Have you been looking at a tattoo you got in the past and thinking you no longer want it? Maybe it brings up a bad memory, or you need to get rid of highly visible tattoos for your career. Your first thought was to have laser tattoo removal, but does it work? Is it dangerous?

How Laser Removal Works

When you get a tattoo, your body is naturally attempting to remove the ink pigment particles constantly, but they are just too large for your immune system to remove them, they can only erode them over time. Laser tattoo removal helps your body by using different wavelengths of ultra-short pulse laser to break down the ink pigment into smaller particles that your white blood cells can handle and deliver them to the liver to remove them from the bloodstream, and ultimately the body.

Success Rate of Laser Removal

Laser tattoo removal has a range of success rates, depending on how many sessions you are willing to pay for, the competency of the laser removal professional, and various other variables. The darker the pigment of the ink, the easier it is for lasers to remove it, but lighter pigments will reflect more of the laser light. Along the same lines, fluorescent ink tattoos are very hard to remove as they may reflect all of the laser energy. Older tattoos are also easier to remove as they have already been slowly eroded over time and have already been partially removed. Generally, laser removal has a high success rate, but with six weeks of recovery time between each session, you may be looking at up to a year to remove a tattoo fully.

Laser Removal Side Effects

Laser tattoo removal also comes with a few side effects, some of which could be permanent. First of all, since you will be subjecting your body to high energy lasers (although in short bursts), you should expect sensitivity of the skin in that area for some time, and bruising and blistering can occur. If you do not properly take care of the area, scarring is also a very real, and more permanent side effect. Hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation can also occur, where the body produces too much or too little melanin in the laser treated area, but this often resolves itself in six to twelve months.

Is Laser Removal Dangerous?

Modern laser tattoo removal is relatively safe, but there are still some risks. If your skin is already naturally sensitive, particularly to light, then laser tattoo removal should likely be avoided to prevent any breakouts. Even though your skin may not have reacted to getting a tattoo, the laser removal process can cause a reaction such as scarring or skin discoloration, with the chances being much higher if you don’t follow proper skin care procedures while healing. The biggest danger with laser tattoo removal comes from where you get the procedure completed. There are spas and parlors all over the country that offer laser tattoo removal, but many of them may not have properly trained staff or medical professionals doing the procedure (New Jersey is the only state that requires a medical physician to operate the laser).

Looking for an All-Natural Alternative to Laser Tattoo Removal?

If you are concerned about the side effects or dangers of laser tattoo removal, consider visiting the Tattoo Vanish website to find someone near you that offers an all-natural and safe alternative.