laser tattoo removal.
Tattoos and laser removal technology have come a long way in the past ten years. The technology is more effective and causes less damage to the skin.
Laser tattoo removal uses a concentrated burst of light energy to break down the ink particles found in tattoos. The body’s immune system then slowly eliminates these ink particles over time via the lymphatic system which helps the body to excrete the ink, this is why it’s important to stay hydrated to aid the fade.
Our laser tattoo removal treatments involve the use of a Nd:YAG Q Switch Laser to break down the colour pigments within the tattoo. The laser emits short pulses of energy which are absorbed by the ink and causes the ink to break down into tiny particles. The broken-down ink is then naturally removed by the body, fading the tattoo further after each session.
The wavelength from a laser impacts different colours because different colours attract different wavelengths, causing the ink to shatter. Therefore it’s important that where you go for tattoo removal has the right laser that can emit the right wavelength for the colour of your tattoo.
Our machine is able to successfully eradicate coloured inks and stubborn black ink, this can be discussed during the consultation process.
Consultation and patch test is the first step to your tattoo removal journey. During this appointment you will complete a medical questionnaire and consent form, discuss expectations, assess the proposed area, tattoo history, patch test, come up with a treatment plan & a realistic goal.
The therapist will begin by cleaning the treatment area, using a cold air machine to begin numbing the skin to reduce the amount of pain that may be felt during the removal process.
The laser is then placed against the skin which emits rapid pulses of light. This light targets the pigments of ink and causes them to shatter, breaking them up into smaller pieces ready for the immune system to get to work over the next 8 weeks or so.
Our bodies have specialised cells called macrophages which detect, ingest, and destroy bacteria or other harmful bodies. Think of them like little ‘Pacman’ picking up debris for the lymphatic system to act as the waste disposal. This process is called phagocytosis.
The lasering process needs to be repeated multiple times because each treatment only breaks the ink down so much and it has to be carried away by the immune system before the laser can be used again. If not enough time is left between sessions, the laser treatment will have very little effect, hence the 8 week interim period between treatments, your body does all the work.
Older tattoos have often faded over time for a number of reasons such as sun damage or the body trying to remove the foreign pigment from the tattoo. Therefore, older tattoos can require fewer sessions than new tattoos.
process.
Human skin contains melanin, which impacts its colour and therefore the more melanin, the darker the skin. This means that the amount of melanin in different skin also impacts the treatment of tattoo removal.
The Fitzpatrick scale is a great tool for determining the correct course of treatment for individuals. On a scale of I-VI the higher scale, the less aggressive direct treatment should be, meaning a higher number of sessions is needed. For example, skin types 1-3 can be very aggressive, skin type 4 should be less aggressive, and skin type 5-6 should be very low. This is because melanin has a high energy absorption rate. So the more melanin a person has, the more energy is absorbed from the laser, therefore a gentler approach is needed.
