Tattoos are almost ubiquitous these days. But certain tattoos, usually those received on a whim or without much forethought, can lead to regret. Plus, they can become a problem at work. Or, they can be a little embarrassing. That “Steve” tattooed on your shoulder. Uh, he’s no longer your main squeeze and Jeff, your current main squeeze, isn’t a fan.
Fortunately, getting rid of a tattoo today is not a difficult process. At Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery, we put our Spectrum laser on the job, and you’ll love how it makes your tattoo vanish.
Winter is a good time to start the process of getting rid of an unwanted tattoo, as well. It usually takes from 5-9 sessions to fully remove it, so if you start now, the tattoo could be gone come next summer and swimsuit season.
Aging skin is not tattoo-friendly skin
Everyone’s skin ages. Your skin loses its collagen supply (collagen is the protein that provides and maintains the skin’s support structure) and its elastin (the protein that keeps the skin supple). Throw in sun damage and your skin becomes looser and less elastic. For a tattoo, that means the sharp lines and definition of days gone by are no longer so defined. Give it another 10 years and you may be hard pressed to even be able to make out what the tattoo is supposed to be. All of this is exacerbated with weight gain.
Removing it
It used to be that there were only three ways to get rid of a tattoo: surgery to remove the skin, acid bleaching, and dermabrasion (basically sandblasting of your skin). All of them were just as pleasant as they sound.
Fortunately technology has come to the rescue in the form of the laser. Lasers can remove any tattoo, returning your arm, neck, shoulder, calf, or wherever to its pre-tattooed clarity. At Beaty, we use the Spectrum laser for tattoo removal, employing different wavelengths for the different colors in the tattoo.
How does it work?
Our laser delivers quick high-energy pulses that are absorbed by the pigment in the tattoo. The energy breaks the pigment into particles small enough that they can then be cleared from the body by the lymphatic system.
Now many treatments are necessary?
It’s very difficult to pinpoint just how many treatments your tattoo will need to remove it completely. This is because of the different ink colors, as well as the depth the ink has been placed. Single black tattoos with the name of your former boyfriend are easy. Multicolor scenes from Lord of the Rings, not so much. Black, red, dark orange, and dark blue tattoos respond quickly, while certain other colors such as green, purple, brown, and light colors take more time. Most tattoos require a number of treatments spaced from six to eight weeks apart.
It generally takes from 5-9 treatments for your tattoo to go away.
If your tattoo’s time has come…and gone, maybe you should give us a call at Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery, (770) 753-0053. We can make it go away.
