With the rising public interest in tattoo, tattoo removal is also on the rise. Well at times, many don’t make the decision to wear their heart on their skin in sober, or in the right mind. To know more about the process of laser tattoo removal side effect

Tats off

Sylvia Plath once said, “Wear your heart on your skin in this life.” The process of inking ones skin, generally known as tattooing, has been around for centuries. I remember my grandmother, who had a great tattoo of traditional Newari lattice windows on her ankles. Tattooing might have been around for centuries, done with a variety of procedures, but the mechanism to remove a tattoo is fairly new in comparison. The first successful effect of short-pulse lasers on tattoos was reported in the 1960 by Leon Goldman and the first laser which was based on argon was developed in 1979. From then till now, technology has greatly evolved.  And today, making a tattoo is as easy as removing one. 

Please you tell us more about the process of laser tattoo removal? 
Laser tattoo removal is done with a Laser tattoo removal is done with a Nd:YAG laser. During the process of inking a tattoo, the ink is implanted in the membrane under the skin. The inks are based on various chemicals and metals, which determine the color of the tattoo. When we talk about tattoo removal, it is more centered around the chemicals used rather than the process. The process of removing the tattoo is known as, “Laser Induced Fragmentation.” The Nd:YAG laser irradiates the target area and causes the fragmentation of these chemicals. After the fragmentation, the particles are now small enough for the body to slowly clean them from the system. 

The general misconception is that, it just takes one session for the complete removal of the tattoo. After the first fragmentation, the target area becomes a bit lighter. But all the ink is not removed. The complete process takes somewhere from 2 to 3 weeks, which includes multiple sections for complete tattoo removal. The total time and number of session, can increase or decrease depending upon the size of the tattoo, its depth, the quality of your skin and the type of chemical utilized for development of the ink.

What are the colours which are difficult to fragment? 
Generally the colours black and blue are easy to fragment. Black ink is usually developed by the compound nickel whereas cobalt is used to make blue. Colors such as red which is developed using mercury and green, which consists of chromium, can be removed but require multiple sessions. 

Does tattoo removal hurt & cause scaring? 
Generally without using anesthesia the process is painful. We utilize topical anesthesia which within 20-30 minutes calms the nerves of the target area. In terms of scarring, there are multiple factors which play a vital role, such as the quality of the laser utilized, and the intensity of the laser during the process. If the laser used is of a poor quality then it is bound to leave a scar, and at times when the wrong intensity is used, it not only breaks down the chemicals but also damages to the skin. Proper understanding of the background of the patient also plays a very vital role. Factoring in their age, type of skin, sensitivity helps the specialist determine the intensity. If the parameters are not set correctly then it causes something known as “Skin Burning,” which eventually leaves a scar. 

Are their any side effects? 
There are no systemic side effects to the process of tattoo removal. If problems are to arise they are going to be local and centered around the area where the tattoo was. As I mentioned earlier, skin damage through burns is the most common side effect which eventually leaves a scar and it is caused due to the use of low quality laser and high intensity energy.  

What are the post removal care, that one should do?
After the process of fragmentation, the skin becomes very sensitive. Thus, long term exposure to the Sun can cause sun burns. The skin also becomes very dry after the process,thus it is recommended to use moisturizers at given intervals. 

Dr.Laila Tanbe Lama is a dermatologist and cosmetologist at Skin Arts Aesthetics.