In order to understand how laser tattoo removal works, it’s important to first understand why tattoo ink stays in the body after the tattoo artist has finished injecting the ink.

When you have a tattoo, the particles of ink that are injected into the skin are too large for the body to break down and destroy, so instead it encapsulates and suspends the particles of ink within a complex network of collagen fibres. These particles of ink will remain permanently visible, although will usually start to fade over time.

Laser tattoo removal is most commonly performed using a Q-switched Neodymium: Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser, that breaks down the ink particles of the tattoo into minute pieces. The small particles of ink are then easily absorbed and flushed away by the body; replicating the natural fading that time or sun exposure would often create. All tattoo colours have specific light absorption spectra. The laser used for tattoo removal must be capable of emitting adequate energy within the given absorption spectrum of the pigment to provide a fully effective treatment. Certain tattoo pigments (colours), such as yellows, greens and fluorescent inks are far more difficult to treat than darker colours, such as blacks and blues; they have absorption spectra that fall beyond or on the edge of the emission spectra available in the tattoo removal laser.

Modern pastel coloured inks contain particularly high concentrations of titanium dioxide which is highly reflective. The result being that these type of inks are far more difficult to remove since they effectively reflect a significant amount of the incident light energy back out of the skin. As a general rule: the darker the tattoo, the more effective the treatment.

Modern pastel coloured inks contain particularly high concentrations of titanium dioxide which is highly reflective. The result being that these type of inks are far more difficult to remove since they effectively reflect a significant amount of the incident light energy back out of the skin. As a general rule: the darker the tattoo, the more effective the treatment.

The vast majority of experts consider laser treatment the safest and most effective way of removing a tattoo, although it is a lengthy process that will often require multiple repeat visits in order to fully remove the unwanted tattoo. These days, with increased technological advances in laser development, the Q-switched lasers are said by the National Institutes of Health to be a safe and effective method of tattoo removal with scarring or burning of the skin being highly unlikely. Certain areas of the body where the skin is thinner will however be more prone to scarring than thicker-skinned areas, although this is very rare when a modern Q-switched laser is used.

As some people will experience slight discomfort during the process of laser tattoo removal, The Pro Clinics advise the application of a numbing cream at least one hour prior to treatment. This simple precaution will ensure that the process is a far more pleasant experience. The energy density emitted by the laser is determined prior to each treatment by our experienced technicians, as well as the spot size and repetition rate. The power of the laser is gradually increased over each session in order to expedite the removal process.

During the treatment process, the laser beam passes harmlessly through the skin, targeting only the ink that is resting in a liquid state within the body. It can sometimes be possible to see immediate results, however in most cases the fading occurs gradually during the four to six week healing period between treatments.