Best Tattoo For You

We’ve all made mistakes in our younger days that we wish we
could undo. The rose tattoo with vines and leaves trailing
down to your wrist was a great idea when you were 17, but
not such a good idea when you’ve become an investment
banker. Not so long ago tattoos had to be creatively covered
up with another, possibly larger, one. It was impossible to
remove a tattoo unless the skin was completely scraped off,
and some foolish people actually had them sanded off.

Some clever ladies covered them with makeup, but that caused
activities to be very limited. Swimming was out, and any
activity that caused perspiration was also ill-advised if
you wanted that tattoo to stay under wraps. A Band-Aid was
always a last-resort choice for covering that unsightly tat.
With the advent of laser technology, tattoo removal is an
affordable way to erase a bad idea that was formerly
permanent.

Lasers offer a low-risk, noninvasive alternative to
traditional tattoo removal. The procedure is accomplished on
an out-patient basis, requiring no hospitalization.
Anesthesia may be used if the removal is too uncomfortable,
but many people do not need it. A laser specifically
developed for tattoo removal is called Q-switch, a reference
to the short, high-energy pulse of the laser.

Depending on the color of the tattoo, one of three
Q-switched lasers may be used, ruby, alexandrite, and Nd
YAG. Nd YAG is the newest laser developed and is excellent
in removing red, blue, or black ink. Lasers produce short
pulses of intense light. These pass through the epidermal
tissue, or top layer of skin, and are absorbed by the
pigment of the tattoo.

The laser energy stimulates the pigment to fragment and
break and the tiny pieces of pigment are then removed by the
body’s immune system. The laser only targets the tattoo
pigment, and will not harm the skin’s natural pigment.
Because it can be uncomfortable, before treatment you should
take an ibuprofen product such as Tylenol, and your doctor
may apply a prescription anesthetic cream shortly before
session begins. People have likened the laser’s effect to
that of spattered bacon grease landing on your arm or being
snapped by a rubber band.

Black tattoos are easiest to remove since they absorb all
laser wavelengths. Other colors absorb only part of the
laser light spectrum and therefore are more difficult to
remove. A tattoo applied by an experienced person will be
easier to remove since the pigment will have been applied to
the same depth of the skin. A newer tattoo is more difficult
to remove.

Most people, 95 percent, have no scarring at all. The area
will probably feel sunburned for a few days, and may appear
red for several weeks following treatment. The site will
fade gradually and continually as it heals. Most tattoos
require several visits.

About the Author:

Nick Messe is president of Lead Frog LLC. Chicago tattoo
removal is a specialty of The Liposuction and Cosmetic
Surgery Institute – http://www.lipodoc.com – Liposuction,
tummy tucks, breast enhancements and many more procedures
are done in 4 locations in the Chicago area.