Laser Tattoo Removal

Laser removal is widely regarded as being the most effective and safest method to remove tattoos.  A laser injects the skin with a high-intensity light beam, which penetrates the skin to break up the ink particles and leads to tattoo fading, over the course of 6 weeks, and will continue to fade until the client comes in for the next session. Multiple sessions are needed to break down the tattoo, the number of which depends on the size and scope of the affected area. As the body needs to remove the fragmented pigment (using scavenger cells), treatments are normally, from our experience, best scheduled at least six weeks apart.  The laser energy is harmless, and only targets the pigmented skin, leaving the un-inked surrounding skin unharmed.

It’s a pinprick and a rubber band snap. That’s the best way we can explain the sensation.

Laser tattoo removal is uncomfortable, but most patients don’t need anesthesia. Depending on the location of your tattoo, you may want to apply a topical anesthesia cream beforehand. We do recommend EMLA numbing cream* for clients who are removing large tattoos as it makes the long session a lot more bearable.

The cream can be purchased over the counter at any pharmacy. Apply a generous amount of cream to the area, ensuring that the cream covers the tattoo, 2 hours before your treatment. It then needs to be wrapped it up with cling film and sealed off with tape.

Laser treatment is often safer than many other tattoo removal methods, such as excision, dermabrasion, or salabrasion because laser treatment selectively treats the pigment in the tattoo without damaging the skin. There are very few side effects from our experience. However, you should consider these factors in your decision:

• Your tattoo removal site will likely to get blisters, be red, raised and tender to the touch. However you run no risk of infection and scarring if the proper after care rules are followed.
• It is difficult to completely remove a tattoo; slight traces of the ink may remain. Most people will not see this unless it you knew it there. In many cases, certain colours may be more effectively removed than others. Blue and black tattoos, for example, respond well to laser treatment.
• You may end up with hypopigmentation- what we call a ghost image, which means the skin that is treated is paler than the skin surrounding it; this is caused by the tattoo protecting the sub dermal layer of skin from sun damage. You could also have hyperpigmentation, which leaves the affected skin darker than the rest of your skin.
• Cosmetic tattoos like lip liner, eyeliner, and eyebrows may actually get darker after treatment. They do tend to fade with additional sessions.