Laser Tattoo Removal: What You Should Know Before You Decide

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

How the method works, how many procedures will be required and whether it will hurt (spoiler: yes).

What is the essence of the procedure

Humanity has decorated its body with drawings since ancient times. Tattoo, unlike coloring, is a collection of dye (ink pigment) inside skin cells. It forms in them the smallest drops of 2-400 nanometers in size (1 nanometer = 1 · 10⁻⁹ meter). The drops themselves in the cage are packed into larger spheres of 0.5-4 micrometers (1 micrometer = 1 · 10⁻⁶ meter).

Once upon a time, tattoos could only be removed by traumatic methods: excision, that is, surgically removed; dermabrasion - literally scrape off the skin. These procedures often resulted in scarring. In the sixties of the last century, lasers began to be used in medicine, then laser tattoo removal began to be practiced. And in the nineties, this method has already become the most popular.

The mechanism of laser lightening of a tattoo is not yet fully understood. Laser-Tissue Interaction in Tattoo Removal by Q-Switched Lasers is considered to be that the laser beam carries energy that is absorbed by the dye particles. They heat up and disintegrate. In this case, the cell, containing foreign pigment, boils from the inside and collapses. Further, the "debris" and the dye are captured by macrophages of the immune system - shapeless cells capable of absorbing foreign substances - and with the flow of lymph are removed from the skin.

What affects the effect

The tattoo itself

Everything matters: color and chemical composition of ink; area and location of the tattoo; how long ago it was made; the degree of skin damage during application - the depth of the pigment and the presence of scars; what tool was used to apply.

Skin type

The degree of skin pigmentation matters: whether it is dark or light. You can remove unnecessary jewelry from the skin of any color, but the operating mode of the device must correspond to it. Skin health is also important.

Laser

The selectivity and efficiency of the laser depends on such parameters of its work as the wavelength and pulse duration.

Ideally, in order to destroy all possible colors of the dye and minimize damage to the skin, energy with a strictly defined wavelength is required, which is not always possible. Therefore, some tattoo dyes are more difficult to blend. The black pigment is the easiest to remove.

The gold standard for laser tattoo removal is the use of QS lasers (Q-Switch is one of the characteristics of a modern device) with the function of matching the wavelength of laser radiation to the color of the skin and ink, with a pulse duration measured in nanoseconds (1 10⁻⁹ seconds). Several procedures are required once a month.

The most advanced and efficient lasers, which are especially suitable for removing high-quality professional tattoos, have pulse durations measured in picoseconds (trillionth of a second, 1 10⁻¹² seconds).

What to prepare for

The procedure has contraindications

There are common ones, for example: diseases of the heart and blood vessels, mental illness, pregnancy, skin diseases and others. There are also individual ones. If you had an intolerance reaction when applying a tattoo, which then passed, then when removed with a laser, the allergy can return in a more severe and dangerous form.

It will take several visits to the beautician

A quick complete removal of a tattoo is impossible - practitioners honestly talk about this. According to the research, it is necessary to carry out an average of 7-8 procedures with an interval of about a month between them.

This is a long and painstaking work, so you will need patience, perseverance and, of course, material costs, and from a specialist - knowledge and skill. Much depends on the technical equipment.

The tattoo becomes very pale during the procedure, but, unfortunately, this effect is short-lived. And after about 15 minutes, the color will return, becoming only slightly lighter. It is better to know about this in advance.

It can hurt in the process

To combat pain, doctors use various methods of local anesthesia (to reduce the intensity of the sensations themselves) in combination with mild sedatives to relieve stress on the patient and reduce pain perception.

Cosmetologists work with an air cooling unit, which relieves pain by using a jet of cold air (temperature from -30 to -60 ° C). This relatively new method is called Pneumatic skin flattening (PSF) in English. It has already received positive reviews in the course of research.

In a simplified form, local cooling is carried out using ice packs. Anesthetic creams are also applied to the skin.

Sometimes they practice injections - injections of a drug (for example, lidocaine) into the skin of the tattoo zone.

The laser itself also affects pain. Modern devices injure the skin around the tattoo less.

Possible side effects and complications after the procedure

1. Swelling, redness, itching, soreness, minor bleeding may appear.
2. Sometimes tattoo ink changes color after the procedure.
3. The medical literature describes individual cases of allergic reactions that appear after laser tattoo removal.
4. When an infection occurs, it may be necessary to take antibacterial drugs and topical treatment.

Most side effects go away on their own. But, alas, this is not always the case. Special skin care may be required after the procedure.

How to choose a clinic and a specialist

Check the clinic and its doctors for a license for this type of service, read the reviews. Some doctors post examples of their work in the public domain to help you evaluate skill. Then call the clinic and ask a few questions:

• What device does the doctor work with? Modern stationary lasers are very expensive; not every medical institution can afford such a purchase.
• What is used to relieve pain.
• How to ensure your safety during treatment. When working with a laser, special protective glasses are required for both the doctor and the patient throughout the procedure, since the laser beam can seriously damage the eye. High-power lasers should be located in a separate room with matte walls, and the doctor should be authorized to work with it.
• What are the possible complications, guarantees, as well as discounts for subsequent procedures (several of them will be required).

If no one, including the doctor, answered your questions, this should alert you.

Finally

Yael Adler is the author of the book What Hides the Skin. Two square meters that dictate how we live"

The skin is our connection with the outside world. Our antenna. It can transmit and receive signals, and it also feeds our senses.

Therefore, take note of tattoos responsibly. The best that medicine offers today is laser removal. But for some people, this procedure is contraindicated. Before making a final decision, consult a dermatologist-cosmetologist.