Have a tattoo that you hate? Know that you’re not alone, and Dr. Vivian Chin at Koru Wellness Aesthetics can help you with laser tattoo removal!
What is the best method for removing a tattoo?
Dr. Chin uses laser treatments to remove or lighten the tattoo. This method has become the standard treatment for tattoo removal because it offers a minimally invasive, low risk, effective alternative with minimal side effects. Dr. Chin uses a Q-switched laser to remove tattoos.
What can you expect during the treatments?
When you are ready to get the treatment done, Dr. Chin will have you cool the area of the tattoo to minimize pain and subsequent complications. For your comfort, topical anesthetics and/or oral pain medication may be prescribed and applied before the procedure, upon patient request and discussion. The laser treatment is fairly quick, depending on the size and detail of the tattoo.
Following the treatment, your skin will be mildly red and can possibly result in pin point bleeding or blistering. You may also notice a temporary whitening of the tattoo, itchiness, flaking and swelling of the skin. Recovery from these symptoms may take up to a few days or weeks, but is usually noticed within a few hours. We generally recommend wearing a protective gauze patch over the treated area for the first few weeks if the area is in contact with clothing.
Over the next few weeks, you should begin to notice lightening of the tattoo about two weeks after the treatment. Depending on the tattoo, however, it may take a few sessions before the fading becomes apparent. Dr. Chin will discuss all pre- and post- treatment care details with you at your consultation.
How many treatments are needed for tattoo removal to show results?
Laser tattoo removal is the most effect technology around to remove tattoos. This is because of its safe nature; the results are seen gradually and only take full effect after a few sessions. The exact number of treatments a patient may require depends on several factors.
- An inexperienced tattoo artist may be heavy handed with his/her tattoo gun and place the ink deeper than it needs to be, which will make the tattoo harder to remove.
- There are also several new kinds of ink on the market now which are meant to be bright, and have chemicals or metals that make them very stable and therefore harder to break down.
- Two tattoos that have the same color on the outside may be made with different inks and will behave differently during the removal sessions.
Mixtures of colors can sometimes be hard to remove, as well as cover-ups, which have twice the amount of ink. India ink is the easiest ink to remove.
- Other factors that affect how many treatments you will need to have are the age of the tattoo and the size.
During your consultation, Dr. Chin can give you a better estimate after looking at the tattoo, though the exact number of sessions needed per individual will become apparent only after treatments commence.
Treatments are spaced about 8-12 weeks apart. This is required to allow the pigment residue to be absorbed by the body.
If you are interested in complete tattoo removal, or partial tattoo removal to prepare for a cover-up tattoo, contact Dr. Vivian Chin at Koru Wellness Aesthetics to see if you are a candidate. Call 212-396-3672 today.
