The laser is actually looking for colour, not ink. When it sees it’s target, the colour in the tattoo, it breaks the ink pigment up into tiny particles. Your body’s lymphatic and immune system then work to flush the particles out of your system. The fading process then works for up to 8 weeks after the treatment.
The number of treatments depends on the tattoo itself. There a number of factors that come into play, the three main ones being age of the tattoo, colours involved and how the ink was put in the skin. Generally, older tattoos are easier to remove than fresh ones. Darker tattoos, particularly black are the easiest to fade with blue and green requiring more treatments. Line work usually takes longer than shading and professionally done tattoos requiring more treatments than home made ones. Tattoo fading for a coverup generally happens much faster than complete removal.
There is some discomfort involved. Pulses of energy are literally breaking up the pigment in the tattoo. You will feel a burning sensation as this happens. We use the latest in cooling technology to help manage the pain. We will cool your skin before the treatment and as the treatment is happening. This accomplishes two things. Very effective pain management and a lessening of possible side effects due to the heat transmitted into your skin. Most clients report that the pain they were anticipating was far greater than the actual experience. Topical anesthetics such as Emla cream can also be used to reduce the discomfort involved.
We recommend 8 weeks between treatments, but that can be shortened to 4-6 weeks for smaller tattoos or if there is some schedule to have it removed faster. The skin usually heals visibly in the first 2 weeks, with some exceptions.
If you are planning a coverup, we recommend 3-4 months after the final laser treatment before the area is tattooed again.
Generally speaking, the risk of scarring is very low, but it is always possible. We will do some screening ahead of time to determine if you are susceptible to scarring but it is sometimes impossible to predict.
The treatment creates a burn on the surface of your skin which will be bandaged when you leave. Specific aftercare instructions will be given to you and if followed there shouldn’t be any issues with infection but that is small risk as well.
Hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation, a darkening or lightening of the skin in the area being treated, may occur however this is usually temporary.
Pricing is based on the size of the treatment area and is based on a per treatment basis. Prices range from $50-$500 with average treatments being $150-$300. Second Skin is committed to making our service as accessible as possible and with that in mind we try to make our fees as reasonable as possible. Please remember, as with everything else, cheaper is not necessarily better. We have invested over $100,000 in making sure we have the best possible equipment to meet your tattoo removal needs.
Every tattoo is different and each one will have it’s own individual response to treatments. Completely removal is not always possible in every case, but significant lightening is. It is almost never a one time treatment and there is a definite time commitment. Laser tattoo removal is not an overnight solution, but it is the most effective one.
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