Tattoo Removal
Having second thoughts about your tattoo?
You're not alone. Thousands of tattoos are placed everyday and hundreds of people have second thoughts about theirtattoos. What once seemed like a good idea now is a problem. Maybe you wish you never got the thing in the first place or you wish it would just go away. Now, using an advanced laser technology, your tattoo can be removed safely without leaving a scar.
How is a tattoo removed?
Dermatologic laser technology is used to significantly lighten or completely remove your tattoo. The ink particles of your tattoo are the target of the laser light. They are essentially blasted into particles tiny enough that your body’s natural cleansing and detoxification system eliminate them from your body. This clearing mechanism takes several weeks. Larger ink particles may require multiple treatments.
The treated area scabs over. After several days, the scab falls off taking the ink with it.
Are the treatments painful?
Many treatments do not require anesthetics. However, Dr. Balshi prefers to use local anesthesia to make his patients feel more comfortable and experience no pain at all during the treatment.
How many treatments will be required?
The number of treatments required for maximum improvement depends on the size, color, depth and location of the tattoo. Treatments are spaced between 4 to 8 weeks apart to allow your body to remove the maximum quantity of tattoo pigment. You will continue to appreciate a fading of your tattoo after each treatment as your body eliminates more pigment. Most patients will see improvement in their tattoos after the first treatment. The change can be quite dramatic. However, large or deeply pigmented tattoos applied by a professional tattoo artist may require multiple treatments for maximum results.
What will my skin look like after treatment?
Immediately after the procedure, the tattoo will have a white discoloration, and the area around the tattoo could have some mild swelling. Following laser treatment, aquaphor ointment and gauze will be applied to the treated area, and left on overnight.
Are there any side effects?
Loss of normal skin color, or a whitening of the skin, may rarely be observed. However this normally corrects itself within 3 months and skin color usually returns to its natural tone. Since the ink used in tattooing is not controlled, some patients may experience only a partial removal even after multiple laser treatments.
Dr. Balshi Dermatologist serving Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Boyton Beach, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, Deerfield Beach & Wellington areas, provides Laser Treatments and Tattoo Removal.
