Non-ablative treatment with laser or intense pulsing light (IPL) can remove a tattoo by targeting the pigmentation (colour) in the tattoo, leaving the surrounding skin unaffected.
About tattoo Removal with Non-Ablative Laser/IPL
A tattoo consists of ink particles that have settled in the skin.
With laser or intense pulsing light (IPL) it is possible to target the inc particles specifically and destroy them by making them dissolve whereafter they are removed by the body's immune system.
The deeper the ink is layered in the skin, the harder it is to remove.
This way of removing tattoos requires several treatments with gaps in between. For every new treatment, the laser light can reach deeper into the skin and remove more of the pigmentation from the tattoo.
The benefit of this way of removing tattoos, in comparison to methods where all of the upper layer of skin is removed, is that it is much more gentle, seeing as it only affects the actual pigmentation from the tattoo, leaving the rest of the skin intact.
Generally on non-Ablative Skin Laser and IPL
Non ablative laser, IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and RF (Radio Frequency/Radio Waves) make use of special filters to decide which part of the tissue that is to absorb the heat energy from the light and thereby disintegrate.
There are several different laser, IPL and RF machines available in the many different clinics out there. The manufacturers each claim that their equipment is the best, and each clinic will typically prefer a particular machine.
Here is a list of some of the different non-ablative lasers, IPL, and RF machines in use today:
- Ellipse (IPL)
- PowerLite (IPL)
- Harmony (IPL)
- Elos (IPL & RF)
- Accent (RF)
- CoolGlide (Laser)
- LightSheer (Laser)
- Diodelaser (Laser)
- Fraxel (Laser)
- Pixel (Laser)
Suitability
Having fair skin is an advantage, and sunbathing should be avoided before the treatment. The lighter the skin, the easier it will be for the laser light to differ between the tattoo's ink, and the skin's own pigmentation.
The treatment is most effective for dark tattoos, because these are more receptive to the laser light.
Fit and healthy people over the age of 18 are suited for treatment with laser, IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), and RF (Radio Frequency).
The procedure
Prior to the treatment, the treatment provider should gather information on allergies that the patient might have, the patient's use of medicine, former skin problems or infections, sun exposure, and tendency of forming hypertrophic scars or keloids.
In some cases, a cooling gel is applied onto the area to be treated.
Anaesthesia
The treatment is most often performed without the use of anaesthetics, and done on an outpatient basis. In some cases, a locally sedative gel can be applied onto the area to be treated.
The treatment can cause anywhere from mild tickling to moderate pain, depending on the area and type of tissue that is treated.
Side-effects
After the treatment, the skin might go red and break out. This will quickly fade, though.
After the treatment the patient will be left feeling sunburnt. This will usually go away after an hour or so. Some may experience itching.
In some cases, the skin will be reddish or bronze coloured 5-7 days after the treatment. Minimal swellings might occur, but these will wear off within 2-3 days.
Risk of complications
Possible complications with the non-ablative laser and IPL treatment are long lasting reddening of the skin, wound formation, swelling, blistering, pigmentation changes with dark, light, or white colouring of the skin, infection with bacteria, virus or fungus, and scar tissue formation.
Complications after treatments with these non ablative lasers and IPL/RF are very rare, though.
Healing and recovery
After the treatment, the patient will be able to return to normal activities. It is strongly advised to avoid direct sunlight during the first 2-3 days after the treatment.
Duration of the result
Once a tattoo has been removed, it will never appear again. The result is therefore permanent.