We’re having a contest on Facebook-Maine Laser Clinic – the person that posts a picture of a tattoo they regret, and if that tattoo receives the most likes they’ll receive a FREE PicoSure tattoo removal session. Check it out!
Do you have a tattoo you’d like removed, but don’t know where to start? Rest assured you’re not alone. Thousand-and-thousands of people like yourself are regretting their tattoos. What are you options for removal? Luckily, doctors and scientists have spent years researching the best method to effectively remove unwanted tattoos. In this video you’ll see the laser tattoo removal process, as well as learn why tattoos are so hard to remove. Lasers have been used in the tattoo removal process since the early 1960’s. Laser technology has enabled practitioners and customers a variety of options to remove tattoos.
Believe it or not there are many heavy metals used to develop tattoo ink. For instance, mercury is used to make the color red, lead is used for yellow, green and white. Nickel is used for black, and cadmium is used in red, orange, and yellow. Zinc and chromium are used for yellow, white and green. Cobalt for blue, aluminum for green and violet, titanium for white – copper for blue, and green. Additionally, iron is used for brown, red and black. As you can see, there are many toxic ingredients involved in making tattoo ink.
As in any medical procedure there are always risks to consider. As we mentioned before, the heavy metals used in tattoo ink make it a contradiction for treatment to pregnant or breast feeding mothers. The laser that’s used effects various chromophores in the skin – bulk heating can occur resulting in scarring, pigmentation changes and possible infections.
We’re not trying to scare anyone, but it’s best to be informed beforehand. Enjoy the video and make sure to call our office with any questions or to setup a free consultation!
Removing a tattoo requires dedication, time and due diligence on the clients part. There are limited options for tattoo removal. Here at Maine Laser Clinic we support and promote laser tattoo removal. The procedure is relatively fast and simple to perform, however. The body requires time to achieve the most important aspect of the process and that’s to flush the ink out of the dermis and slowly fade.
How is this done? The lymphatic system does most of the work. There are tiny macrophages that digest the broken ink particles and dispose of them naturally. How does the laser break up the ink? The light-energy (laser) targets the color super-heating the ink until it shatters. This all happens in milliseconds and even nanoseconds. Think of a glass hitting the floor, shards fly everywhere. Now imagine someone bending down and taking a hammer to the remaining pieces – you are left with thousands upon thousands of tiny fragments. The same principle applies to tattoo removal.
The laser shatters the ink and the body disposes of the remaining ink particles. People often wonder if the process is painful. In short, the answer depends on their tolerance to stimulus. The “pain” associated with laser tattoo removal stems from the byproduct of “heat” – causing collateral warming that influences nerve endings. For example, when a young child puts their hand close to a hot stove sensors send signals to the brain alerting the child to react, consequently pulling away and hopefully avoiding severe burning.
There are ways to manage discomfort by cooling the area with local anesthesia, or topical creams and even cooling machines like the Cryo by Zimmer. We’ve found the most effective method (without injecting patients) is to ice the area prior to treatment. It’s simple and it works.
People often reference buying creams to remove their tattoos. Caveat emptor! There are products on the market that use misleading marketing tactics. The only true way to remove a tattoo is excision or the use of a laser. If you’re like most people, having a large scar from excision is worse than the actual tattoo. Do your research. Know what to expect and ask others who have had similar procedures.
People have to be ready to answer one question, “how bad do I want this tattoo removed?” If you conclude you need it gone, then we highly recommend laser tattoo removal.
Before answering that question it’s important to note the different methods used to remove unwanted hair. It’s also important to note there’s only one true way to “remove” unwanted hair. Electrolysis is the only proven method to permanently remove unwanted hair. However, there are many factors that hinder the efficacy of electrolysis such as, hormonal change, childbirth and genetics. In addition, it’s important to make the distinction between, permanent hair removal, and permanent hair reduction. Most methods offered today through various marketing channels promote permanent hair reduction. Those methods include: Laser hair removal, Intense pulsed light, and Diode epilation.
Before we go any further, we have to provide you with more background into the field of hair removal. When lasers were initially introduced for dermatology and aesthetic applications in the 90’s it was one device for each application. Unfortunately, most of those devices had serious limitations. For example, the GentleLase Alexandrite laser was a good technology for hair removal on white skin and some pigmented lesions, but really nothing else as it is very dangerous on dark and tan skin. The V-Beam laser was also introduced in 90s and is a good classic technology for red facial vessels but produces in many cases severe swelling and can lead to purpura.
The Medlite C6 and Medlite II (introduced approximately in the 2002 -2005 range) are diode lasers for hair removal that work well on white skin but are very painful. The Cutera Cool Glide (released in 2003) is the classic long pulsed Nd:YAG for hair removal (painful), vascular applications and photorejuvenation treatments. As new technology was developed, practitioners were buying different devices one-by-one to round out their service offerings and some have ended up owning multiple laser/IPL/RF devices.
Maine Laser Clinic uses the LightPod Neo which is the best technology on the market for pain-free high efficacy hair removal, that also allows the treatment of dark and tan skin including PFB, facial vessels and rosacea. The technology also provides a pain-free experience for photorejuvenation with skin tightening, and the treatment of nail fungus and tattoo removal. In fact the technology employed by Maine Laser Clinic also works really well treating most non-ablative applications or at least as good as any other competing technology on the market.
Laser hair removal is a complicated market, but in short form choosing a method that is virtually painless, cost efficient and produces results should factor in your decision when shopping for a reputable hair removal provider. Maine Laser Clinic lasers are the only high powered, air cooled, fully portable devices that don’t hurt the patient during treatment on the market. Every other device that is similarly powerful (an important distinction) is large, water cooled, painful, expensive and can’t be moved.
Doing your research is definitely important but you need to make sure you are speaking with people who are knowledgeable and have a base line to compare to. We recently read on a competitors website that someone in the Southern Maine area uses the E-Matrix for hair removal, which is surprising as E-Matrix it is not a laser but a Radio Frequency Device for skin improvement so there is a mismatch on the science between technology and application and the manufacturer does not list hair removal as an application on the product page making it even more skeptical. We are not saying it’s impossible, but highly suspect.
The best way to learn and differentiate the lasers is to speak to practitioners that are successful and have used a variety of technologies (which we will happily connect you to), see the device your self in person and have someone with some kind of technical insight to provide guidance (a friend, a colleague, or an advisor).
We hope you found this information useful in your quest to rid yourself of unwanted hair. We are always willing and able to speak at length about hair removal and look forward to your inquiries.
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Proper aftercare is necessary to prevent infection, skin texture change, or other unwanted side effects. When you visit us at Maine Laser Clinic, we will give you aftercare instructions to take home after your treatment. Tattoo removal is a relatively simple outpatient procedure, but we take care to inform you of the important steps you can take to achieve a great result.
The laser tattoo removal treatment creates a superficial skin wound. Some patients may experience bruising or swelling. There is immediate whitening of the treated area, which usually lasts for several minutes. Many clients then develop blisters, crusts, or scabs within 8 to 72 hours, which may last for 1 to 2 weeks or more. The treated areas may be pink or pale after the scab separates. Scarring, which can be hypertrophic or even keloid, can occur but is exceptionally rare. Reduced or excess skin pigment in the treated area can occur, and is temporary except in very rare cases. Healing is usually complete within 4 weeks, although this may vary.
