Adams says it's a sensation that some people experience when the lidocaine is hit by the laser and that it's totally normal. That said at my practive, we offer a topical numbing cream, which helps to take the edge off the procedure.
It's definitely worth asking for a consultation with your practitioner ahead of time if you're worried about pain. I would advise that you budget for discomfort for about a week. For me, the sites blister and need to be covered in a salve and bandaged for a few days; then they start to depuff, scab, peel, and regenerate. There is good news though: The more treatments you have, the less after care there is since there's less ink reacting to the laser. You'll need things like Aquaphor, bandages, and even clothes that don't rest on your tattoo.
At first, I was cutting tags out, but when tagless cotton tees still made the spot hurt and itch, I figured keyhole backs were a good investment. If you have tattoos on your ribs or feet and like to wear bras and shoes it might be best to plan your sessions accordingly. It also helps to apply a thin coating of antibiotic ointment or healing moisturizer three times a day, like from Aquaphor or Kiehl's , for the first three days of the healing process. One tattoo removal method that isn't talked about as much is semi-removal—i.
If you don't want to take your tattoos all the way off, you can simply lighten them enough to get some good cover-up work done. I have a friend who had a bird piece lightened enough to have a tattoo artist ink a lightbulb over the top. I thought it was smart because it meant her new tattoo didn't have to be heavy-handed. Then the tattooed skin is sanded down to deeper levels with a high-speed rotary device that has an abrasive wheel or brush. This allows the tattoo ink to leach out of the skin.
The affected area feels sore and raw for several days after the procedure. Recovery can take up to two to three weeks. Due to unpredictable results and less effective outcomes than laser or a combination of laser and excision, dermabrasion isn't a common choice. Tattoos are meant to be permanent, and complete tattoo removal is difficult.
Some degree of scarring or skin color variation is likely to remain, regardless of the specific method of tattoo removal. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Tattoo removal is a procedure done to try to remove an unwanted tattoo. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Saedi N, et al. Tattoo removal. However, it is very common for a tattoo to feature pre-existing scarring from when it was applied.
When a Q-switched laser treats the skin, it targets and breaks down the tattoo pigment in the skin. If pre-existing scarring is present, it will break down this pigment within the scar tissue. Once the tattoo removal process is complete, the ink will have been eliminated from the location but any of the scarring from the original tattoo will likely still remain.
During the initial consultation while you are assessing the tattoo, touch it and see if pre-existing scarring is present. If so, mark it as such in the patient's records and inform the patient that the laser will not eliminate scar tissue, just their ink. A Q-switched laser is not the best device to use for scar revision and will not provide significant improvement to remaining scarring. Some skin specialists use fractional lasers such as fractional CO2 or an Erbium:Yag laser like the Astanza DermaBlate to resurface scarred skin after the tattoo removal process.
While it is uncommon to cause scarring from the laser tattoo removal sessions themselves, it is still possible. For example, if you use excessive fluence when treating a tattoo and cause unwanted side effects such as immediate pinpoint bleeding , scarring may occur.
Another risk for scarring, even if the treatment is performed properly, happens when patients fail to follow aftercare instructions. Blisters and scabs are common side effects that are important in the tattoo removal healing process. However, picking scabs or not caring properly for blisters can allow scarring to happen. When discussing aftercare with your patients, make sure to emphasize their role in the outcome of their tattoo removal.
There are also some patients that may have a history of keloids and may be predisposed to scarring, which is why it's important to take a detailed medical history of each patient. Reassure your patients that you use proper protocols and a professional-grade system that is safe for their skin. Ultimately, as a practitioner, you'll still want the patient to sign a consent form addressing the risks of the procedure and promote a strong emphasis on personal aftercare outside your practice.
Every tattoo removal practitioner will encounter patients that don't want their tattoos removed completely, but rather revised. Yes, you can provide support to patients looking for tattoo revision.
Anyone that is a candidate for tattoo removal liked tattoos enough to get inked at one point in their lives. As a practitioner, you'll want to be sensitive to this and not assume which tattoo a patient wants removed or whether they want complete removal at all.
We always suggest starting out the patient consultation with the question, "Which tattoo are you looking to treat today? Selective removal patients are looking to erase a part out of a larger tattoo piece. This is a common request for patients with name tattoos. For example, they like the overall design of their tattoo but dislike that it features an ex-boyfriend's name. Patients also request selective removal if their tattoo artist botched the artwork in an area or the tattoo extended further than they wished — they just want certain parts of the tattoo "cleaned up.
Generally, selective removal patients want complete removal of the specific areas they want erased, but sometimes they want it faded in preparation for a cover-up tattoo. Cover-up patients only want their tattoo faded down to make it easier for their tattoo artist to design a tattoo to be drawn in its place. Tattoo fading needs fewer sessions than complete removal. Often 2 to 3 laser sessions are adequate to fade the tattoo significantly and allow the tattoo artist to have a better canvas to work on.
Having established relationships with local tattoo shops will be a great asset to your practice. Not only will you likely get patients referred to you by the tattoo shops, you'll also feel confident referring patients to artists that provide quality work for cover-ups, touch-ups, and revisions. Side effects are to be an expected part of the tattoo removal process for most patients. In fact, some side effects are an important part of the immune response that helps eliminate ink from the skin.
We encourage practitioners to not gloss over side effects during the initial consultation — explain the various side effects in full detail.
This way, when your patients commit to the tattoo removal process, they're informed and aren't shocked the next day when their skin is sensitive and they are potentially limited from their normal activities or clothing.
The most common side effects are:. If all of the proper protocols are used based on the tattoo and the patient's skin tone, all of these side effects are temporary.
Redness, tenderness, and swelling typically subside within a day or two following treatment. Blisters usually appear within 24 hours of treatment; sometimes the blisters are very large and may look alarming — this is completely normal.
In just a few laser sessions, your skin can be ink-free. Astanza has developed the highest powered multi-wavelength tattoo removal system on the market, the Trinity, to produce fast results, no matter the complexity of your tattoo. Each laser tattoo removal patient should expect unique results based on a number of independent factors:. The photos below are examples of tattoos removed by Astanza laser technology.
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