5 month old red ink tattoo removal - What type of laser do you guy recommend me to get so I can completely remove this tattoo

Question

Last year in November I decided to get a RED ink quote tattooed onto my collarbone area. I instantly regretted it when I got home because I noticed that some spots looked a bit messed up (I don’t know if it’s how my skin reacted or if it was the artists fault but the ink looked like it was spreading out, please let me know what you think caused this). What type of laser do you guy recommend me to get so I can completely remove this tattoo (I know I will need multiple amounts of sessions).

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Yes, this can be removed with laser tattoo removal. It will take a series of treatments. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a laser tattoo removal expert. If it's new, you'll want to wait until it's completely healed (around 4-6 weeks) Best, Dr. Emer

Laura Riehm, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question and posting pictures.  Tattoo regret is very common.  Almost every tattoo can be completely removed with enough time and treatments.  The most important factor is patience.  You have to give your body time to absorb the ink.  Your shading will probably be gone in the first 6-12 months.  The lines will take longer to remove completely.  For laser tattoo removal you have two routes:
The older nanosecond or Q-Switch lasers that came out about 20 years ago.  The majority of former Q-Switch patients we see have significant hypopigmentation (ghosting) around and under their tattoo.  The Q-Switch lasers have trouble differentiating between the melanin in your skin and ink.  The technology uses heat to burn the pigment out of your skin.  In addition, we have seen patients with raised scars as if they have been branded.  Both of these condition are typically irreversible.  
Picosecond laser came out about 5 years ago.  Every laser manufacturer has a different marketing hook to make you choose their laser.  At the end of the day, it's about the technology and experience of the clinician.  All PicoSecond lasers (like the Enlighten, PicoWay & PicoSure) fire 1000 times faster per second, using a pressure wave rather than heat to shear the ink molecules apart.  The hype of extra wavelengths does not make that much of a difference.  The 755 nm will get rid of most of the ink colors.  For red and pink ink, you would need to make sure they have 532 nm.  After using the PicoSure for 3 and half years, we have only seen pinpoint hypopigmentation in a very small number of patients usually of darker skin tones.  We cannot say it is impossible to get burned with a Picosecond laser, but it is highly unlikely.  We tell every PicoSure tattoo patient to expect at least 6 treatments, but don’t be surprised if it takes 10 to 12.  Patience is the key for our patients.  We typically see our tattoo removal patients every 8 to 12 weeks initially.  We eventually encourage them to wait up to 6 months as the tattoos seem to continue to fade while they wait. 
Treatment prices vary by market. The cost for picosecond treatments will be higher, but you should need less than half the treatments compared to a nanosecond laser.  The patch is only used with the older nanosecond lasers.  Best of luck.

5 month old red ink tattoo removal - What type of laser do you guy recommend me to get so I can completely remove this tattoo

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