Starting Over: What You Should Know About Tattoo Removal

You were excited about getting that tattoo at the time, but now that you’ve lived with it, you may be having second thoughts about that tattoo. Fortunately,, you no longer have to spend the rest of your life regretting your ink.

Tattoo removal has improved significantly over the years, with less invasive, more effective options now available. At Holladay Dermatology, we use an advanced laser treatment system called enlighten™ to get rid of your unwanted tattoos. But there are a few things you need to keep in mind when you’re ready to remove that ink.

Tattoo Removal Takes Time

It may have taken the tattoo artist only one night to decorate your skin, but it’s going to take a bit longer to remove the artwork. While treatment time varies, it typically takes three to six treatments with the enlighten laser for us to remove your tattoo.

For best results and to allow your skin to heal between treatments, we recommend scheduling your treatment sessions at eight-week intervals. That means what took one night to get, may take six months or more to remove.

How long it takes to remove your tattoo depends on its::

• Size
• Age
• Color
• Depth of the ink into your skin

But because we use the best tattoo-removing system available, we can remove your tattoo faster than with other types of lasers. The enlighten laser is equipped with high-pulsed energy, spot-size adjustment, and three wavelengths, all of which allow us to adjust the laser to match the size and color of your tattoo, as well as reach ink in the deeper layers of your skin.

While tattoo removal takes time, your tattoo fades a bit after each session.

Color Counts in Tattoo Removal

Did you know that colorful tattoos are harder to remove than dark tattoos? The tattoo-removing lasers use a high-intensity light to break up the pigment under your skin, which your body then removes. Darker colors absorb the light better than lighter colors, so they disappear a lot faster.

But, as we mentioned, the enlighten laser has three wavelengths, which allows us to make adjustments to the intensity of the light to not only effectively and efficiently remove the dark colors, but the lighter colors too.

Removing Ink Is Not Very Painful for Most Patients

Laser tattoo removal may take a little longer than it did for you to get the tattoo, but it’s less painful. Most of our patients report little to no pain during laser treatment. But if you’re more sensitive, we can apply a topical anesthetic to ease any discomfort. After treatment, we recommend ice packs to reduce swelling and any discomfort.

Good Skin Care Habits During and After Tattoo Removal

You need to take good care of your skin following treatment, similar to what you had to do when you first got your tattoo. For the first two days, you apply a topical antibiotic and keep the treated area covered. Then, to protect your skin from sun exposure, apply sunblock or keep your tattoo covered with clothing.

While laser tattoo removal has made remarkable advances in recent years, some pigments may still be too difficult to remove completely.

If you’re ready to start over and get rid of your tattoo, call us or book an appointment online.