Tattoo Regret – What Is Possible With Laser Tattoo Removal We all have our wild younger years. These can take a variety of forms, but for a lot of young adults, it is increasingly the case of getting a tattoo only to regret it in later life. Reasons for getting a tattoo vary across all sections of society – some people get them to mark a special occasion, some people get them for personal reasons, maybe to prove a commitment to their partner and others just get a piece of skin-art because they love a particular design. Similarly, the reasons for getting a tattoo removed are equally varied – some people get them removed because the original piece was done by a mobile or amateur tattooist and the work is shoddy, while others have the need to get them removed for personal or career reasons.
To give a recent example, Victoria Beckham has been in the news lately due to speculation that she is currently undergoing laser tattoo removal to get rid of some of her more revealing and prominent tattoos. According to an article in Heat, a few of the tattoos she got on her wrist in her younger years appear much lighter than before. The reason for her undergoing the process of laser tattoo removal is rumoured to be because of concerns that her tattoos could damage her status and reputation as a businesswoman and impede her growing influence in the fashion and design world.
She’s not the first celebrity to undergo the process of tattoo removal either. In the early 90s, Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder were the original Hollywood ‘it’ couple, with Depp inking ‘Winona Forever’ on his arm in tribute to the actress. Nothing lasts forever though, not their love nor Depp’s tattoo, as he proceeded to get laser treatment to change the phrase to ‘Wino Forever’. They’re not the only unlucky-in-love Hollywood couple to have gone through the process of devotion-tattoos only to regret it years later – during Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton’s tumultuous marriage in the early 2000s, the former wild child actress had Thornton’s name etched on her bicep along with a dragon to mark her devotion. Following their divorce in 2003, she proceeded to have the tattoo removed before replacing the area with coordinates of her six children’s birthplaces.
The thing each of these examples of celebrity tattoo removal has in common is that they solely dealt with tattoos that used black ink, and when it comes to the process of removing ink this is the easiest for the laser to deal with. Using an Nd: YAG laser, the process for removal is relatively simple –over the course of treatment the laser is focussed on the tattoo and pulses of laser energy bombard the ink. This causes it to disintegrate and your immune system then attacks and gets rid of the ink through your waste. Black ink responds best of all to the laser process, followed by dark blue and red ink, whereas ink colours on the opposite side of the spectrum such as white, yellow, and green ink don’t respond to the frequencies the Nd: YAG operates on. Depending on the size, colours, and age of the tattoo it can take any number of sessions to achieve your desired end result, be that fading for a cover-up or removed as much as possible. Despite that, you can notice a dramatic lightening of the tattoo after the first treatment.
Before the treatment can start, you’ll need to have a consultation. This allows us to assess your suitability for the treatment as well as discuss your expectations from the process. From there we will go ahead and carry out a ‘test patch’ on your skin – this involves a quick blast of the laser on each example of ink colour on the tattoo and allows us to see how your skin will respond to treatment. The laser treatment can produce an immediate whitening and raised appearance to the surface of the tattoo but this change usually lasts no more than a few minutes before it disappears. Once the whitening disappears, it is not unusual for the area to swell and appear inflamed. This may last for several hours and can be minimised if the area is treated with an ice pack or cooling pad.
With tattoo removal, it is important to have realistic expectations. The ink won’t miraculously disappear overnight and the process will likely take several sessions, anywhere between six and twelve treatments in some cases depending on the size, quality and colours of the tattoo. Check out some reviews from our satisfied customers for a better idea of what we can offer.
Semi-permanent makeup removal on the eyebrows is yet another type of ‘tattoo’ and therefore also carried out safely and effectively using the same technology.
