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Tattoo removal presents a
difficult scenario to the treating
physician. Tattoos may be accidental, caused
by dirt or foreign material being driven
into a wound, or they may be purposely
applied in either an amateur or professional
setting by using a varied number of inks and
techniques. Successful removal of the latter
type of tattoo is dependent upon its cause,
size, method of placement, and type of
pigment. Very small tattoos that seldom
"show" are often best treated by simple
excision and closure. A scar will result,
but the scar is often less objectionable
than the tattoo itself. Historically,
physicians have treated larger,
multicolored, purposely applied tattoos in
two ways:
Dermabrasion--sanding the skin down below
the level of the tattoo ink
Carbon dioxide laser vaporization of the
entire tattooed area
In most patients, these treatments result in
objectionable scars. Today, we remove
tattoos with a type of laser known as a
Q-switched YAG laser. This laser fires a
very intense beam of light, either invisible
or green colored, into the tattoo in a very
rapid burst. This heats the pigment within
the tattoo and triggers its eruption from
the skin. The laser color is chosen
dependent upon the color of the ink--certain
colors, like fluorescent yellow, are
extremely difficult to remove. The procedure
time varies from 15 to 45 minutes, depending
on the tattoo size and the area treated.
Topical anesthesia is occasionally used
depending on tattoo location, size and the
patient's tolerance for the brief burning
discomfort associated with each laser burst.
Oral or intramuscular sedation can be used
at the patient's request. Following
treatment, the wound may ooze small amounts
of blood for several hours. The wound must
be covered with a dressing for 24 hours and
maintained in a moist environment for seven
to 10 days. The risks of scarring with this
treatment are quite low. However, complete
eradication of the tattoo is quite rare.
Although multiple treatments are usually
required to obtain successive lightening of
the tattoo, final results are dependent upon
the depth of the tattoo pigment within the
skin. On rare occasions, certain uncommon
tattoo inks react with the laser to form a
darker-colored chemical which is
untreatable. While some small amounts of
pigment may remain, the average patient is
quite happy with the improvement obtained.
Although multiple treatments are required,
the risk of the procedure is quite low.
The information on this web site is only
intended as an introduction to this
procedure and should not be used to
determine whether you will have the
procedure performed nor as a guarantee of
the result.
The best method of determining your personal
options is to schedule a personal
consultation with Dr. Makki. He will be able
to answer specific questions related to your
situation.
Please don't hesitate to call for any
questions that you might have
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