How Effective is Laser Tattoo Removal?

Posted on : April 3, 2014  By : Wellness

Tattoos naturally fade over time due to abrasion and exposure to the sun’s UV rays. Laser tattoo removal works in a similar way but is much more concentrated and therefore fades ink much faster. All tattoo pigments have different light absorption spectra and therefore the lasers have to emit adequate energy which each pigment can absorb.

Tattoo removal takes time and several sessions in order to be effective. Although it may be frustrating to have to wait six weeks between each session, longer time lapses between each session actually improves results and frequent sessions are more damaging to the skin. Some of the tattoo pigment particles are effectively fragmented at each session and the body takes a few weeks to remove these fragments into the bloodstream. Your tattoo will be removed slowly but surely and the more sessions you have the more effective the treatment will be.

Factors Affecting the Success of Removal

The overall effectiveness of the laser removal procedure also depends on other factors and

at the start of treatment we will give you a personalised consultation to establish how many laser sessions you will need and how long it will take to achieve complete removal. There are several factors that influence how effective the removal of the tattoo will be:

• Colours – although it sounds unlikely dark colours are easier to remove because they absorb short light rays which are produced easily by lasers. Colours that take many sessions to remove include bright colours such as pink due to the long wavelengths and low absorption rate.
• Tattoo size – logically, the larger the tattoo the more laser sessions you will need to remove it. If you have a sleeve tattoo for example you can’t expect it to fade considerably after just four sessions.
• Number of sessions – the more sessions you have the more the laser will be exposed to the tattoo and will break down the ink particles. The average sized tattoo will be removed after 6 sessions and over a period of 32 weeks but it is highly subject to circumstances.
• Age of patient – the older the patient the harder it is to completely remove a tattoo as dry and old skin has a lower healing capacity.
• Location of tattoo – areas where the skin is thinner are more likely to scar than thick skin. This includes areas where the tattoo is over a prominent bone such as collar, shoulder blades, ankles and hips. If tattoos are based on fatty areas such as legs or abdominal area they will fade after a few laser sessions.
• Skin type – young skin heals faster but it also depends on how strong your immune system is and how easily you scar. People with dark skin tones may experience skin lightening if they have a large or brightly coloured tattoo as higher intensity lasers will be required.

Why You Should Choose Apple Wellness Tattoo Removal
There is no one laser than can effectively remove all colours and because inks have different pigments which means they are suited to different laser intensities. At Apple Wellness Centre we provide laser tattoo removal in Calgary that we believe is more effective than our competitors: we have invested in three different laser systems to target certain colours and this means we have the ability to switch between lasers after a few treatments to specifically target certain colours. The composition of tattoo ink varies depending on where you have your tattoo applied and sometimes even black ink is resistant to 1064 nm (Nd:YAG) which is the most commonly used laser. Because of our committed to achieving the best result for clients, we invested in the following highly specialised lasers to optimise tattoo removal and minimise damage to skin:

It is important to understand that tattoo removal is a process, not an event and there is no quick fix if you want complete removal. The removal process could take up to 15 months depending on the size and colours used as well as how far the ink has penetrated into the skin. It takes patience and time to allow the immune system to break down the ink and for the skin to heal. Although tattoo removal is very successful on some people, on others that have stubborn colours or badly healing skin it could be a long process and temporary side effects such as bruising can’t be ruled out.

Posted in : Tattoo Removal