While a tattoo can be a work of art and a statement, removing one can be a chore. In the past, it was often a painful chore – but not anymore. Techniques in the 21st century provide for tattoo removal easily and quickly using Spectra lasers.
Is Tattoo Removal Safe?
You might be tempted to ask, “is tattoo removal safe?” The answer is “yes”. Laser tattoo removal, in particular, is much superior to the older methods of mechanical dermabrasion, skin excision, or subcutaneous injections of glycolic acid-based solutions. The older methods were painful, led to significant scarring, and often did not completely remove the tattoo.
Modern tattoo removal techniques, on the other hand, are nearly painless. They are fast, safe, and have little downtime. The lasers themselves are very accurate at targeting just the tattoo without damaging the surrounding tissue. Scarring is generally not an issue with laser tattoo removal, either, unless you are prone to keloid scarring. That is because, besides being extremely precise at directing the laser’s energy, the laser beam does not penetrate deeply enough into the skin to cause scarring.
Side effects from laser tattoo removal are minimal. The more common side effects include blistering, scabbing, swelling, hyperpigmentation, and hypopigmentation. In almost all cases, these side effects will resolve on their own, within a few days to a few weeks. With hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation, it can take longer for the condition to go away.
How Much is it to Get a Tattoo Removed?
The price of tattoo removed is influenced by many different factors, including the age of the tattoo and its wearer, the body part the tattoo is on, what color ink the tattoo has, how dense the tattoo ink is, what method is used to remove the tattoo, and how many treatments are needed.
Other factors include what kind of health professional does the work, with plastic surgeons and dermatologists charging the most, and the experience of the laser technician in question, with five years or more experience adding to the cost. The size of the tattoo, the quality of the ink (the better the quality of the ink, the easier to remove), and the contrast between the tattoo ink and the wearer’s skin can also impact price. How you pay can affect the price, too. Paying the total fee upfront can get the best price. For quality work, you might pay $200 to $500 per session.
Spectra Laser
One of the most effective lasers for tattoo removal is the Spectra laser. It has a high-power output, produces light at four different wavelengths, and can switch between wavelengths and pulse durations without recalibration. The high-power feature is especially useful for treating stubborn tattoos.
Progress in tattoo removal has been marked, and current techniques can easily and completely remove tattoos that would have been difficult or impossible to impact 20 years ago.