Many people experience the same thoughts! Thousands of people get tattoos every day and nearly one third of all people regret their tattoo(s). However, thanks to advancing laser technology, most tattoos can be removed without even the remanence of a scar!
Many people experience the same thoughts! Thousands of people get tattoos every day and nearly one third of all people regret their tattoo(s). However, thanks to advancing laser technology, most tattoos can be removed without even the remanence of a scar!
The latest advances in laser technology are commonly used to significantly diminish the appearance of, or even completely remove, most tattoos. The laser light targets the ink particles of the tattoo and breaks them down into particles that are small enough to be naturally absorbed and processed by the body’s immune system. Approximately 95% of the ink particles are eliminated internally through your body, and the remaining 5% is processed out through blistering, scabbing or skin cell turnover following the laser treatments. This process generally takes several weeks for your body’s natural processes to eliminate all ink particles. Larger tattoos may require several treatments.Most treatments do not require anesthetics. However, Dr. Balshi prefers to use local anesthesia to ensure his patients feel comfortable and experience the least amount of pain during the treatment sessions.
The number of treatment sessions needed to completely diminish the appearance of your tattoo will depend on the size, color, depth and location of the tattoo on your body. Sessions are generally spaced within 4 to 8 weeks of each other in order to allow your body to eliminate the maximum quantity of tattoo ink through its natural processes. After each treatment, you will notice the tattoo fading even more as your body performs the natural detoxification processes and removes the tattoo pigments. Usually, improvement in tattoo visibility is noticed after the first treatment session. Often, very large or deeply pigmented tattoos may require several treatments to achieve the desired results. Please note that results are not guaranteed and – as tattoo ink is unregulated and uncontrolled – some patients may not achieve optimal results even after multiple laser treatments.
The area surrounding the tattoo may experience slight swelling. The treated region will scab over, and the scab will fall off after several days – removing more ink particles in the process. Rarely, patients may experience a slight whitening of the skin and loss of normal skin color. Skin color typically returns to the natural skin tone within 3 months as the whitening diminishes.
Aftercare procedures are also a critical part in ensuring your laser tattoo removal treatment heals properly. Antibiotic ointment and a gauze covering are applied and must remain on the affected area and be changed daily for approximately 3 to 5 days.
