Tattoos have become part of American mainstream culture over the past couple of decades. Some estimate that more than 10 million Americans have at least one tattoo, and there are about 4,000 tattoo studios now in business in the United States (Read about the history of tattoos in How Tattoos Work). One busy physician who specializes in tattoo removal -- he's removed tattoos from some of the most famous tattoo artists -- estimates that about 50 percent of those who get tattoos later regret them. For years, these people had little recourse, and existing removal techniques were invasive (requiring surgery) and painful. But that's changing.

Laser treatment is now the standard method of TATTOO REMOVAL, involving laser lights being applied in matching colours to the tattoo inks. Lasers remove tattoos by emitting short pulses of intense light that are selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment. Each tattoo pigment, such as black, blue, red, green, and others, absorbs a specific

wavelength of light.  This laser light energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into tiny particles which are then removed by the body's own immune system. Years of research have figured out which wavelengths of laser light are the safest and most effective to best remove unwanted tattoo ink. The laser light selectively targets the pigment of the tattoo while at the same time not causing damage to the surrounding skin.

Whether your tattoo is professional, amateur (homemade), traumatic, or surgical, laser technology has advanced enough to treat all kinds of tattoos. Older techniques for tattoo removal such as dermabrasion, saltabrasion and Argon or CO2 lasers are less effective and often leave behind scars in place of the tattoo.
A typical scenario for the removal of a professional tattoo is a cycle of 6-8 treatments, while an amateur tattoo may require 4-5 treatments, all spaced approximately 6-8 weeks apart. The number of treatments depends on the amount and type of ink used, and the depth of the ink in the skin.

TATTOO REMOVAL BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS: