by our circulatory system. This treatment may be repeated or done in sessions if the tattoo is a little old or too complicated to erase in just one session. The treatment is bloodless, painless with no incisions at all. That is why many prefer this method among others.

You might have heard that if you look at a laser directly you might get your eyes damaged. This is somewhat true. When you go to your dentist for a filling or a teeth whitening they use blue laser to cure or whiten. A blindfold or protective goggles are used to protect your eyes. Same is true for tattoo removal. A small handheld device is used against the skin to apply the laser pulses. You might feel and hear the pulses like a snapping rubber band. Localized anesthetic is applied to the area so you can’t feel a thing at all. A simple treatment for a small tattoo on your upper arm, the common site for I Love Mom tattoo designs, could take just a few minutes to half an hour. If the tattoo requires further sessions there is a 4 to 8 week period time frame after the next treatment.

The dermatologist will be prescribing antibiotic ointments for the area and may bandage it if necessary. Sun block must be worn all the time to prevent damage to the area. Also limitation of movement for the area may be advised to promote proper healing of the skin.

Depending on the number of sessions, scarring may result. Scar removal creams are available to prevent these.

The risk of infection is extremely low also for laser tattoo removal since there are no incisions. Some report a little darkening to sometime whitening of the affected area after the skins healing process and this is quite normal.

Consider researching on the credibility of the skin clinic that you would like to go to have the treatment. It is better to shop for clinics first for the dermatologist and staff’s experience on laser treatment before you choose. Also is budget is into consideration you might also check on the pricing of the treatment before you proceed.

So a word of caution again, before you go out and shop for a design for your tattoo, think of it a dozen times. It is just a sudden idea or a fad. You might regret it if you don’t want to see the tattoo anymore and it would add to your worries to know that it is quite expensive removing a tattoo that even getting one in the first place.

Who Can Benefit from Laser Tattoo Removal?

Tattoo art has long been a part of human history. It is a sign of tribal affiliation, individuality, self expression and expression of endearment for some. Tattoo designs have long evolved from simple lines and curves to 3 dimensional figures and images. Also tattoo equipment has developed from the simple needle and ink to tattoo equipment and machines. More so, tattoo removal has become a flourishing business. It is now possible to permanently remove a permanent tattoo, along with the affiliations and the memories that goes with the mark. From tattoo removal creams to high profile surgical treatments, consumers have a lot to choose from. Factors that affect their choice are budget, effectivity and necessity.

The most common and review-topping method of all is laser tattoo removal. It is now available as a treatment at your local dermatologist or sometimes in a spa setting. It is a simple, minimally invasive and very effective method to remove those unwanted tattoos. A low frequency laser is applied onto the tattoo and these beams excite and break down ink pigments and thus removing the tattoo. The laser removal method can be repeated depending on the depth of the tattoo coverage and the amount of ink that still has to be broken down. Low frequency lasers are also used for other skin treatments like skin rejuvenation and scar treatment. As mentioned this is an effective method to remove tattoo but no dermatologist can guarantee 100% removal since there are factors to be considered like tattoo size, depth and age of the tattoo.

The cost of a single laser tattoo treatment generally starts at $100-150 per square inch per treatment. You may contact your trusted dermatologist for a discount! But like what they say, perfection knows no price.

But not everyone can benefit from laser tattoo removal method. These are things to consider before booking a session at our local spa or dermatologist:

• If you have fair skin, then go for it. People with fair complexion have higher success rates for the treatment since ink pigments can be seen easily on fairer skin.
• Consider your tattoo location first. Tattoos on the chest, buttocks or chest can easily be removed by laser treatment since they are in flat and broad surfaces of the body that are easily accessible by laser light. Tattoos on the fingers and ankles which have thicker skin layers and irregular shapes are harder to erase. Areas with less body fat are also harder to treat.
• Consider your health and your age. This is a very important factor since a younger person has healthier skin that can regenerate faster than an elderly. Skin compensates after the treatment by regeneration and older people have less skin health and turgor to do this.
• If you have allergies better use creams. The procedure might be on out-patient type one but a local anesthetic will be applied or injected on the treatment site. If you are hypersensitive or sensitive to eggs and other poultry products and also sea food you might get allergic reactions that can be life threatening.
• How old is your tattoo? If you just got your tattoo it is very difficult to remove. Let it dry out and let the ink disperse onto your skin layers first. Also new tattoos are still fresh and prone to infection so better consult your dermatologist when you can have it removed. Older and much deeper tattoos are also very difficult to remove. Consult with your tattoo artist on what pigment, ink and machine he used to embed the design.

Another thing to consider when tempting to erase your tattoo through laser is the place you want to go for the procedure. It should be a reliable clinic that you know someone who personally went there to have the same procedure. Talk to the dermatologist first before the procedure.