Here's what really happens when you remove a tattoo with lasers

The removal of laser tattoos may seem better than getting inked, but it is really a very complex procedure that should not be relied on as a casual solution to a permanent problem.

It is the metals in the ink that offer permanence to tattoos, although certain inks have been known to induce allergic reactions such as eczema or severe scarring.

The skin identifies these particles as alien intruders from the moment a needle deposits ink directly into the flesh, dispatching legions of white blood cells to surround them. Small ink particles are then escorted by the white blood cells to the liver where they are extracted and excreted.

However, many of the fragments of pigment are far bigger than white blood cells, which is why new tattoos will fade over time, but will not vanish entirely spontaneously.

And over time, most are still too large for the white blood cells to latch onto and remove from the skin while the white blood cells chew away at the ink particles. That would be like a person "taking a bite out of an elephant." a white blood cell seeking to engulf an ink molecule.

How does it work for laser removal?

Laser removal is considered by most specialists to be the most efficient and cost-effective way to remove tattoos.

With the use of a Q-switched laser, most tattoos are hidden. In one strong wave, it pushes energy out. The ink in the skin is heated by this pulse of energy to melt it.

To erase a tattoo, one needs to undergo a series of laser treatments for several weeks or longer.

Sometimes, lasers don't erase a tattoo entirely. They lighten it or fade it instead because it's even less visible.

The white blood cells will consume them for transport to the liver until the lasers tear the ink particles apart into bite-sized chunks.

This process, called photothermolysis, is also used in laser hair removal.

This may seem pretty straightforward now, but the delicate tattoo removal procedure sometimes requires many therapy rounds and may leave scarring. Darker pigments are eliminated more quickly, although the lasers are less sensitive to lighter and more reflective inks.

It's pretty unpleasant as well, often more so than having a tattoo in the first place. The lasers heat the pieces of ink to thousands of degrees, but it occurs so easily and precisely guided into the ink that the tissue is not burnt by the laser - the energy collapses into a shockwave instead.

The shockwave vibrates across the skin and causes the upper layer of skin to rise and become white, or to "frost." This reaction typically lasts just a few seconds, while painful.

Who needs to get laser removal?

• It is more difficult to eliminate tattoos of several shades. To be successful, they might need treatment with different lasers and wavelengths.
• For conventional laser removal, the better candidates are those with lighter skin. This is how the hue of darker skin can be improved by laser therapy.
• If one has darker skin, the Q-switched Nd: YAG laser treatment is the best laser choice. The hue with darker skin is the least likely to change.
• With laser therapy, older tattoos tend to disappear most of the time. It is more difficult to erase newer tattoos.

One can suffer side effects, but the treatment is normally effective

Tattoo reduction will be a perfect way to get rid of regretful body art with the influx of cutting-edge lasers. As long as it is done by a board-certified dermatologist who is highly qualified in tattoo removal, experts find the treatment effective.

Hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, over-or underproduction of melanin as a result of the treatment and scar-forming are the major complications of tattoo removal procedures.

"Different skin types may impact the final outcome, but fewer adverse effects are seen with the new technology,"

The attractiveness of tattoos may be hard to resist for others. But it could be easier to pick carefully to be adamant about what one wants before diving in front of the tattoo artist and think about the procedure of tattoo removal.

Methods for laser tattoo removal differ in cost, effectiveness, and healing time. Knowing choices will help make a tattoo removal decision that is right for the individual and budget.