Laser tattoo removal is the removal of artificial pigmentation of the skin or mucous membranes due to the gradual laser destruction of pigment particles.
The photo shows the tattoo before removal (left) and the result after 3 laser removal procedures (right)
Since 2002, specialist doctors at Vitaclinik have been removing tattoos, pigmentation, and permanent make-up. Vitaklinik is the first laser medicine center in Estonia. In our clinic, tattoo removal is performed only by certified medical specialists who have undergone special training.
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Information about the cost is given in the section Prices for laser tattoo removal
The American physicist Theodore Maimann first used a laser for tattoo removal back in the 60s of the 20th century. Since then, laser technology, as a promising method for removing any foreign and natural pigmentation of human skin, has been continuously improved and developed. At first, laser tattoo removal left burns and scars on the skin. To remove tattoos, they tried to use various lasers: ruby laser, argon laser, CO2 laser, neodymium yttrium-aluminum garnet laser, and so on, until the Q-switsh neodymium laser came into medicine, which is currently considered the gold standard for fast and safe removal of any tattoos and natural pigmentation.
Why did the swelling appear?
Swelling after laser tattoo removal of the eyelids or eyebrows is a common reaction of the body and usually goes away the next day. Redness and mild swelling are considered a normal response of the epidermis and immune system when exposed to radiation. This complication is caused by an allergy to the anesthetic cream, as well as high skin sensitivity.
Swelling is common after laser eyebrow tattoo removal. If the inflammation is severe and lasts for four days or more, you should consult a doctor.
The treated area may swell due to an infection acquired during or after the session.
Stages of implementation
Laser tattoo removal is carried out in a certain sequence. Qualified specialists strictly adhere to the following stages of the procedure.
- Examination of the patient and setup of equipment, selection of power, wavelength in accordance with skin type, depth of dye.
- Effect on pigment. A laser beam is directed at a specific color of the tattoo. The affected area is divided into microfragments.
- Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are applied to the area where the tattoo is removed. The specialist advises on further care.
A person feels the effect of the laser as a slight burning and tingling sensation, the intensity depends on the sensitivity of the treated area. The duration of the procedure depends on the durability of the ink and the size of the design. Complex multi-color tattoos are removed in several sessions - 7-10.
General care recommendations
By following simple rules, you can avoid complications. Basic recommendations:
- You should not apply makeup to the damaged area for three days after the session;
- It is forbidden to touch blisters, vesicles, comb, scratch, remove dying layers of the epidermis - you can cause an infection;
- For a month after the procedure, you cannot visit the solarium or sunbathe;
- The area around the tattoo should not be shaved - this will irritate the skin and then healing will take longer;
- In the first months, you need to carefully care for your skin - apply sunscreen with SPF 50 to the entire area, this will prevent the appearance of pigmentation;
- To help the lymphatic system remove the tattoo, you should drink more plain water;
- It is recommended to eat more fruits and vegetables, do physical exercise, and maintain a healthy lifestyle;
- During healing, you should stop smoking - this will improve the condition of blood vessels and blood circulation.
Hypo-, hyperpigmentation are possible side effects. If darkening or lightening of the natural skin color appears, you should wait until it goes away on its own. It may take months, but in most cases the epidermis will return to its natural tone after complete healing. If the discoloration persists, cosmetic creams will help to even out the shade.
Healing is usually complete in about 4-8 weeks. The recovery period depends on the quality of the laser procedure, subsequent care, and the state of the immune system.
What will the skin look like after laser tattoo removal?
View of a tattoo after laser removal from the skin.
The ink of a tattoo or facial tattoo lies deep under the surface layer of the skin, as a result of which its removal may take several laser removal sessions. Removing a boring tattoo or make-up with a neodymium laser is a process of flattening a pattern using a laser pulse that destroys the color pigment of the pattern under the skin, while leaving adjacent healthy tissue intact. As a rule, 2-3 sessions are enough to remove a small tattoo, but for extensive and “colorful” designs, up to 10 procedures may be needed. You should not expect an immediate effect when removing a tattoo or facial makeup. The pigment will fade gradually until it is completely discolored. As a rule, this time period is limited from 4 to 10 months, again depending on the size and saturation of the picture.
