Yip,
there are many people out there who have been inked without giving it a
thought. Many of whom now want that ink removed. By the same token, just as
many people get tattoos after proper research, but years later, still opt for
removal.
The
latter may be because of changing ideologies or associations about life. Or health
concerns might prevail. And in a number of cases, career pursuits might require
you to have that tattoo removed.
Luckily,
the days when you had to regret getting inked for as long as you live are long
gone. In the past various modalities were used for tattoo removal, such as surgical
excision, use of various acids and bleaching agents, dermabrasion and outdated
laser therapies. Often these treatments were ineffective or led to significant
scarring.
These days, a big yay goes to the Q-Switched laser – the gold standard world-wide for effective laser tattoo removal. And this is exactly what Lasermed uses.
Considerations for laser tattoo removal
Do
give some thought to the following before opting for tattoo removal.
- Multiple
treatments will be necessary, depending on the type of tattoo (professional,
amateur, cosmetic, medicinal, traumatic) and the colours used. Multi-coloured
professional tattoos typically require eight or more laser treatments, whereas
amateur blue/black tattoos may need as few as 2 – 6 treatments. A cosmetic
tattoo will need between 2 – 5 treatments.
- Treatments
are scheduled at intervals of 8 weeks, but this interval could be as long as 6
months. The shattered ink is drained through the lymph system daily. This
process continues for up to 6 months, allowing the tattoo to lighten for up to
6 months after one treatment
- Although
existing laser research and clinical evidence indicate that laser surgery is
safe, there’s no guarantee that your tattoo will be eliminated completely by
laser treatment.
- Should
you have a low pain threshold, you may apply Emla (a local anaesthetic cream)
under occlusion (Glad wrap) for an hour before your appointment. Myprodol may
also be taken.
- After
each treatment, it’s imperative to follow a strict skincare regime. The treated
area must be kept clean at all times to prevent infection. Apply Bactroban or
Fucidin regularly to the treated area and cover with gauze for four to five
days following treatment. Wear loose-fitting garments. Use sunscreen on the
uncovered, treated area. Sunscreen should always be re-applied during the day.
- Although
the side effects of this procedure are minimal, there’s a small risk that the
following could occur after the laser treatment:
- Skin texture change
or scarring
- Dyspigmentation (skin
lightening or darkening)
- Incomplete removal of
tattoo (tattoo shadow remains)
- Allergic reaction to
topical ointment or to shattered tattoo ink particles
- Darkening of flesh
tone, white, rust or brown tattoo pigments (seen primarily in cosmetic tattoos
such as eyeliner, lip liner)
How laser tattoo removal works
Laser tattoo removal treatments use heat application to remove the tattoos. This method works in alignment with the immune system. The immune system of the body is designed in a way to remove all foreign particles from the body, including the skin. As during tattooing, the ink particles are injected into the skin, the
finer particles are removed automatically by the immune system, but the larger
ones remain. Therefore, the laser light is used to target those particles with
specific high radiations that cause the breakdown of these particles into
smaller fragments which are then removed naturally by the immune system over time.
Fortunately, should you wish to make an appointment for an assessment prior to committing to the laser tattoo removal process, Lasermed offers a free consultation with its laser operators.
