Tattoo Laser Removal

On June 23, 2009 I read an article by John Hawkins on the website; www.rightwingnews.com Two Places a Woman Should Never Get a Tattoo. John said that he is not a big fan of tattoos on women and of all the tattoos he has seen, he was only fond of two. One being a girl he ran into at Wal-Mart that was heavily tattooed thinking it was a wild look and the other Kit Lange’s back tattoo, which he thought fit her personality.

He then stated the two areas a woman should never get a tat and one being the obvious lower back “tramp stamp” and the other a face tattoo like the 18 year old that got 56 stars asleep (sure).

Since the young girl is only 18 this probably will be a hit with her friends, but how is she going to look when she is 50 and all those stars start to head south. Not only will she want to get a face lift she will probably want to get those stars removed.

On a prior post of mine, I explained how lasers remove unwanted pigments in the skin. Laser therapy is the treatment for removing tattoos producing short pulses of intense light that pass harmlessly through the top layers of the skin to be selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment. This laser energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are then removed by the body's immune system. Researchers have determined which wavelengths of light to use and how to deliver the laser's output to best remove tattoo ink. (If you're wondering if the laser might also remove normal skin pigment, don't worry. The laser selectively targets the pigment of the tattoo without damaging the surrounding skin.) There are several lasers available that treat unwanted tattoos.

Which lasers are available?

• Q-switched Ruby Laser (QSRL)

This laser emits a red light that is well absorbed by most amateur and professional tattoo ink colors except red and yellow. Dark blue and black inks respond best. The response of green tattoos is variable. Excellent results are observed, especially with amateur black tattoos. Amateur tattoos respond in fewer treatments compared to professional tattoos. The QSRL is also effective in treating medicinal and traumatic tattoos.

• Q-switched Nd:YAG

This laser is effective for both amateur and professional tattoos of all colors. Like the ruby laser, the Q-switched Nd:YAG is most effective for black tattoos. This laser has the advantage of being useful for darker skinned individuals. At the frequency doubled setting (532 nm), the Q-switched Nd:YAG is highly effective for treating red and orange tattoos. The Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064nm can cause more pain, and a higher degree of textural changes to your skin than the QSRL.

• Q-switched Alexandrite Laser

This laser is comparable to the QSRL when it is used to treat tattoos, particularly when treating green tattoos. Up to 50% of patients can experience textural changes in their skin after treatment.

• Flashlamp-pumped Pulsed Dye Laser
With a wavelength of 510 nm, this laser does not penetrate into the deeper tattoos. However, it is effective for the treatment of brightly colored tattoos such as those that use red, purple, and orange inks. The major side effect of this laser is bruising.



What can you expect from the procedure? Most people describe the feeling comparing it to a rubber band being snapped against the skin. Depending on your pain threshold you may need a local anesthesia or just some numbing cream like EMLA. A cool compress will ease the discomfort and you should be able to resume your daily activities after treatment.

Some tattoos require more than one session, usually done with 4-8 week intervals or longer. Professional tats take longer to lighten, because they use different types of ink and depth in the skin than amateur black one, the treatments on average may last several months or up to 4 more sessions. Dark and red inks fade best, purple may respond to treatment while yellow is very difficult to remove but fades somewhat. 95% of the tattoo may be removed, but not knowing the depth or type of ink it’s impossible for the doctor to predict the degree of removal for any tattoo.

You should expect some swelling and blistering during the first two days after the procedure. In 10-14 days your treated area will crust and form a scab. The doctor should prescribe antibiotic ointment to prevent infection and changing your dressing daily. Over the counter pain medication is recommended for the pain, elevate the area if possible to offset any swelling and avoid sun exposure.

Since getting a tattoo is an elective procedure, removing it is not usually covered by insurance. The young lady with the 56 stars will have to make other arrangements to cover the cost of the procedure. The cosmetic surgeon may have a pay plan available or a credit company they work with directly.



If you have gang related tattoos there are organizations that will offer free or low-cost tattoo laser removal. They are; Clean Slate Tattoo Removal and The Chuck Muncie Youth Foundation out of Emeryville, CA, but the participants must have counseling, group therapy or community service to qualify.