Laser Tattoo Removal

 

Laser tattoo removal best option to remove unwanted art


Tattoos have been around as long as humans have decorated themselves. In the past decade, tattoos have gained new popularity as celebrities and sports stars get themselves tattooed. With the surge in tattoo popularity, body art removal has also become a big business. The latest innovation in this trend is laser tattoo removal.

Some experts estimated that more than half of the people who get tattoos decide later to theirs removed. Until recently, tattoos could only be removed using surgery techniques that left considerable scarring. Laser tattoo removal has provided a vast improvement over these earlier methods.

Removal of tattoos works by directing concentrated light beams under the skin to break up the ink into fragments. These fragments are then removed by the body's waste scavenging processes. Depending on the depth of the ink in the skin, several sessions may be required.

No incisions are involved, so there's no skin wound or blood. The laser is calibrated to aim at the tattoo ink without damaging the skin. However, if the laser must be aimed deeply into the skin to get at the ink, some pain and blisters may result. And even though laser tattoo removal is a carefully focused technique, the need for multiple treatments increases the risk of scarring.

The best candidates for laser tattoo removal are people with fair skin, whose tattoos were drawn superficially on the arms, legs, buttocks or chest. Those least likely to benefit from tattoo removal are people with dark skin and people who have tattoos on ankles or fingers where there's less body fat. Typically only a cosmetic surgeon or other laser removal specialist can help a person determine whether the procedure is right for them.

In addition, there's no guarantee that a laser removal can completely erase a tattoo. A lot depends on the tattoo's color and location on the body, how big it is and how old it is. Ironically, newer tattoos are harder to remove. How easily a person heals also plays a role.

And then there's the pain. It hurt to get a tattoo, and it's going to hurt to get it removed. Doctors usually recommend taking a non-aspirin pain reliever before the procedure to reduce the discomfort. Aspirin and similar pain relievers are not recommended because they thin the blood, which promotes bleeding and bruising. Sometimes a doctor will prescribe an anesthetic ointment to be applied to the tattoo before the procedure. Another less-used option is for the doctor to inject a local anesthetic into the tattoo.

For all its risks and discomfort, laser tattoo removal is still the best procedure for getting rid of body art that's no longer wanted.