Tattoo Removal

How does it work?

A new study came out last summer that better explains how the lasers work. When the ink was first put into your skin, some of it immediately washed away through your lymphatic system. Your body tried to remove the rest, but it couldn't digest the ink, so it walled it off. Now, to remove the ink, we need to break it out from behind those walls. To do that, we shine a very brief flash of laser light at the ink. This sudden burst of energy will momentarily heat up the ink causing a flash of steam that will burst open the wall holding it. Now the ink is free to move around, and some of it will naturally wash away through your lymphatic system. It takes about 8-10 weeks for your body to build up new walls, so after 8 weeks, you come back to the clinic, and we repeat the treatment. Eventually, after a series of treatments, all of the ink washes away. The number of treatments needed, depends on the characteristics of your tattoo and the lymphatic drainage of that part of your body. Some colors come off faster, some slower. Some tattoos contain more ink, some less. Some parts of your body drain faster and some slower. Typically, it will take around 10-11 treatments to get a good result.

Then why different lasers?

Different colors of ink absorb different colors of light. For red, orange, yellow and purple ink we use a laser called a q-switched KTP For black and blue ink we use a laser called a q-switched Nd:Yag. Many people involved in tattoo removal will try to use the Nd:Yag laser to remove green ink, but it's not very effective. Therefore, because this is all that we do, we have also purchased a laser called a q-switched Alexandrite. This laser treats green ink and light blue ink very well. We also frequently use it for black ink. An Alexandrite laser is a very specialized and expensive laser, and as such, we are the only practice in the state of Minnesota to have one.

Will it be removed completely?

The answer is almost always yes. We will keep working on your tattoo until it's gone and you are satisfied. If, at some point, it is clear that it's not going to come off any better without causing side effects, we can change to a non-laser system such as Tat-gone-ink, where we tattoo in a solution that draws out the ink. In any event, we will do our best to remove your tattoo completely.

Are there any complications?

The benefit of laser removal is that complications are limited. The majority of our patients suffer no complications during the process. If done carefully, scarring is a rare event. You can get some darkening of the skin, though this is usually temporary. The vast majority of people who get darkening are of Asian ancestry, and they have the same thing happen whenever they get a cut or abrasion. You can get some lightening of the skin also. This is much more likely to occur if you are excessively tan, so we recommend limited tanning during the removal. If you have dark colored skin, we will select lasers and techniques to minimize the possibility of lightening. Some colors of ink, such as white and flesh tones, turn black when exposed to laser light and can be difficult to remove. For these colors, if the lasers are not working well, we will use the Tat-gone-ink system. This system involves using a tattoo machine to inject a solution that draws out the tattoo ink.

Are there other ways to remove a tattoo?

Yes and No. There are other methods, but none of them are very attractive. The Tat-gone-ink product is the only other method that seems worth trying. It can be effective. The problem is, that it is more painful, and is more apt to cause scarring. That is why we only use it as a last resort. The other options are much worse. Wrecking Balm has been advertising a lot lately. It is the new introduction of an old product. If you look closely at their pictures you will see the words "results not typical" usually written in small print and upside down. This is literally just repackaged wart remover. Another option is bleaching cream. If you're Swedish, this works reasonably well, but for the rest of us, it leaves a large white spot. Then there is Salabrasion, where you vigorously rub salt on the tattoo like sandpaper. Of course, that leaves a scar. Lastly, you can have it cut out or skin grafted, but again, you end up with a big scar. As you can see, laser removal is the only realistic option available.