TATTOO REMOVAL

Tattoo Removal                                                           BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES

If you have a tattoo, you are not alone-an estimated 20 million Americans do.  If you want it removed, you are also not alone-about half of those with tattoos report that they would now like their tattoo to disappear, but without a disfiguring scar left in its wake.  Laser technology has made great strides in eliminating tattoos, so this is a good time to seriously consider tattoo removal.  Everything from small, single-color tattoos to large, multi-color ones can now be significantly faded, if not completely erased, by the beams of light produced by the lasers.  There is little risk of the scarring or loss of pigmentation that other lasers and technologies can cause.

In the past, if you had a tattoo, you had it for life. Then along came dermabrasion, cryosurgery, and other techniques by which tattoos could be removed, but they left a scar or a visible white, unpigmented area.

A laser produces a beam of highly concentrated light. Different types of lasers produce different colors of light.  The color of light produced by a particular laser is the key to the laser's effect on tattoo ink.

Particular colors of light are absorbed by specific colors of tattoo ink; for example, green ink is absorbed by red light.  The laser's light energy vaporizes or fragments the targeted ink.  The body then absorbs the tiny particles of ink, and the color fades.

Removing a small tattoo of one color may take one or two sessions, while multicolored tattoos may take several sessions, depending on their size and type of ink.  Sessions are usually spaced 4 - 8 weeks apart and are performed in the doctor's office without the costs and risks of hospitalization or general anesthesia.

The laser treatment itself feels like numerous snaps with a rubber band.  Most patients do not require anesthesia during the procedure.  Topical or local anesthesia is provided for those who do.

The appearance of the treated area immediately after a laser session will vary from patient to patient, depending on the extent of treatment.  Immediate after effects may include redness, light crusting, or tenderness, all of which disappear in a short time.  Dr. Neiman will be happy to tell you more about your treatment and what you can expect.

Can All Tattoos Be Removed?

Most dermatologic surgeons caution that complete tattoo removal is not possible. Tattoos are meant to be permanent, so removing them is difficult. Few surgeons guarantee complete removal. Having said that, there are several methods of tattoo removal which have proven effective. The degree of remaining color variations or blemishes depends upon several factors, including size, location, the individual's ability to heal, how the tattoo was applied and how long it has been in place. For example, a tattoo applied by a more experienced artist may be easier to remove since the pigment was evenly injected in the same level of the skin. New tattoos may also be more difficult to remove than old ones.

Doctors say they can't predict the exact degree of removal because they generally don't know which of the 100 tattoo inks available today were used. (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently lists tattoo pigments as "color additives," which are intended only for application to the top layer of the skin.) Consult with a removal specialist -- be sure to take a list of questions along.

Lasers (Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation) have become the standard treatment for tattoo removal because they offer a bloodless, low risk, effective alternative with minimal side effects. Each procedure is done on an outpatient basis in a single or series of visits. Patients may or may not require topical or local anesthesia.

How Do Lasers Remove Tattoos?

Lasers work by 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.)

  Does Tattoo Removal Hurt and What Can I Expect?

The unfortunate thing about tattoos is that both getting them and having them taken off can be uncomfortable. The impact of the energy from the laser's powerful pulse of light has been described as similar to getting hot specks of bacon grease on your skin or being snapped by a thin rubber band.  Because black pigment absorbs all laser wavelengths, it's the easiest to remove. Other colors, such as green, selectively absorb laser light and can only be treated by selected lasers based on the pigment color.

In preparation for a laser procedure, doctors recommend that non-aspirin products, like Tylenol, be used for minor aches and pains prior to the procedure, because aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as Ibuprofen can produce pronounced bruising after treatment.

Further pre-treatment steps might include the application of a prescription anesthetic cream two hours before the laser session. It is wiped off just before laser surgery begins. (Some patients say they don't need this. Others prefer to have a local anesthetic injected into the tattoo prior to laser therapy. Pinpoint bleeding is sometimes associated with the procedure.) Then pulses of light from the laser are directed onto the tattoo, breaking up the pigment. Over the next few weeks, the body's scavenger cells remove pigment residues.

More than one treatment, which actually only takes minutes, is usually needed to remove an entire tattoo -- the number of sessions depends on the amount and type of ink used and how deeply it was injected. Three-week intervals between sessions are required to allow pigment residue to be absorbed by the body.

Following treatment, the doctor will apply an antibacterial ointment and dressing to the area, which should be kept clean with continued application of ointment as directed by your doctor. A shower or bath the day after treatment is okay, but the treatment area should not be scrubbed. Your skin might feel slightly sunburned for a couple of days and the treated area may remain red for a few weeks. The site might also form a scab, which should be handled gently. After healing, the site will gradually and continually fade.

Side effects of laser procedures are generally few but may include hyperpigmentation, or an abundance of color in the skin at the treatment site, and hypopigmentation, where the treated area lacks normal skin color. Other possible side effects include infection of the site, lack of complete pigment removal and a 5 percent chance of permanent scarring.

How Much Does It Cost to Remove a Tattoo?

Each tattoo is different in color and size, so In order for us to honestly determine the costs involved with your particular procedure, it is necessary for you to schedule a free consultation at The Neiman Center, so call us today at 716-688-0020.