Tattoos are becoming increasingly popular, but for many reasons, more and more people are requesting tattoo removal. Tattoo removal technique has improved and modified, and today there are several options to choose from should you decide to permanently remove unwanted body art.
Laser is commonly used to remove unwanted tattoos and can have unpredictable results depending on the colour of the ink and the depth of the pigment in the skin. The appearance of tattoos is reduced by sending pulses of highly concentrated light into the ink. Most tattoos will require several treatments to see fading and visual improvement. Some patients encounter a problem of blistering and scabbing, which can unfortunately lead to scarring. Laser removal usually takes more than one session.
Surgery can be performed to permanently remove tattoos although this will also leave scars in the area of the tattoo. Smaller tattoos can be permanently removed in one sitting, usually under local anaesthetic as a ‘walk in, walk out’ procedure. Larger tattoos may require several operations or a skin graft to be completely removed.
