Tattooing, an art dating back some 5000 years, has provided people the opportunity to express their individuality and creativity on their bodies. As time passes and skin is exposed to the sun, the pigment in a tattoo can disburse and become less definitive. A change of heart or a change of mind may also cause a person to want to take action on their tattoo. No longer does one have to live the rest of their life with the effects of a single decision. There are now alternatives to keeping a tattoo. One of the newest alternatives, laser technology, is now considered to be the most effective method in treating tattoos.
Soderstrom Dermatology Center, S.C. has made laser technology conveniently available to those wishing to have a tattoo removed. A laserbeam of light penetrates the skin and vaporizes the pigment that is used to make up tattoos. The various colors of tattoos absorb different wavelengths of light. The laserbeam is slowly passed over the skin thereby reaching the epidermis. As a result, pigment in the tattoo is broken up. A scab forms over the lasered area of skin, and the pigment is released partially through the scab and partially by being absorbed through the body's own cleansing mechanism. Each laser treatment removes approximately 50 percent of the remaining pigment.
Effectiveness of and number of treatments required depends upon the amount of color in the tattoo and the method in which the tattoo was applied. Professional tattoo artists usually disburse the pigment at an equal depth within the skin. When the pigments have been placed evenly in the skin, it allows the laserbeam to reach more of the pigment, making these tattoos easier to treat. A professional tattoo will require, on average, 6-12 treatments, 2-months apart. Tattoos applied by an amateur tend to have varied depths within the skin; more treatments or different laserbeam wavelengths will be required in order to reach all of the pigment.
In many cases, more than one kind of laser is required to treat a tattoo because of the many different colors, (red, green, blue, yellow and black inks) found in tattoos. Various colors of tattoos absorb different wavelengths. In some cases pigment shadows may be faintly visible after multiple treatments.
Treatments are spaced two to three months apart to allow the body to absorb as much of the pigment as possible before proceeding to the next treatment. It may take a few months to a year or more to effectively achieve maximum results. It is important to note that tattoo inks are not governmentally regulated, which makes it impossible for a physician to predict the extent of effort required for the removal of any given tattoo.
Cost, residual pigmentation, scarring and infection are also some of the risks that should be balanced against the desire to eliminate a tattoo.
Some of the benefits of laser tattoo removal is that the treatment is usually performed without anesthesia. Patients have described the sensation as that of a small rubberband snapping on the skin. The greatest benefit of all, of course, is the peace of mind that comes from the removal of the unwanted tattoo.
All details of treatment that will be required are discussed in an initial consultation with a physician. To make an appointment for a consultation at Soderstrom Dermatology Cosmetic Laser Center, call (309) 674-7546.
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