Tattoo removal, Techniques, Results, Recovery, and Guidelines

Tattoo removal, Techniques, Results, Recovery, and Guidelines

Tattoo removal in Delhi, Tattoo has fascinated mankind from all cultures and fashion of society for centuries. As more tattoos are being acquired, increasing numbers of people are also seeking their removal.

The motivation for tattoo removal includes new jobs or careers and sometimes relationships, the need to portray a certain image at work or in new social circles, and new, negative feelings towards old tattoos.

Types of tattoos:

Tattoos can broadly be divided into many types like:

  • Professional.
  • Amateur.
  • Cosmetic.
  • Traumatic
  • Medical tattoos.

Professional tattoos:

these tattoos are applied with a tattoo machine into the deeper layer of the dermis and are applied to be permanent in nature.

Amateur tattoos:

These are usually smaller, lighter in color and applied more superficially using handheld needles or homemade machines, which render them easier to remove.

Cosmetic tattoos:

These tattoos are often referred to as permanent makeup and are increasingly popular nowadays.

Permanent eyeliners, eyebrows, and lip liners are commonly applied using the process to save time and enhance facial features.

However, the inks used often contain pigments they are red, brown, white, or flesh-colored; inks containing titanium dioxide and iron oxide that are difficult to remove.

Traumatic tattoos:

These are deposited in the skin following abrasion, laceration, or explosive injuries.

Such pressurized penetration of dark particles into the deep dermis gives rise to black or blue tattoos, that depending on the depth of the pigment.

Medical tattoos:

These tattoos have also been used in the field of medicine, from corneal tattooing, radiotherapy field marking, to medical alert tattoos.

Where tattoos etched into the skin replaces medical alert jewelry for the purpose of alerting medical personnel during emergency situations.

Tattoo removal, Techniques, Results, Recovery and Guidelines

 

Laser Tattoo Removal:

Advances in laser and light-based technology have revolutionized for tattoo removal, using various wavelengths to target different colored tattoos with relative ease and fewer complications than before.

Quality-switched:

Lasers have long been the traditional workhorse for the removal of tattoos.

The laser tattoo removal is based on the concept of selective photothermolysis, where laser light of different wavelengths is preferentially absorbed by different chromophores.

If the target chromophore is heated for no longer than its thermal relaxation time i.e. the time required for a target to lose 50% of its heat, selective destruction of these chromophores can be achieved.

In the case of tattoos, the chromophore is exogenously-placed ink, which is found in membrane-bound granules in macrophages, fibroblasts, or mast cells.

Such tattoo pigment is very small and can reach its thermal relaxation time quickly.

Rapid heating with very short pulse durations, in the nanosecond or picosecond range, is therefore required to cause photoacoustic injury and rupture of these pigment-containing cells.

Phagocytosis is subsequently triggered and the tattoo fragments are packaged for lymphatic drainage.

Further scavenged by dermal macrophages, fibroblasts, and mast cells, this is leading to the lightening of the tattoo.

That is how tattoo removal is possible nowadays.

How many sessions:

Multiple laser treatments are usually required to completely remove a tattoo with an average number of 7-10 treatments are often needed.

There is a scale to better help clinicians estimates the number of treatment sessions needed, which can be a useful trick during patient counseling.

In this scale, numerical values are assigned to six parameters that are:

  • Fitzpatrick skin phototype.
  • Location of the tattoo.
  • The color of the tattoo.
  • Amount of ink used in the tattoo.
  • Scarring or tissue change.
  • Ink layering.

That will show the approximate number of treatment sessions needed for successful tattoo removal, plus or minus.

Tattoo removal, Techniques, Results, Recovery and Guidelines

Complications:

Tattoo removal occurred in the higher percentage of participants that include:

Blistering.

Edema.

Crusting,

Erythema,

Pain.

But these side effects are not permanent and can be treated easily.

Patients with darker skin type are at a higher risk of complications. Skin textural changes are not uncommon and follow multiple laser treatments post treatment

Preparations for the Treatment:

There are many things that one should keep in mind before undergoing into the process and that are given below:

The area to be treated should be clean thoroughly and free from any residual cosmetics or skin care products.

Avoid using potentially flammable cleansing agents such as isopropyl alcohol that is not good before the treatment.

Removal of tattoos can be painful sometimes for the patient, for those topical anesthetics are often applied under occlusion for 45-60 minutes.

The anesthetic should be completely removed prior to treatment.

Other methods of reducing discomfort for the patient include the use of cool air during the treatment.

Local infiltration of lidocaine, regional nerve block, or a combination of these modalities.

All medical personnel has to wear wavelength-specific protective goggles during the laser procedure.

The patient must also be provided with protective goggles or external metal eyeshields for the protection of the eyes.

If the area treated is on the eyelid or near the orbit, intraocular metal eye shields should be placed for the patient.

Test spots should also be considered for cosmetic tattoos where paradoxical darkening is likely to be encountered.

Post-treatment concerns:

Patients should be appropriately advised to look after the treated area post-tattoo removal treatment.

Immediately after treatment, patients should expect the treated area to become red and swollen that is normal.

Cold compresses can be used to minimize any discomfort or any slight side effects.

Antibiotic ointment or simple ointment-based emollients can be applied for 10-14 days after the treatment.

Patients should be counseled that blisters and crusting might occur. If large blisters occur, these can be cured with a sterile needle and dressed.

Possible longer-term adverse effects such as scarring, hyper- or hypopigmentation, and color change of tattoo pigment should also be discussed with patients and can be treated afterward.