Important point!
It is impossible to determine the exact number of tattoo removal sessions!
When a laser beam is applied to a tattoo, it instantly brightens (especially during the first sessions), due to the destruction of the upper pigmented layer, and then the color returns and can become even brighter, due to the rise of the underlying pigment, and only after about 2 months from the procedure can you see the final Effect. Why? - you ask. Read the answer below.
“washing out” of the pigment destroyed into small particles occurs within one and a half to two months. And if you think that the more often you walk, the faster you will get rid of it, then this is not so. If you repeat the procedure earlier, the “non-blurred” pigment residues prevent the removal of the deeper pigment and the effectiveness of the procedure is insignificant. The maximum effect after the removal procedure appears gradually, over a period of one and a half to two months!
First time effect. The greatest effect of the procedure is visible after the first removal. Since the brightest, pigment-rich layer is destroyed. Subsequent times will not bring you such an enthusiastic result.
Indications for removing tattoos from the body
It is easiest to remove a tattoo that was applied to light skin. In areas with the least amount of oil, for example, on the fingers and toes, it is much more difficult to remove the pattern, so in this case you should not expect an absolutely perfect cleansing result. As for the occurrence of painful sensations, they depend entirely on how each individual person tolerates pain.
It is also worth noting that drawings that were applied to the skin several decades ago are much easier and faster to remove. This is due to the high durability of modern inks used for printing today. In addition, recently the complexity and size of the pattern has changed significantly.
In some cases, laser tattoo removal requires taking medications with an analgesic effect. For this purpose, ointments with anesthetic properties are most often used. If the pain threshold is low, local injection with a special drug may be required.
Contraindications to the procedure
The procedure has contraindications. There is a list of possible risks that the client is introduced to before signing consent for manipulation.
It is strictly forbidden to work with a laser if the following conditions exist:
- presence of hematomas on the body;
- development of an infectious disease;
- bleeding of any type;
- the presence of scars and cicatrices;
- presence of allergies;
- blood diseases;
- diseases associated with impaired brain activity;
- various skin diseases: eczema, acne.
Possible complications after the procedure:
- manifestation of hyperpigmentation of the skin;
- changes in skin structure, which may be temporary or permanent;
- darkening of the tattoo;
- change in shade, but not complete disappearance of pigment.
The secret of the method
Laser radiation is light with high energy. Getting under the skin, it evaporates cellular and intercellular fluid in the areas where it was directed. The laser is controllable: it can be configured so that water evaporates only from areas where there is an accumulation of pigment - the dye used to make the tattoo. These rays also have one more wonderful property: it is enough to change the length of the emitted wave - and now they “see” only a certain color.
At the cellular level, tattoo removal occurs as follows:
- the laser heated the pigment injected into the skin;
- the liquid in the cells containing the dye has evaporated;
- the pigment granules were “seen” by skin immune cells, which sent them to the lymphatic capillaries;
- With lymph, the dye was removed from the body without harm to it.
Is it possible to remove a tattoo in a session?
As a rule, no, but there are exceptions. For example, you have a one-time superficial application of dark-colored permanent makeup or a small tattoo with few contour drawings and a lot of shaded dark-colored background. Provided that the procedure is performed using a certified picosecond laser.
There is also a new removal method - R-20, which reduces the number of sessions by 4 times. According to reviews, most patients refuse laser tattoo removal due to the duration of treatment, which can last up to 2 years.
With the new method, it is possible to remove a tattoo in 1 session if the design is small.
The procedure creates gas bubbles that dissolve within 20 minutes and allow the laser to treat deeper layers. The price of one session depends on the region of residence.
Lightening a tattoo with Cover up
Removing the dye when overcoating is a long process. The paint was applied in layers, filling the skin layer with a large volume of granules. Completing such work may require additional use of brightening agents.
Some sources claim that it is impossible to remove such work. But that's not true. The destruction of paint occurs at the molecular level.
To prevent inflammation from starting from an excess of destroyed granules, special medications are used. A person is prescribed a course of vitamins and sorbents.
