HOW DO LASERS REMOVE TATTOOS?

All tattoos fade naturally over time.  Your body views all tattoos as foreign particles and will try to eliminate them naturally, but the ink particles are so big that your white blood cells cannot do much with them. Over time your lymphatic system will chip small pieces away, causing some fading of the tattoo to occur, but full removal on a tattoo normally will not happen in an average lifespan.  The laser speeds up this process by breaking up the tattoo ink into much smaller particles that can be cleared faster by your own immune system.  The laser emits a strong and focused beam of light that passes through the upper layers of skin to the particles of pigment in your tattoo.  The laser light heats and vibrates the ink into smaller microscopic particles that are filtered and taken away by your body’s lymphatic system (your body’s natural cleansing mechanism) over a period of 8-12 weeks.  Our Pico Discovery Pro laser pulse is so short that the surrounding skin is unaffected.

DOES IT HURT?

Everybody has a different perception of pain.  Most people describe the sensation to be similar to having a hot rubber band snapped against their skin.  The procedure is very fast and will be over quickly.  We use a Cryo machine called a Zimmer before, during, and after treatments, which will blow very cold air on the area, chilling the area and making the treatment much more tolerable.  Numbing creams are also encouraged and can be purchased here at Vanishing Point along with instructions on how to use them in order to maximize effectiveness as this can help to dull the pain of laser tattoo removal significantly.

CAN YOU REMOVE ALL OF THE COLORS IN MY TATTOO?

Our Pico Discovery Pro laser has 3 different wavelengths allowing it to selectively erase a whole spectrum of colors, including stubborn blues and greens.  It also has the capability to use Q-switch technology for dense, darker ink, or Pico, to effectively target lighter tattoos.  Scar tissue can also be treated using a Fractional handpiece.

WHICH COLORS ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT TO REMOVE?

Our laser can treat all colors in your tattoo, although some colors respond better than others.  Blacks and reds respond relatively quickly, while cooler colors such as blues and greens may require more treatments.

CAN MY TATTOO BE REMOVED WITH JUST ONE TREATMENT?

Most tattoos require multiple treatments for full removal. There are several different factors involved in determining how many treatments your particular tattoo will require, including skin type, location, color, amount of ink, scarring or tissue change, and layering. Your body’s response to the laser will also dictate the number of subsequent treatments. We use the Fitzpatrick Scale to assign a value to your skin type and the Kirby-Desai tattoo removal scale to estimate how many treatments it will take to remove your tattoo. During your consultation, we will discuss the number of treatments we estimate you’ll need for your tattoo to be completely removed.

I HAD A TREATMENT A WEEK AGO AND IT’S COMPLETELY HEALED. DO I STILL HAVE TO WAIT WEEKS FOR ANOTHER TREATMENT?

Healing is not the reason for the spacing of treatments, as it is not the laser that expels the ink, rather, your own body and lymphatic system is what takes the ink away.  This process occurs during downtime in between treatments.  If you treat your tattoo too frequently, not only will there be risking trauma to the area, but treatments will not be as effective because your body has not had time to work at eliminating the ink.

WILL I SEE MY TATTOO FADE AFTER EACH TREATMENT?

Each person and each tattoo is different and unique, and therefore there are varying responses to the laser treatment. Depending on how your body and your tattoo ink respond to the laser, you may see noticeable fading with the very first treatment. Others may not see a change until they’ve had a few treatments.

WILL LASER TREATMENTS LEAVE A SCAR?

Scarring is always a possibility in any medical procedure, but as long as aftercare is followed, the risk of scarring is significantly less.  If you are predisposed to keloids, or you do know you scar easily, your chances will be higher.  Our laser does have a Fractional handpiece that does treat types of scar tissue that could happen from laser treatments or trauma to the skin when the tattoo was initially done.  On some occasions, hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin) or hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin) may occur, and will usually resolve itself over time.  We recommend keeping the treated area out of the sun to lessen the risk of pigmentation issues.

ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS AFTER I RECEIVE A TREATMENT?

You may resume most activities soon after a treatment, provided that you ensure the area is not rubbed or scratched.  If you are out in the sun, you should cover the treated area to prevent sun exposure until the area is healed, and once it is healed, we highly recommend an SPF of 30 or higher for any extended time in the sun.  We do not recommend activities that will raise the body temperature immediately after a treatment, so wait until the area feels back to normal to resume any heavy or intense workouts, hot showers, or hot tubs and saunas.

WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER I RECEIVE A LASER TREATMENT?

In the first 24 hours after treatment, ice the area periodically along with rest and elevation of the treated site.  It is a good idea to limit physical activities and avoid saunas or swimming until the area is fully healed. 

Take care not to pop blisters or pick scabs if they occur unless otherwise instructed by our office, as this will make you more prone to scarring and infection.  Avoid sun exposure and tanning beds during the laser process, any extended time in the sun or tanning, be sure to cover the area or wear sunscreen.

I LOVE MY TATTOO BUT THERE’S ONE PART THAT I DON’T LIKE. CAN YOU REMOVE JUST THAT PART?

Yes, we can treat just small portions of a tattoo.  The laser is very precise, allowing us to treat only small areas and leave the rest of the tattoo untouched.

CAN I HAVE LASER TREATMENTS ON MY PERMANENT MAKEUP?

We can treat most microbladed or tattooed eyebrows.  Some cosmetic inks have metallic bases, which makes them more prone to oxidizing in the skin, and to minimize the risk of that we do treat these tattoos with more moderate treatment settings.  Eyebrows do require multiple sessions just like a regular tattoo, but usually fewer treatments.  Following treatment, the area will be sensitive, so after 48 hours, makeup and sunscreen may be applied to the area.  We do not treat lips or eyeliner tattoos and would recommend looking into saline injections for removals instead.

HOW MUCH DOES LASER TATTOO REMOVAL COST?

The price of each treatment depends on several factors, including the size of the tattoo, color, depth, and density of the ink.  The best way to get an idea of pricing would be to come in for a free consultation.  At the consultation, we will discuss the treatment price and estimated number of treatments based on your goals.  We started this business to make this wonderful technology affordable and realistic for everyone!