Skip to main content

10 Things To Know For A Fast And Effective Laser Tattoo Removal

By September 5, 2017May 2nd, 2022Tattoo Education

Now after having spoken a lot about why not to try and remove your unwanted ink at home, we must add that a successful tattoo removal will involve you throughout the whole process, just in a slightly different way than the DIY removal techniques suggest.

As a matter of fact, YOU and the Indy Skin Renew’s Quanta Q Plus C Laser will be close allies in this journey of winning your skin back.

What is your role in de-inking and how do you take this big step in your life correctly? Here are 10 essential things to know:

GET INFORMED ABOUT THE PROCESS.

  • You’ll find many headlines when going through websites that scream a full tattoo removal before you even notice the process has started. But how does it actually work? Well we’ve said a lot about it in our blog (take a peek at our article WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR TATTOO, YOUR BODY, AND YOUR TATTOO REMOVAL – Indy Skin Renew), but in a nutshell – it’s the job of our bodies to protect us from foreign objects, and when you get a new tattoo, which involves different-sized particles of ink pigments being deposited beneath the top layer of your skin with each prick of the needle, your body immediately tries to get rid of it. It sends white blood cells to attack the ink particles and carry them out of your system, but most of these particles are too big, which is why the tattoo is able to stay on your skin. Still, the white blood cells do their best, carrying off the smallest of the ink particles and gathering around the larger ones. Over an extended period of time, the ink pigments will slightly fade and break down into smaller and smaller particles beneath the skin, and the white blood cells will carry those particles to the liver to be processed and removed from the body. When you head to the clinic to undergo laser tattoo removal, this whole process is sped up remarkably by the laser, which breaks up the pigment particles at lightning speed. The way the laser breaks the particles is permanent – meaning that you shouldn’t be afraid that the particles will somehow “reattach” to the skin. Once they’re efficiently broken down into tiny bits, they’re off and gone for good.

KNOW WHAT AFFECTS THE SUCCESS OF THE REMOVAL PROCESS

  • Those among you who have their unwanted ink in some hidden place on their body and can easily cover it up are probably wondering – is laser what I really need, since this process of tattoo removal is “simply” speeding up what will happen over time on its own, right?  Wrong! The huge ink particles might be slightly digested by your lymphatic system, thus making the ink fade, but not disappear – no matter how much you rub it with scrubs, salt, sugar, sand, “magic” bleaching creams or whatever else your online sources swear will work. No sun exposure or cosmetic treatment will do the work the way laser does – which is why it matters so much what type of machine your technician uses. Not all tattoos are the same – they respond differently to laser treatments. We spoke more about this in the section “Are some tattoos more difficult to remove than others?” in our previous blog post THINKING ABOUT UN-INKING. So do keep in mind that the colors of your tattoo, its position on your body, its size, the density of the ink and whether it was done by a professional or by an amateur artist will affect not only how many treatments you might require but how successful the process is going to be.

SET YOUR EXPECTATIONS

  • Exactly because this process is affected by many factors, you need to be prepared to make compromises to a certain extent. Think of a scenario where even after many treatments, which means you invested over a year to un-inking yourself, your tattoo still hasn’t disappeared to the extent you imagined – and you realize you can’t continue the process any longer, regardless of the reason behind (financial, or health, or something big has changed in your life – i.e. you’re moving abroad). What are your options? Would you accept things as they are and be happy that most of your old ink is gone? Or would you consider a cover-up tattoo? Remember – cover ups aren’t always black skulls or dragons with highly dense ink that would cover every inch of your old tat – they can be camouflage tattoos, in the shade that resembles the color of your skin – and are placed in order to make your old ink as invisible as possible. Think of not only what the perfect outcome of tattoo removal would be for you – but also what other options would be acceptable.

KNOW ABOUT POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS OF TATTOO REMOVAL PROCESS

  • The laser tattoo removal procedure carries a certain risk of side effects. By this, we refer to the risk of hypopigmentation, where the treated skin becomes paler than surrounding skin, or hyperpigmentation, where the treated skin gets darker. These side effects can be minimized or avoided by keeping the treated area protected from the sun, UV lamps and self-tanning creams. The biggest risks are infections or scarring, which is why you need to make sure to put your skin in the hands of professionals. Members of the tattoo removal team at Indy Skin Renew are certified technicians and more importantly – experienced in this field. This takes us to the next rule, which is:

CHOOSE YOUR TATTOO CLINIC WISELY

  • The popularity of tattoos matched with the high prevalence of “tattoo regret” has caused millions of patients to seek tattoo removal. All major cities have tattoo removal clinics, and browsing the Internet for reviews can be a lengthy process. So what will you look for first? Price? Distance from your home? Or are people whom you’ll be entrusting your skin to real pros in the industry? Laser tattoo removal practitioners charge a premium for their time, but just like cheap treatments put doubt in the effectiveness of the procedure, what costs more is not necessarily always the best. Indy Skin Renew is now offering package pricing for treatments because our experience tells us that this time of the year is the best to start the un-inking. During the fall and winter, your skin will not be exposed to the sun’s rays so much, the treated area will most likely be covered most of the time, and you won’t sweat as much as you do during the summer. All these make the maintenance of the treated area easier. On the other hand, we’re well aware of the burdens your wallet has to carry out during the upcoming festive season – all those back to school expenses, sports for the kids,  Christmas gifts, New Year’s Eve drinks and year-end sales! Still, there’s no need to give up your biggest decision because you think it may be difficult to finance it.

