What Does the Process Look Like when Having a Tattoo Removed?

asked 7 months ago by cape cod in cape cod, ma
Latest answer by Sanusi Umar, MD
Question viewed 96 times
Tags: expectation

When hsving s tsttoo removed with a laser, is there going to be any burns, redness, mark, etc or will there just be fading of the tattoo without any of this?

5 answers to What Does the Process Look Like when Having a Tattoo Removed?

The Process of Laser Tattoo Removal

Usually there is redness and crusting of the skin which results in a scabs that last for about 10-14 days. The laser beam is applied as short bursts of energy. Patients describe this as feeling like a rubber band snapping against the skin, or hot flecks of oil from a frying pan. The laser does use light energy. But when it is in your skin, it turns into heat energy which is why this does cause a tangible impact as I described. If you are curious to learn more, please... more

Sanusi Umar, MD
Redondo Beach Dermatologic Surgeon

www.finetouchdermatology.com

Tattoo Treatment Process?

Thank you for the question. Laser tattoo treatment involves traumatizing the superficial layers of skin and fragmenting the ink particles into smaller “particles” that can be removed by the bodies' waste system. The traumatized skin may blister, bruise or even bleed ( pinpoint). The skin will go through a healing process before another laser session can be done. I hope this helps.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Lasers for tattoo removal

I have been using lasers to remove tattoos since 1998. Many tattoos, but not all, do well with laser treatment. The most important factor is the color of the tattoo. Black tattoos are the easiest to remove and should respond to Q-switched ruby, alexandrite, or Nd:YAG laser. Red usually responds to 532 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Green does not respond to Nd:YAG but is usually treatable with Alexandrite or ruby. Some colors such as yellow are... more

Richard Ort, MD
Lone Tree Dermatologic Surgeon

Tattoo Removal Process

It used to be that if someone wanted to remove a skin tattoo, a surgeon excised it with a scalpel, usually in increments to help the tissue around it expand and cover the wound. Today, we can use laser removal. Laser technology has made great strides in eliminating tattoos. The laser's short pulses of intense light pass harmlessly through the top layers of the skin and are absorbed by the tattoo pigment. This causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are then... more

Michelle Copeland, MD, DMD
New York Plastic Surgeon

It depends on the type of laser and technician

Laser tattoo is extremely difficult. It is not magic. Because lasers are attracted to colors, some tattoos are slightly easier to treat than others, but really, they are all very, very difficult. You should expect to do several treatments - like close to 15-20 - and get minimal results, at best. You will get a blurring of the image and some color will change. Pinks, oranges, reds are nearly impossible and those will blur, but probably not come out entirely. There will be some redness after a... more

F. Victor Rueckl, MD
Las Vegas Dermatologist

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