What to Consider If You Want to Remove Your Tattoos

Tattoo removal is easier than ever — especially if you choose the right physician. Dr. Robert Topham at Holladay Dermatology & Aesthetics is an experienced dermatologist, which means he deeply understands your skin and its needs. When he performs tattoo removal for our patients, he uses the most advanced technology to ensure the most efficient and safe process.

Here’s a look at how enlighten™ laser tattoo removal works and what you should consider before scheduling an appointment. 

What’s in a tattoo?

When you got your tattoo, the artist injected special inks under the surface of your skin. The ink didn’t dye your skin tissue; rather, it embedded itself. 

At first, your body identified the ink particles as foreign objects that needed to be destroyed, but the special ink formulation enabled the particles to remain large — too large for your immune system to tackle.

Eventually, your immune system gave up and simply encased the ink particles. That’s how the ink remains for years and stays visible on the outside surface. The only way to remove the tattoo is to break the large particles into smaller pieces that your immune system can flush away.

The benefits of enlighten laser tattoo removal

Until recently, nanosecond Q-switched Nd:YAG laser technology was the best way to remove tattoos. But enlighten laser tattoo removal involves more powerful technologies. 

Picosecond lasers like enlighten can pulverize tattoo ink faster and more completely than older technologies. It also uses three wavelengths that Dr. Topham can adjust on the fly to ensure he reaches the precise depth and speed required to obliterate your tattoo ink. 

And as a dermatologist, Dr. Topham holds your skin health as his utmost concern, which is another reason he uses the enlighten laser — it preserves your healthy skin tissue. 

What to consider before tattoo removal

Before you got your tattoo, you thought about the design, location, colors, and the artist. The considerations are similar when you want to remove it.

How big is the design?

The bigger your tattoo, the longer it will take to remove it. Before you commit to tattoo removal, make sure you’re willing to undergo the process, as it will likely take several sessions to remove it completely.

Where is the tattoo?

Some areas of your body are more sensitive than others. If getting a tattoo on your face or near your private parts caused you some discomfort, chances are it will feel just as uncomfortable when you have it removed.

What colors are in your tattoo?

In general, black and dark green tattoo inks respond well to laser removal methods, but brighter colors — turquoise, purple, pink, yellow, and orange — are more stubborn. That means your tattoo removal sessions may be longer, and you may need more of them.

However, if you come to Holladay Dermatology & Aesthetics, you get the advantage of picosecond technology that works better than other methods in removing those brighter colors.

Who will remove your tattoo?

If you chose an experienced professional tattoo artist, your tattoo is likely high quality and more difficult to remove. Amateur artists produce lower-quality work, but their tattoos are easier to remove.

When you want to remove a tattoo, you need to consider the “artist” again. An amateur may not have the right tools to ensure proper technique and the preservation of your healthy skin. Dr. Topham is not a boutique technician; he’s an experienced physician who specializes in skin care. 

Once he examines your tattoo and determines its age, size, color, and location, he lets you know how many sessions you can anticipate during removal. Take a look at this handy chart for a better idea of what to expect. 

To learn more about tattoo removal, call our office in Salt Lake City, Utah, to schedule a consultation with Dr. Topham.