Why does the ink stay in the skin when you have a tattoo?

When you have a tattoo the particles of ink are too large for the body to destroy, so instead it encapsulates the particles of ink with a network of collagen fibres as the skin heals and so the tattoo remains.

 

How does the laser work to remove tattoos?

The laser emits a pulse of light that is preferentially absorbed into certain colours of ink. The light enters the skin at a speed that is too fast to heat the tissues (billionths of a second). Instead, it produces a ‘shock wave’ effect and breaks up the ink particles into smaller pieces. The body then recognises these particles as something that shouldn’t be there and attacks it. The particles are then removed naturally, via the body’s own elimination system. This treatment is designed to return inked skin to a blank canvas using specially designed lasers, Q-switch lasers are the most common used. A number of sessions may be needed depending on the size and colour density of the tattoo. Brighter colours usually require more attention than darker ones.

 

How many treatments will it take to remove my tattoo?

Due to the nature of this procedure, it is impossible to predict exactly how many treatments it will take for results. It could take as little as 3 treatments for an amateur tattoo or as many as 12 treatments for a professionally applied tattoo. How quickly your ink fades will depend on several factors, such as the colours of your tattoo, the type of ink used and how your body responds to the treatment. Cover- up tattoos have much more ink in them and therefore requires more treatments.

 

How far apart are the treatments?

Your body needs time to break down the tattoo ink pigments after each laser treatment. As this is a slow process you should typically schedule each treatment a minimum of 4-6 weeks apart.

 

What will my skin look like after each treatment?

Your skin will most likely be red and feel like it has mild sunburn. This typically goes away after a couple of hours. There may also be some slight bruising. At times and with certain inks, there may be mild blistering that usually heals in about a week. After each treatment you will be given instructions on how to care for your treated area.

 

Will the laser tattoo removal hurt?

The discomfort level is probably about as much as getting the tattoo. Patients have reported that laser tattoo removal feels like a rubber band snapping quickly on your skin. The discomfort tends to decrease as treatment progresses and the tattoo ink fades.