About Tattoo Removal

A: There are different types of tattoo removal available, including:

Laser tattoo removal: Lasers are focused beams of light directed onto your skin. It can take multiple laser therapy sessions to remove a tattoo.

Dermabrasion: Dermabrasion is a type of surgical procedure where a special tool removes the outer layers of your skin that contain tattoo ink.

Chemical peels: Chemical peels use chemicals like trichloroacetic acid to remove permanent ink from your skin.

Surgical excision: A surgical excision is a surgical procedure to cut out the skin that contains a tattoo. This procedure works well with small tattoos and isn’t effective for large tattoos.

Tattoo removal creams: Tattoo removal creams are available but aren’t as successful at removing tattoos as other therapies.

A: Depending on what type of tattoo removal you choose, there may be varying levels of pain or discomfort. Some people say that removal feels the same as getting a tattoo, while others liken it to the feeling of a rubber band being snapped against their skin. Your skin may be sore after the procedure.

A: Each person’s tattoo removal process is different. It’s relatively common for tattoo removal to not remove a tattoo completely. But some tattoo removal procedures will completely remove the tattoo from your body. When tattoo removal isn’t 100% successful, some colors of tattoo dye resist removal, and some pigment is too deep for lasers to reach, for example. Certain colors may be easier to remove than others. Blue or black tattoos respond well to laser treatment because they’re better at absorbing light.

A: Before the treatment starts a medical professional will apply an anesthetic cream, and you’ll be given protective eye gear to wear, along with a cooling device. The medical professional will then gently place a handpiece against your skin and deliver laser pulses to the tattoo pigment. With each laser pulse, most people experience a sensation similar to a rubber band snapping against their skin. The amount of laser pulses depends on the tattoo’s size, but most treatment sessions only last a few minutes.

A: Laser tattoo removal works by targeting pigment colors in the skin’s dermis, which lies between your outer layer of skin (epidermis) and the tissue beneath. The tattoo pigments absorb the laser’s beam and fragment. Your body then absorbs these fragments and eliminates them.