Tattoo Removal
Tattoo Removal
INTRODUCTION
The tattoo prevalence has been increasing steadily and thus is the demand for Tattoo Removal. One may have a personal reason for a Tattoo Removal but most common are career changes, stigmatization, or feeling of embarrassment, getting bored with the old tattoo, color fading, past memories etc. Earlier the tattoo removal procedure involved a surgical intervention, Dermabrasion, Chemical Peels, often with unsatisfactory results and associated complications such as scarring, inadequate removal of ink that use to leave "Tattoo Ghosts" which was normally
observed as permanent haze of ink color.
Tattoo inks in India and in most of the countries are not regulated by FDA and most of the patients don't know the constituents of tattoos.
Tattoos can be classified into:
1. Amateur Decorative tattoo
2. Professional decorative tattoos
3. Cosmetic Tattoos which is referred as permanent make up normally used for eyelashes or eyebrows and lips
4. Traumatic Tattoos & Medical Tattoos
Principle Of Laser Tattoos Removal:
Laser Tattoo Removal is based on the principle of selective photothermolysis, i.e. conversion of laser energy into heat energy which selectively targets the tattoo ink and causes its destruction and fragmentation because tattoo ink is the target chromophores. Smaller particles are thus eliminated through lymphatic drainage, epidermal extrusion, and macrophage phagocytosis.
Q Switched Lasers generate high power pulses with very short widths in the range of nano seconds and thus are most suitable for tattoo removal.
A combination of Co2 Laser, Dermabrasion along with chemical peels and cryotherapy and electrocautery can also be used for faster and better results surgical excision can be considered as a last resort in conditions where Q Switched Laser Tattoo Removal Has failed and patients are adamant for its removal.
Results:
As Such the results of laser tattoo removal are cumulative ie the density of ink decreases with each session but at some point the ink may stop responding to tattoo laser removal machine. The laser may not completely remove the tattoo and halo may remain. The tattoo ink may just fade but may not be completely removed. Tattoos may change color as the treatment progresses, if the tattoo is palpable before the start of the treatment it will remain the same even after the laser treatment. Risk of Hyper pigmentation, hypo pigmentation, textural changes and scarring should be always considered.