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LASER TATTOO REMOVAL
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GETTING STARTED:
Ingredients of a tattoo and what makes it difficult to remove. 
Throughout history as far back as the Stone Age (12,000 BC) many materials have been
impregnated into the skin, most particularly carbon 'as soot', plant-derived pigments,
and metals in the form of oxides and salts. The pigments used in modern day tattoos,
unlike over-the-counter cosmetics and prescription drugs, are not regulated by
government agencies. Often tattoo color compositions are "trade secrets" of the makers
of these materials. The tattoo artisan and the consumer-patient may not know what materials
are used in their tattoos. India ink is often used in amateur black tattoos and is easier to remove
by a number of methods. Amateur tattoos have been linked to allergic and sun-sensitive
reactions, and occasionally scarring. As many as 10% of men and between 50,000 and 100,000
women get decorative body art tattoos each year.
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| GETTING STARTED:
Advances, Medical Considerations, and New Ink on the Horizon. Advanced tattoos today are composed of more forgiving industrial grade pigments and are better tolerated; nonetheless allergies and sun-sensitivity can still occur. While the temporary henna-containing tattoos are becoming popular in younger age groups, they may carry a risk of skin allergy and are not advised in small children. It is important to let the MRI technologist know you have a tattoo when undergoing this imaging medical procedure, since the metals in the tattoo can generate heat. Although cancer occurring in a tattoo would be exceeding rare, it is rare that a laser might convert some of the complex agents in tattoos into cancer-generating chemicals in the skin. Dr. Richard Anderson of Harvard Medical School has developed a new tattoo ink made of tiny particles that hold the pigment permanently but can be broken up by lasers and pushed out of the skin after one or two laser sessions, instead of 5 to15 procedures. It is composed of FDA-approved substances and may be available for release in 2008. A cream called Imiquimod (Aldara) which modulates immune reactions may be applied 10 days after laser treatment and help the body remove additional tattoo pigment and improve results |
| GETTING STARTED:
Available treatments for tattoo removal. While surgical excision ensures complete removal, it often leaves more scarring and downtime than other methods. Dermabrasion or mechanical sanding and salobrasion or rubbing salt into a tattoo have been available, but these can lead to a greater degree of scarring. Extraordinary advances in lasers beyond the attempts to use the more unforgiving CO2 lasers in the early 1980s, has made tattoo removal by laser a popular option for many people. As with lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and remove discolorations, tattoo-lasers directly target the specific color wavelength of each pigment in the tattoo. Argon and Ruby lasers were first deployed to treat tattoos in 1963. Today, the best lasers for tattoo removal are coined: 'Q- switched' which generate rapid short pulses of light energy that penetrate the skin to burst the larger particles of pigment into smaller particles, freeing them to be pushed up out of the skin. The lasers and their range of action are described in the electromagnet spectrum chart shown herein. The wide variation in chemicals producing the colors can determine the response to laser treatment. The reaction can occasionally be unpredictable such that chemical reactions can occur in treated tattoos causing inflammation and skin irritation. This is what makes laser tattoo removal difficult and time consuming for a number of patients. |
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| Professional tattoos with multiple colors especially on
extremities can be 95% cleared after 10 treatments. RED 3-7
treatments. PURPLE, ORANGE, and YELLOW 4-6 treatments. BLACK and DARK
BLUE 4-5 treatments. Most elaborate colorful professional tattoos. 20 treatments. Professional tattoos across the board will have 50% clearance after 10 treatments. Amateur tattoos usually with black ink (INDIA INK) can clear in as few as 4 to 7 treatments. |
GETTING STARTED:
Looking at what lasers are used to treat what colors by 1. electromagnetic spectrum graphic analysis, 2. by laser description, and 3. by tattoo color plus laser color used to treat that color.
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