What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. That is, unless you had one too many, visited a late-night tattoo parlor and brought home a very permanent souvenir. Did you know that over 45 million Americans have been tattooed, 72% of adults with tattoos have tattoos that are hidden by their clothing and 16% of them (over 7 million people) of adults with tattoos regret their tattoos and hide them? Maybe your tattoo is uneven or faded. Maybe the design is no longer on-trend. Maybe it doesn’t fit with your new career.
All aesthetic lasers are not created equal. Early laser tattoo removal treatments were reserved only for black or dark blue inks, often resulted in scarring and unpredictable results, and were quite painful. New science has incorporated the virtually painless Q-Switch laser and PicoLaser for tattoo removal. The laser beam pulses of a these very popular laser technologies last billionths of a second, resulting in a very powerful concentration of energy emitted. These powerful and short pulses are able to break apart small fragments of tattoo ink without affecting the surrounding skin. The ink is then flushed out by the body’s immune system, resulting in a faded tattoo over a series of treatments.
The goal of laser tattoo removal is to effectively smash the pigment into even smaller particles – so that your body can clear the pigment and the tattoo can be removed faster, in fewer sessions. PicoLazer energy is “non-thermal” and is delivered using a photo-mechanical effect with high-peak powers. The ultra-short pulse durations shatter pigment without causing thermal damage. Using wavelengths to treat all colors, it can remove tattoos, pigmented lesions, acne scars, and wrinkles. So if your tattoo contains yellows, blues, greens or vibrant colors, you are a great candidate for a PicoLaser treatment.
For over 20-years, the Q-switched Yag laser has been the laser of choice for removing tattoos. The dual wavelengths (1064nm/532nm) remove a wide array of tattoo pigments, mainly black and red, for a full range of skin types. In addition, it pulses high-power laser beams with such precision that they don’t have any thermal interaction with tissue. As a result, it produces minimal damage to surrounding tissues internally and targets only the pigments of the tattoo ink. An added benefit of this is a quicker and less complicated healing time.
During your tattoo removal treatment, the laser pulses light energy into the tattoo. The laser energy pulses are absorbed by the tattoo ink particles and those particles are heated up and then split into smaller fragments that are flushed away by the immune system over the following days and weeks. Each treatment breaks down more and more of the tattoo ink, resulting in a permanently faded and removed tattoo.
Just like your tattoo, removal results are permanent. The number of treatments required varies, as do the results, and depend on various factors such as depth of tattoo, size, skin color and quality of the tattoo.
Consultations are always recommended prior to booking your treatment to ensure that you are a good candidate for laser tattoo removal. We will evaluate your tattoo and offer you the best technology to handle any tattoo as well as an idea of how many treatments might be required to achieve the results you are looking for.
Some considerations to keep in mind when booking your tattoo removal treatment:
Unprotected sun exposure should be avoided for at least two weeks before your appointment. After your laser tattoo removal treatment, strenuous exercise and alcohol should be avoided for 24 hours. Excessive sun exposure should be avoided for at least one week and daily use of at least SPF 30 is highly recommended.
While the Q-Switch laser and PicoLaser tattoo removal treatments are generally a safe and effective for tattoo removal, adverse reactions can rarely occur. The most common side effects include hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, blistering at the treatment area, scarring and darkening of the tattoo being treated. All patients will be provided with detailed post-care instructions.
While your initial ink decision was permanent, RevitalizeMaui can reverse it with the help of the PicoLaser and Q-Switch Laser! Call today to schedule an appointment and say good-bye to your unwanted ink or schedule your consultation to see if you are a good candidate for laser tattoo removal.