Tattoo Removal
About Tattoo Removal Whether it’s love gone wrong, “Rolling Stones Forever”, “Flower Power” or some other out of date tattoo—you now have tattoo buyers remorse. An estimated 20 million people in the U.S. alone have tattoos and about half of them would like them removed. It used to be that if you had a tattoo you had it for life. There is now an opportunity to erase these unwanted tattoos with the new lasers.
Using the new lasers with multiple light wavelengths, with several laser therapies directed to specific particular colors, your tattoo can be removed with an excellent cosmetic result, usually without any scarring and quite painlessly.
Lasers have been used for many years for a variety of medical procedures. They have an extraordinary track record for safety and accuracy. Immediately after the tattoo removal the areas may appear red. Pain is generally mild and transient. Side effects are uncommon and generally temporary.
In majority of cases there is no recovery time after tattoo removal procedure. However, any skin reaction should be transient.
The degree of discomfort during tattoo removal varies with each person depending on one’s pain threshold. Topical anesthesia may also be requested based on individual preferences or tolerances. Be sure to discuss this with your physician prior to the laser treatment.
Prior to tattoo removal treatment please make an appointment for consultation. If you are an appropriate candidate for treatment, we may do either a test spot or a treatment at that time. If you will have treatment of the upper lip please let us know if you have a history of cold sores or fever blisters. Sun exposure and tanning or tanning creams should be avoided for at least 1 month before treatment.
The area of tattoo removal should be treated gently. Apply Aquaphor ointment 4 times daily if there is scabbing. Also Calandula gel (a homeopathic product) is very helpful in healing the area if there is a sunburn sensation. Sun protection of treated areas is always advisable after treatment. It is best if you minimize sun exposure to the treated area for four weeks after the procedure.
There is a common mislead that lasers used for tattoo removal can cause cancer. Cancer growth has nothing to do with laser, which involves simply removing hair. No cancer causing radiation is produced by lasers.
Photographs are usually taken before tattoo removal. You will be asked to read and sign a consent form. A topical anesthetic may be applied to the treated area few minutes prior to the treatment. Everyone in the room will use eye protection. Treatment consists of placing a small hand-piece near the skin and administering laser pulses over the area to be treated. The procedure can take as little as 10 minutes or up to an hour (or more), depending on the area treated. The treated area may become pink, or red within 30 minutes of the treatment; this may last from few hours to several days and relieved with the application of ice or cooling gel.
