New technology has emerged that makes the once permanent tattoo a little less of a problem. Laser tattoo removal in particular has shown great promise in getting rid of unwanted body art, either in full or partially. A tattoo of course is created by imbedding permanent ink into the body of the individual who desires it, lasers use pulses of light to penetrate the skin and break the ink up. Over time, this ink will be removed from the system via the immune system. To completely eliminate the tattoo, it takes several treatments.
Generally laser tattoo removal is undertaken by a dermatologist or a certified laser specialist. The session is short in duration and several sessions are required before the work is completed. As there is the possibility of some pain and discomfort, the patient is offered a mild pain remedy. During the procedure the patient also wears eye protection from the laser light.
When the laser specialist points the laser, light pulses enter the skin reaching to the level of the ink. The pulses of light break down the ink. Over time, often in less than two weeks, the body will clear itself of the ink.
Laser tattoo removal is most successful when the ink used was black. The reason for this is, black is a color that absorbs all the colors that go to make up light. Tattoos that are green, red, etc require different colors of laser light to ensure removal. Over a series of treatments the offending tattoo gets progressively lighter until it is gone.
Having laser tattoo removal is not without pain although it is minor, feeling more like an itch or scratch. After the treatments there may be evidence of redness which goes away in time.
The best candidates for laser tattoo removal are those people who have skin which strongly contrasts with the color of the ink that was used. This has nothing to do with pigmentation; it is easier to target the ink. When the skin color and the color of the tattoo are close to one another it normally takes more treatments to completely eliminate the tattoo.
Although there are other ways to remove a tattoo, laser treatment is considered to be the best.
