Tattoo Removal
Tattoos are easily applied but not so easily removed. Carbon dioxide and argon lasers have been used in the past to remove tattoos, but unfortunately they often leave scars.
Tattoo removal by surgery leaves a scar or requires a skin graft, which is often cosmetically unacceptable.
The Medlite Q-switched neodynium YAG laser offers a proven laser technique for reducing tattoo ink with minimal risk of scarring. The laser uses the body’s own defence mechanisms to make the tattoo pigment fade away.
The technique
Tattoos are made up of clumps of pigment scattered through the lower layer of skin.
The body is unable to remove large clumps of pigment, and so simply seals them off with a protective fibrous wall to isolate them from surrounding tissue. The laser works by breaking up the fibrous wall and dispersing the pigment into smaller fragments. The body’s natural defence mechanisms can then take over to remove these smaller particles gradually over a number of weeks. This procedure needs to be repeated several times to achieve fading of the tattoo.
The laser does not burn or cut the skin surface. There is no lasting damage to the skin, and consequently, little or no scarring. However, on occasions, the normal skin colour in the treated area may lighten or darken, and this may persist for several months.
Planning the treatment
An initial consultation is required to assess the tattoo(s), explain the treatment, give an estimate of the actual cost and length of treatment, and discuss other treatment options if they appear more appropriate. Other treatment options could include simple excision, excision and skin grafting and excision following tissue expansion.The exact number of sessions required to remove a tattoo with the laser depends on such factors as the type of tattoo and colours involved.
The length of each session depends on the size (area) and number of tattoos being treated.
The treatment
The laser nurse traces over the tattoo with the laser. This may cause minor discomfort, usually no worse than the original tattooing. If you wish, you may have a local anaesthetic injection or topical cream to reduce the discomfort. Small tattoos take less than half an hour while large ones may take an hour per session.
Immediately after treatment a “whitening” above the pigment may be noticeable and the tattoo appears less dark. The whitening disappears slowly over a few hours and the pigment colour begins to reappear. This is a normal reaction. The skin in the area of treatment will become inflamed and swollen as part of the treatment reaction, and this appearance will slowly settle over a few days.
At least eight weeks is allowed between treatment sessions to let your body remove as much pigment as possible. Over the course of several treatments the tattoo will fade. Scarring is a rare consequence of laser tattoo removal.
Amateur tattoos generally require 6-8 treatment sessions (at 8 week intervals) while professionally applied tattoos, which have more pigment, usually require 8-12 treatment sessions (at 8 week intervals). Some tattoos which are extremely dense, with a lot of tattoo pigment, may require many treatments with the laser and alternative techniques to avoid high costs may be preferred. Green tattoo ink is difficult to treat and may remain visible even after many treatment sessions.
The doctor will advise you which laser will be used for your treatment depending on the colours in your tattoo.
Approximate Costs
Any consultation or treatment regarding tattoos is NOT claimable from Medicare.
The fee per treatment session depends on the size (area) of the tattoo.
An Initial consultation with our specialist laser nurse costs $50.00
For example:
A tattoo measuring about 3 x 3cm or its equivalent area • would cost approximately $120 per session.
A tattoo measuring 10 x 4cm or its equivalent area would • cost approximately $290 per session.
These examples are given as a guide only as the exact cost per session will depend upon the pigment and the size of the tattoo.
The final cost also depends on the number of treatment sessions undergone.
We require the cost of the initial consultation to be paid at the appointment.
We require payment of treatment on the day of the treatment and confirmation by phone one week prior to the appointment.
We require 48 hours notice for cancellation of appointments. Failing this, a fee of $40.00 may be charged
Other Laser Treatments include