Laser Tattoo Removal

In the past prior to lasers, tattoo removal was ineffective and normally left unsightly scaring. The only way of removing tattoos that worked was to remove the skin that the tattoos were on.

Fortunately with developments in laser technology, tattoos can now be removed permanently and effectively leaving the skin healthy and scar free. A great relief for any one who ended up looking like a Japanese Yakuza after a heavy nights drinking with some less than desirable friends.

The way laser tattoo removal works is a concentrated pulse of light from a laser beam pass through the skin above the tattoo and are absorbed by the pigment in the tattoo. The pigment is broken down into parts small enough to be removed naturally by the body's immune system.

Black and blue tattoos absorb energy from all wavelengths so they are the easiest colors to remove while green and yellow tattoos are the most difficult to remove. The other factors such as the depth of the ink, the amount of ink used and the age of the tattoo will also effect how easy the tattoo is to remove.

Treatment normally only takes a few minutes but depending the difficulty in removing the tattoo, a number of treatments will be necessary. At least 3 weeks between sessions is required to allow the body's immune system to remove the broken down pigment and for the skin recover from the previous treatment.

The lasers used in tattoo removal are not your typical green laser pointers so don't try any at home tattoo removal. The lasers used are Q switched lasers that emit very rapid pulsed high energy beams. The three types of lasers commonly used for laser tattoo removal are
a Q-switched Ruby, a Q-switched Alexandrite and a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser. Of the three types of lasers, the newest and most effective at removing red, black and blue pigments is the Nf: YAG laser.

Before getting too excited and planning a trip down to the local tattoo removal clinic, you need to know that tattoo removal is very expensive and can often take over a year to complete. The cost of tattoo removal varies depending on the clinic used, the size of the tattoo and the difficulty in removing it. Expect to pay several thousand dollars for removing several tattoos. The price can also vary depending the size of the tattoo with one clinic charging $39 per square inch PER SESSION. So if you require a number of sessions, the cost will be very high. Much higher than the cost of the orginal tattoo itself.

The other bad news is that tattoo removal is very painful and will often require the use prescription anesthetic creams before the removal or even local anesthetic. So even though tattoos are now no longer permanent, getting tattoos is still not something you want to take casually.