Laser Tattoo Removal

So you have a tattoo. You might be thinking of getting one. When some people get a tattoo, they go on a whim and get some ink permanently placed on their skin. Others might sit and think about whether it’s something they reallywant. While these are two popular methods of thinking before sitting down in a tattoo artist’s chair, most people aren’t thinking about possibly getting that tattoo removed later down the line.

We’re all conditioned to believe that getting a tattoo is permanent, that once you sit down, that ink stays with you for the rest of your life. While this might be the norm, it’s certainly not mandatory. Tattoos are completely permanent, right? Wrong.

When one decides to get a tattoo, they’re probably thinking that this is something they want to keep for the rest of their lives. Teens might get a tattoo to celebrate their birthdays and come to regret it in their adulthood. Couples often go around tattooing their names on each other’s bodies before deciding that like their tattoo, they don’t want to spend the rest of their lives together. Once this happens, this might be the first time a tattooed person begins thinking about ways to remove them and there’s a number of ways.

One method is excision and this is probably better done in a small area. This is an invasive process where a surgeon goes in and removes the skin where the tattoo is located. While this is a way for new skin to develop, this method also leaves you susceptible to scarring. Another popular method on smaller tattoos is dermabrasion. You can think of this process as a deep exfoliator.

With a high-speed brush, this method essentially buffs the skin and removes layers of skin. Since there are multiple layers of skin that must be removed, dermabrasion is a process that has to be done in multiple treatments. Similar to excision, this is a semi-invasive process that can make you susceptible to scarring and leaves the area at risk for infection.

In the world of tattoo removal, laser tattoo removal is probably the most popular. Why is that? Before we delve into the process, let’s first talk about how tattoos work. Getting a tattoo can be painful and here’s why. The process of tattoos begins with needles.

In an electrically-powered, fast-moving machine, tattoo artists work with a series of needles in tattoo fun that are fed ink. These needles then pierce through the skin bypassing the outer layer and implanting itself in the dermis. Because of this, tattoo removal processes have to be able to penetrate to the dermis and remove the ink. While the previously mentioned dermabrasion is one method of getting down to the dermis, laser tattoo removal is another option.

While excision and dermabrasion work better on smaller tattoos, experts would tell you that they won’t be beneficial to a larger tattoo. If you have a body of ink you’re trying to remove, laser is the way to go. Excision and dermabrasion are two methods that are at different levels of invasive, but laser tattoo removal is the opposite. There won’t be any blood involved, but laser tattoo removal is far from painless. A perfect blend of science and technology, laser is one of the best ways to go about removing a tattoo.

When going in for a procedure, the area is numbed before the laser goes to work. It works by using a light on the skin that is able to break through the layers of skin. The tattoo pigment absorbs the laser’s light which causes it to break into small particles that are in turn absorbed by the body.

Many would like to see their tattoos disappear in one session, but that usually isn’t the case. As the body absorbs the small pigment particles, this is when visual signs of fading begin. Some might begin to see their tattoo fade after a few treatments while it takes more for others.

The one thing that’s certain is that you’ll almost always need more than one session to see signs of fading. And before you decide that you want to have the entire rainbow of colors in your tattoos, think again. Laser tattoo removal might seem like magic, but it works best on tattoos with blue and black ink.

So now you know that tattoos don’t have to be a permanent thing, but everyone should still treat them as such! While tattoos are a great way for self-expression, they can also turn into a disaster. Not only is it a hassle to go through getting them removed, but you can be sure you’ll wind up paying a pretty penny for them. One removal session can cost you up to $500 per treatment, so before you sit down to get that ink, all you need to do is decide if it’s really worth it!