The stripping procedure is divided into stages. Not the entire area is cleared, but square by square. A difference from a tattoo with a single-layer design may be a change in the pigmentation of the skin area.
If the previous drawing was closed using the blackwork technique, the consequence will be yellowed skin with a visible outline of the previous work.
AFTER THE LASER TATTOO REMOVAL PROCEDURE
- Treat the area with panthenol (2 weeks, 2 times a day, unless otherwise prescribed by your doctor)
- Wear a patch to prevent friction of the treated area on clothing (3 days, unless otherwise prescribed by your doctor)
- Do not sunbathe (4 weeks, unless otherwise prescribed by your doctor)
- Do not perform cosmetic procedures in the tattoo area
- Avoid visiting the sauna and swimming pool (2 weeks, unless otherwise prescribed by your doctor)
- Use sunscreen SPF30-50 if exposed to the sun
Removing tattoos with a laser requires serious skills and medical education from a specialist. Sometimes, in an effort to get a cheaper service or in response to advertising and simply not having sufficient information, patients turn to non-professionals for tattoo removal. It is important to know that if you use unprofessional and cheap laser equipment, there is a risk of serious injury and very unpleasant and irreversible consequences: blisters, infection and irreversible scars.
Video from the ETV+ channel about the dangers of unprofessional tattoo removal: Low-power and cheap “Chinese” laser devices do not have enough power to destroy the pigment, so to get the effect, their power has to be concentrated in a very small point and “keep” the beam on the skin longer. Often the radiation from such lasers itself is not pure. As a result, severe overheating of the tissues occurs and a banal burn occurs with all the ensuing consequences.
Attention! There is an opinion on the Internet that after tattoo removal, blisters on the skin and strong crusts are a natural reaction to the procedure. This is not true. A severe burn or blisters after a laser tattoo removal procedure is not the norm, but a sign of a poorly performed procedure, a direct risk of scarring and the possibility of infection. This can and should be avoided.
As an example, here are a few photos of complications after tattoo removal (caution! photo 18+) with the consequences of tattoo removal using cheap devices and inexperienced so-called. “specialists” (photos belong to the Vitaclinica, some of the photos belong to our colleagues at the Laser Medicine Clinic of Dr. Mikryukov).
Margarita Raag (lapsehoolduspuhkusel)
medõde-kosmeetik
Broneeri aeg
Tagged raag | Comments to Margarita Raag (lapsehoolduspuhkusel) are disabled
Dr. Alexander Uskov
MD, PhD, CEO
Broneeri aeg
Tagged uskov-kell, uskovkell | Comments on the post Dr. Alexander Uskov disabled
According to statistics, approximately every fifth tattoo would like to be removed or changed. The average age of a patient coming to have a tattoo removed in Tallinn is 30 years.
The most common reasons for tattoo removal are:
- A tattoo of poor quality from an aesthetic point of view
- The desire to change (interrupt) a tattoo
- Changes in personal life
- Career or job related requirements
- Birth of children
Which tattoo is easier to remove: fresh or old?
Decorations older than 10 years are removed in half the time of fresh designs. Reasons why old tattoos are easier to get rid of:
- The sun works like a laser for a long time, gradually destroying paint particles in the upper layers of the skin;
- The immune system considers a tattoo to be a foreign inclusion and has been trying to destroy the ink for many years.
People with an old tattoo will need no more than 6 sessions to completely remove the design. The effectiveness of the procedures is influenced by the same factors as for new tattoos - the pigments used, location on the body and color saturation.
Ablative removal.
During laser resurfacing with an Er:YAG laser (erbium), an area of skin along with the pigment is physically removed (evaporated). This way you can remove tattoos of any color and origin.
Laser resurfacing gives excellent results when the dye is located in the surface layers of the epidermis, which is possible with the high professionalism of the tattoo artist.
However, in most cases, dye granules, especially amateur tattoos, old professional and some traumatic tattoos, often end up deep in the dermal zone. Accordingly, any attempt to remove such a tattoo using the ablative method will most likely lead to the formation of a postoperative scar.
