A tattoo removal laser concerns all patients, men and women, who wish to erase a tattoo from their skin. Candidates should have realistic expectations and know that some tattoos cannont be completely removed depending on the ink used and the depth that it reached. It may however fade significantly to a point that it is barely visible.

In order to create a tattoo the ink has to penetrate in the deeper layers of the skin. The particles of the ink used are quite large and they are not rejected by the body. On the contrary they stay stable, exactly where they are placed and, in this way, the tattoo is permanent. Different laser methods that are being used to remove tattoos target these particles in order to break them into smaller particles that will finally get naturally rejected by the body. The procedure’s duration as well as the exact number of treatments needed for the removal depend on the size and the kind of the tattoo as well as the part of the body where it is designed. Usually several treatments are required at about one month’s space between each other. Laser is relatively painless and is performed in the office under local anesthesia.

After each tattoo removal laser treatment patients can immediately return to their work and normal activities. They may notice some temporary redness and swelling on the area treated, symptoms that are treated with ice packs and local creams. Finally, patients should avoid sun exposure and use sunscreen whenever they are outside.