4 Little-Known Facts About Laser Tattoo Removal

1. Professional Tattoos Are Harder to Remove Than Amateur Tattoos

Professional tattoos generally need more sessions to remove than amateur ones do. They’re usually larger and more saturated with ink. Amateur tattoos are generally applied only superficially, usually using a homemade tattoo machine or handheld needles. Taken together, these factors make amateur tattoos easier for the specialists at Rochester Tattoo Removal to remove.

Tattoos done by professionals are usually applied with a professional tattoo machine, are made using higher-quality pigments, and penetrate deeply into the dermis. Professional tattoos tend to last better and longer than amateur tattoos over time. This means professional tattoos are harder to remove and usually require extra treatments.

2. Your Body, Not the Laser, Removes the Ink

Although Q-switched laser tattoo removal has been a game-changer for the tattoo removal business, it isn’t the laser that removes the tattoo pigment from your skin. Q-switched lasers work by emitting short bursts of energy at certain wavelengths, a process known as “selective photothermolysis.” These pulses of energy target only the tattoo pigments and break them down into tiny particles. The particles are then absorbed and removed by your lymph system. Your lymphatic system, not the laser, does the actual removal.

3. Steam Escaping From Your Skin Makes Those Frost-Like Patches

Immediately after laser tattoo removal, you might notice areas of white, frost-like patches around the tattoo surface. They look a little funny, but they’re only temporary and are not harmful. These “icy” patches are caused by steam formed from the heat of the laser quickly escaping from your skin.

4. The Laser Doesn’t Burn Your Skin

Before they can break up into tiny pieces, the pigment particles have to be heated to thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. Since the heat is targeting only at the pigment, the skin around your tattoo isn’t harmed. The length of time the heat rests on the particles is only a tiny fraction of a second, so the energy passes all the way out of your body without causing you any harm.

Almost one in five people with tattoos have thought about having them removed. DermDox Dermatology offers Laser Tattoo Removal. Click to schedule an appointment.