Tariq Ali Khan, MD

Thank you for your question.  Fillers can cause discomfort in areas depending on the amount of injections and if it was placed in the correct locations and also any trauma to vessels.  The main thing is that if you are experiencing pain or sensations that is very different from prior experiences, especially if a larger volume was used, its best to call your injector immediately and be evaluated for any possible complications.  Good Luck! - T.Khan MD.  

This is a great question as I am sure there are many young adults in the same scenario every day.  We know that's true because we treat a lot of stick and poke tattoos!  Despite conventional thoughts about this being easy to remove as its considered an armature tattoo, they can sometimes be a bit more challenging due to depth of the ink, type of ink used and amount if ink used.  We have some clients that remove very rapidly and some that take time because of how deep and dense the ink is set.  The type of ink and color of the ink also has a great deal to do with how quickly it is removed.  

I have done many of these using Q-switch technology and have never had any issues with hypopigmentation or halo/ghost effect.  PICO is also a great option but expect higher cost.  If you are patient, it will come off nicely.  Make sure your provider does not over treat the tattoo and you can avoid any complications.  Good Luck! - T.Khan MD

Thank you for your question.  Yellow ink certainly can be challenging to take off but it is possible.  Due to the color and wavelength needed, there is a slightly increased risk for transient hypopigmentation.    Isolating just the yellow pigment will be difficult without touching the rest of the tattoo due to dispersion of the energy so you may need touchups on the flower.  If you choose to completely remove the tattoo, it should remove clean but anticipate a number of sessions to completely remove it given the number of colors used.  

White ink does not get targeted due to lack of pigmentation.  It does fade on its own however and eventually blends.    Thank you! - T.Khan MD

Hi there! Thank you for your question.  PFD stands for perfluorodecalin which is a chemical compound infused into a silicone gel patch.  PFD is applied to the skin and then the patch is placed over the tattoo.  The PFD is meant to protect the skin from the high energy levels used and allow it to heal quickly without risk for scarring.  The idea is to allow the laser to fracture more ink at a deeper level by allowing multiple passes at a higher energy level over the ink.  This generally, without the patch, would increase the risk for injury to the skin and result in burns and scarring.  But, with the PFD patch, your skin is protected.  

We use this often in the clinic and it has helped many clients tremendously.  Especially those looking for faster removal.  Going rate for the patch is about $120 per patch per treatment in addition to the cost of the tattoo removal itself so be prepared and budget for this process.  Thanks again! - T.Khan MD

Hi, thank you for your question.  Well unfortunately, it looks like you were over treated with the laser.  The best thing to do for now is avoid any further treatment and continue treating your scars with aloe and zinc oxide.  Use sunscreen on the arms every day and give it a few months to heal properly.  I mentioned this previously, the laser should not cause injury to your skin if used correctly.  Make sure your provider had a clear understanding of what they are doing.  Good luck - T.Khan MD