BE AWARE THAT IT MIGHT TAKE A FEW MONTHS BEFORE YOU SEE THE RESULTS

  • If it’s to be done right, it can’t be done overnight. Indy Skin Renew’s technicians will inform you about the whole course of the removal process – during which it’s essential that your skin fully heals between the laser sessions. Depending on how your skin reacts to the laser beams and how fast it heals, it can take from 4 to 8 weeks before you can undergo your next treatment. Although we’re well aware that you’re impatient to get your skin nice and clear from those memories from the past, first things first. And for us that is – your health and success in the final outcome. We can assure you that having a three-waved Q Plus laser IS the fastest way to get rid of multicolored tattoos – as you are having most ink particles, of different size, treated with one single beam.

MAKE SURE TO BE ABLE TO ASK OR SAY ANYTHING THAT CONCERNS YOU

  • What must I do before the treatment? Should I take painkillers? Will you apply some numbing ointment on my skin? I’ve had allergic reactions to some of those in the past! Then how will you numb the pain? Can I go swimming after the treatment? Can I exercise? I’m breastfeeding, can I still undergo tattoo removal?We’ve been asked many questions so rest assured that you should feel free to ask absolutely anything that comes to mind. Your tattoo removal specialist needs to know your medical history and be aware of potential allergic reactions or any kind of issue that might concern you.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER THE TREATMENT

  • We’ve said more about the aftercare treatment in one of our previous blog posts – Tattoo Removal FAQs. What we always like to emphasize is that it is crucial to keep the treated area covered and clean, and do not – DO NOT prick the blisters that appear on the surface of the skin as a natural outcome of laser beams penetrating so deeply into the skin. These are normal and will go away on their own.
  • Taking certain drugs and/or having some medical conditions, or being pregnant or breastfeeding mean you should not undergo laser treatments, so tattoo removal will have to be postponed if you fall into any of these categories.

YOUR INCLUSION IN THE PROCESS IS CRUCIAL

  • It’s not only your decisiveness that will keep you going throughout the year ahead of you, the year you aim to have your skin finally clear of the ghosts of the past. You CAN speed up the tattoo removal process by making your metabolism work harder and digesting the ink residue faster.
  • Being healthier and having a stronger immune system is proven to really aid the fading of the tattoos. Adapting your lifestyle in order to speed up the tattoo removal process requires commitment and dedication, but will lead to amazing results. Some tips to follow for a positive impact on your results are:
    • Drinking lots of water (rinse off those toxins the natural way)
    • Do workouts (get the blood circulating faster)
    • Maintain a balanced diet (raw foods, omega-3 acids, whole grains, nuts… instead of your hot dog or a portion of fries – after a few months you’ll be able to kiss your ink and your love handles goodbye)
    • Eat more lean protein (extra lean protein helps when your skin heal faster following the treatments)
    • Get enough sleep (an enjoyable 8-hour sleep helps our body heal faster)
    • Quit or cut back on cigarettes (smoking causes vasoconstriction, a constriction of your body’s blood vessels, making it difficult for your immune system to pass the fragmented ink particles broken down by the laser)
    • Don’t get new tattoos while doing a removal (getting a new tattoo will trigger your immune system, as it’ll try to remove the new, large foreign ink particles. So being in the middle of a removal plan, your immune system is already working overtime. Getting inked will hinder your body’s ability to expel your unwanted ink through your lymphatic channels.)
    • Rest for 48 hours after each treatment and avoid exercising (allow your body to recover and avoid risk of blisters to pop too soon)
    • Avoid alcohol (just like with cigs, booze will slow down your blood circulation, therefore, it’ll take longer for the ink residue to get to the liver and be digested).

    And last but not the least, make sure throughout this big journey to always

REMEMBER WHAT YOU’RE EARNING

  • Getting there, having your skin back, the way you longed for it for such an extended period of time – isn’t that a pleasant image? Keep in mind, together with all the possibilities your new path will lead you to, whenever you feel like this is taking too long. Believe us, we’ve seen it many times in the faces of our satisfied customers – it’s well worth it!
CONTACT US 317-848-SKIN