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What kind of tattoos can be removed with laser?
As a mater of fact, all kinds of tattoos, so called “professional tattoos”, amateur- tattoos and cosmetic tattoos (“permanent make-up”) as well as dirty tattoos can be usually successfully and with little risk removed with laser in the course of several sessions.
Which laser systems are suitable for removal of tattoos?
It is possible to remove colour pigments from the skin with the help of different laser systems. We use a frequency doubled 532 nm Neodym YAG Laser, a 1064 nm q-switched- Neodym-YAG-Laser as well as rubin laser. Which laser device is best suitable in any individual case, depends on the colour of the tattoo that must be removed. For example, red tattoo dyestuffs can be very well removed with the help of a 532-nm-YAG laser but not with the rubin-laser. Green tattoo dyestuffs for example do not react to the light of the 532-nm-Neodym-YAG-Laser. This way it may be necessary to apply many various laser systems for removal of small tattoos.
Advantages of laser tattoo removal
Almost all present common tattoo dyestuffs can be removed with a small scarring risk with laser systems that we use for this purpose. The pain caused by laser treatment is little or tolerable (compared to small hot grease guns). Local anaesthesia is not necessary.
Possible side effects
Laser-tattoo-removals result in small bleedings on the surface on the skin that dry up and become encrusted (compared to tattoo procedure). These small blood crusts fall off two weeks later by themselves. Aftercare with a disinfecting ointment is performed to avoid a bacterial infection. After falling off a surface crust, the skin remains reddened for several weeks. In the end of the treatment, the treated spots must be protected from sunshine (light protection creme with sun protection factor 25 until 60 for 2 to 6 weeks).
Possible risks/complications
Almost each laser treatment method comprises a risk of an undesired hyperpigmentation (darkening) of the treated skin area. This complication is temporary. After a certain period, this darkening disappears itself or due to applying special cremes. To prevent hyperpigmentation, application of a light protection creme (light protection factor 25 to 65) is required.
After removing a tattoo with the help of a laser, a remaining brightening of the treated area can develop. Usually patients do not mind this mostly almost invisible brightening. There is a small scarring risk, especially in the case when blood crusts are removed by force, or when there is an infection of the treated spot (which happens very rarely). The risk of an infection of the treated spot is minimised by avoiding dirty work or applying anti-bacterial ointments.
When is a laser treatment not suitable?
Some tattoos dyestuffs sometimes react to laser treatment with colour change (from red to green or brown) instead of brightening. It is often the case when removing permanent make up.
By request, a test treatment of a small area can be carried out in advance. People with dark skin (for example South Americans/black persons) are not suitable for certain laser treatments.
Treatment procedure
Removing tattoos in one session is possible only in the case of very shallow amateur tattoos. The number of necessary treatment sessions depend on applied laser system, tattoo colour and dyestuff quantity, which has penetrated into the skin. For an amateur tattoo (no matter which size of the surface area) to disappear or brighten up to 95 % 1 to 10 laser sessions are required when applying our laser systems. In the case of professional tattoos or tattoos, that mainly consist of colours that are difficult to remove, and that are engraved very deeply 4 to 12 sessions are needed. Between individual sessions, that should take place with the interval of 6 weeks, dyestuff molecules that have been crushed by the laser beam are metabolised and removed. That means that in the course of several weeks after the treatment the tattoo colour continuously disappears. The laser treatment of tattoos usually does not require a special skin preparation. In the most cases, the treatment can be carried out right after the decision has been made. This treatment is painless or the pain is tolerable (compared to small burning stinges) and no local anesthesia is required. The treatment time varies depending on the extent/ expansion of spots to be treated between 5 and 60 minutes. After the treatment, there is an eschar formation on the skin surface. Until this crustificion falls off after about two weeks, a disinfecting ointment must be applied to prevent infection (which is a rare case anyway). After crusts have fallen off, parts of disappearing tattoo are visible; the treated areas are still reddened. A consistent protection from the sun after the treatment is important, in order to avoid a temporary discolouration.
Costs
Publicly funded health insurance companies do not reimburse the treatment costs, since this treatment is usually medically cosmetic, and not medically required. If you have to undergo the treatment because of an accident, an accident insurance can reimburse you the costs where appropriate. The cost depends on the size, complexity factor, and colour intensity of the tattoos that must be removed.
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