Laser Tattoo Removal

Laser tattoo removal. How does it work.? The machine is set to the appropriate settings . We will ask questions such as: how long you have had the tattoo, where you got the tattoo, if its had a past cover up, if it was done with an amateur or professional. These questions are an important part of the screening process to give the client the safest and best result. A series of these sessions will need to be done and compliance in post op instruction is a must for proper results. How many sessions may you need: professional tattoos 6-15, amateur 2-6, cosmetic 1-4. Why such a range? As a provider there is no way to know what brand/type of ink was placed in the skin or how your body has reacted to it over the years. Or how your body will react to the procedure. How it works? The laser penerates into the skin and ink to “break up” the ink into small sandlike pebbles under the skins surface. Your white blood cells then try to make a dome over the ink and gobble it up and over the next 8 weeks and send through the endocrine system. This is why some tattoos start to naturally fade over the years. Your tattoos are not necessarily fading from sun exposure! Your body starts to try to break down the ink as soon as they are first done. So this laser energy breaks the ink down and lets the bodies white blood cells do their job. What inks are easier to remove: black and dark ink. Reds and greens are the hardest. The more contrast between skin and ink the better . Light skin with dark ink for example. What can you expect: Laser tattoo removal is not the most comfortable. A gel pack or cold air is placed on the area for a few minutes and on and off during the procedure to try and help with discomfort. It is a quick procedure! If you feel a numbing cream may help, you can purchase Dr. Numb on amazon and place before procedure. You MUST place it 50mins before and cover with saran or seal and press or it WILL NOT work. The time and covering matters. We will clean the area and disinfect it before starting . You will feel and hear a very hot snap as we do the removal. Once the session is complete we will disinfect and place ointment and a dressing. Prepare at home before hand with an ice pack, aquaphor,regular polysporin (do NOT use the antibotic one), second skin or tegaderm bandages, or regular bandages or gauze and medical tape that will fit over the tattoo. I have post op spray available for purchase as well. How do prep: You can NOT have any tan. It is extremely unsafe to do this procedure with any tan or self tanner or spray tan. Stop blood thinners a week before if possible. If not possible let us know so settings can be adjusted. No hair can be on the tattoo. So close shave the day before. No actives on the area 7 days before. What to expect after: Keep area COVERED with bandage or dressing of choice, avoid activies such as working out or activites that cause sweating or rubbing on the area for 48 -72 hours . Redness, tenderness, bruising, swelling, itching, blistering , water blistering and crusting is all normal . You can take tylenol or advil for any discomfort. Clients may experience hypo and hyper pigmentation that may last 3 to 12 months after the last session. As you can see tattoo removal takes time and patience. 8 weeks between sessions is ideal. As opposed to laser hair removal, the longer wait between sessions the better. Our laser tattoo removal is performed with a Qswitch Laser. This procedure is safe with this device on skin type 1-3 and light skin type 4. Less sessions required if tattoo just needs lightened for a cover up. Not sure of your skin type? Take the quiz at the top of the page.