How Does Tattoo Removal Work?

In this blog, I am going to talk about laser tattoo removal and the most common questions we get asked about it.

How does Tattoo Removal Work?

When you get a tattoo, ink is placed in the skin and particles are quite large, therefore they don’t get absorbed and stay within the surface. When we use a laser on the ink, it breaks it into small pieces that can be absorbed through the skin and removed by the body. Through the ages, there have been many different types of inks used with different colours of ink and different techniques. When doing the tattoo, this can affect how effective the laser treatment can be when breaking up these particles.

Does Tattoo Removal Hurt?

Unfortunately, it can be uncomfortable. This again depends on the density of the tattoo and where it is on the body. Some areas are definitely more sensitive than others, we can apply numbing cream, or if you needed a local anesthetic on the area to assist with this. The reason laser tattoo removal is painful is the light energy of the laser is turned into heat energy when it’s absorbed by the pigment in the tattoo. This produces heat in the skin which feels like pain. We need this heat, however, as it is what damages the particle.

Can you Remove my Tattoo Completely?

This is depending on many factors including the depth of the tattoo, the color of the tattoo, and the type of ink originally used. We don’t often have all this information so it is a treatment by treatment assessment. The machines have different settings that can be used to make them as effective as possible. Most tattoos we have done tension have been able to be completely removed. Some can leave the white outline of where the tattoo once was. Where we take some of the pigment out of the skin allowing the skin some sun and some time, the pigment usually returns. If it doesn’t, we can use some different types of laser to stimulate new pigment.

How many Treatments do I Need to Remove my Tattoo?

Again, we need to assess this treatment by treatment, and how the tattoo responds. For a single color tattoo, It can take as little as two treatments to get a result. With a multi-colour dense tattoo, it can take up to 20.

What can I Expect After a Tattoo Removal Treatment?

After treatment, it will be tender to touch, you may have some light bleeding and a form similar to when you got the tattoo. The care is the same when you leave the salon with some antiseptic gel on the tattoo. You’ll need to cover the tattoo for the rest of the day. When you shower you must be careful when washing the area and only wash with gentle soap and pat dry. Panton can be applied to soothe the area. If the area becomes inflamed or starts oozing, you must contact the clinic immediately as this can indicate infection.

I hope this answers most of your questions in regards to tattoo removal, unfortunately, tattoos are much harder to remove than they are to get so always think carefully about your choice and ensure it’s something you won’t regret later on.