TATTOO REMOVAL

Tattoos are a trend gaining popularity with a diverse number of people these days—from celebrities to college students, the tattoo is a way to distinguish oneself from others and make a permanent and visible ‘statement.’ With permanency, though, may come some regrets: what happens when an individual no longer wants their tattoo?  With the help of high-tech lasers, tattoos can be removed.

 

Virginia Skin & Vein, LLC performs laser tattoo removal for individuals who wish to ‘undo’ their tattoos. Dr. Smith uses special “Q-switched” lasers, which change the laser pulse from milliseconds to mere nanoseconds, allowing the tattoo to be very quickly ‘popped.’ Lasers work by “attacking” the pigment, or colors, in tattoos and breaking them into tiny fragments.  He notes that one key to proper laser tattoo removal is finding the right wavelength and administering a small enough laser pulse to effectively break up the tattoo without damaging the skin.

Most tattoo removals will take about four or five separate sessions, and possibly more, depending on individual circumstances. Each session is fairly quick and Dr. Smith says that the procedure may be a little uncomfortable; the laser is quick and generally considered not particularly painful.  Anesthesia is available for an additional fee for patients who need pain relief. 

Dr. Smith says that although there are no guarantees as to how well a tattoo can be removed, in general there are some excellent results and a few marginal results.  The results can often depend  upon the color of the ink—homemade blue and black inks are  the easiest to remove, followed by professional blue and black inks, red inks and then green inks, which tend to be the most difficult to effectively remove.

The Q-switched lasers allow tattoo removal with minimal, if any, collateral skin damage. There is usually no scarring in the spot where the tattoo existed, but it may happen occasionally. The more typical damage to the skin tends to be a second degree burn or slight charring which then heals itself over time.

Though part of the appeal of the tattoo is the fact that it is a long-lasting symbol, reminder, picture or statement, if a person wishes to eliminate the ink from  his or her skin, laser tattoo removal can be a safe, effective, and relatively painless way to reverse an otherwise permanent procedure.

Phone:   (540) 777-1711 or (800) 354-1922

This article was written by Pauline Pauley and appears in the January 2009 issue of Our Health magazine.