Laser Tattoo Removal Houston, Sugar Land, Missouri City. While getting a tattoo can be fun, exhilarating, and a very personal way to express yourself, maybe you’re thinking it’s now time to remove a tattoo.
Why Remove a Tattoo?
There are many reasons why you might want to remove a tattoo. You may start to feel like your ink work is holding you back in your career goals, or represents something or someone you no longer appreciate, or doesn’t meet your refined skin art standards. Maybe it was an impulse decision you now regret, or perhaps you simply want to “wipe the slate clean” to make room for some new art.
Various Ways to Remove a Tattoo
Over time, numerous methods have been developed to remove a tattoo, each with their own benefits and drawbacks:
- Nd:YAG and Ruby Laser Technologies are considered by experts to be the best methods to remove a tattoo with minimal residual effects like scarring or discoloration, and only minor to modest discomfort.
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPR) therapy, a precursor to laser removal technology, can be used to remove a tattoo but can cause superficial damage to the skin like blistering, blotching, and even bleeding. And yes, there’s a significant amount of pain involved.
- Derma abrasion, or “sanding” your skin until the tattoo disappears, which can cause permanent discoloration, doesn’t always remove a tattoo entirely, and yes, it hurts.
- Surgical excision, which cuts away the tattooed area and then sews the skin together, often leaves unsightly scars.
- Fade creams have been touted as a cheap way to remove a tattoo over time; however, many of these creams contain hydroquinone, considered a carcinogenic (banned in Europe!), and the process can take up to a year to achieve satisfactory results.
Why Laser Technology Works Best When You Want to Remove a Tattoo
- Nd:YAG and Ruby Laser technologies use intense microbursts of light to penetrate to the third skin layer where tattoo ink permeates. Wavelengths in the Nd:YAG spectrum are ideal for removing red, orange, yellow, purple, brown, and black pigments (black is the easiest to remove because it absorbs the widest range of wavelengths). Ruby Lasers are more effective for eliminating greens and blues.
- No scarring and minimal discoloration; the specific laser wavelengths affect only the ink pigment of the tattoo and not the surrounding skin; the laser effectively breaks down the pigment into fragments which your body’s own immune system carries away naturally.
- Minimal pain! Most patients who receive the laser treatment report minimal to modest discomfort when they remove a tattoo and compare it to a warm sensation on their skin; like a small rubber band snapping against them; or at worst, like being splattered at the stove with hot grease. And most clients say it’s less painful than getting the tattoo in the first place.
- Quick visits–sessions usually last only a few minutes, although the number of scheduled sessions can vary depending on the size and color density of the tattoo. Treatments are typically scheduled 3-4 weeks apart and large tattoos can require up to 10 separate sessions.
- Costs are competitive! Once considered pricey compared to other methods used to remove a tattoo, laser treatment is becoming much more popular and as treatment centers proliferate, prices and fees are coming down.
What to look for when you decide to remove a tattoo:
When searching for a reputable center to remove a tattoo, here’s what you should expect to find:
- Licensed, trained, and experienced practitioners
- Operated or managed by a Board-Certified Dermatologist
- A friendly, relaxed atmosphere
- Clean, sanitary equipment.
