S. Pasquale Maggi, MD

Dear Marciajones from Melbourne, FL:

As a plastic surgeon I have seen numerous patients over the years that have had laser tattoo removal with less than optimal results.  These patients  then come to me, or one of my collegues, for a direct surgical excison of the laser treated area.

My main concern in this procedure for such a delicate area is that I have seen a certain degree of unpredictabilty and would be worried that you may end up with a more complex problem.  Sometimes the area that is treated results in a thick scar, otherwise known as "hypertrophic scaring". 

My main concern in your case would be the potential development of scaring to the lip area.  This would then be very difficult to correct. I would thus strongly suggest to ask alot of questions before you decide to proceed.