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Tattoo Removal
Board Certified Dermatologist, Debra Jaliman,
MD has been successfully removing tattoos at her Manhattan, New York City
office for many years. There are several methods of tattoo removal which have
proven effective. The degree of remaining color variations or blemishes
depends upon several factors, including size, location, the individual's
ability to heal, how the tattoo was applied and how long it has been in
place. For example, a tattoo applied by a more experienced artist may be
easier to remove since the pigment was evenly injected in the same level of
the skin. New tattoos may also be more difficult to remove than old ones.
Today, lasers (Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation)
have become the standard treatment for tattoo removal because they offer a
bloodless, low risk, effective alternative with minimal side effects. Each
procedure is done on an outpatient basis in a single or series of visits.
Patients may or may not require topical or local anesthesia.
As early as the 1960s, lasers had been developed for industrial uses. When
researchers developed lasers that emitted wavelengths of light in short
flashes called pulses, medical use became viable. These lasers can
effectively remove tattoos with a low risk of scarring, according to the
American Academy of Dermatology . The type of laser used to remove a tattoo
depends on the tattoo's pigment colors. (Yellow and green are the hardest
colors to remove; blue and black are the easiest.)The three lasers developed
specifically for use in tattoo removal use a technique known as Q-switching,
which refers to the laser's short, high-energy pulses:
- the Q-switched Ruby,
- the Q-switched Alexandrite,
- the Q-switched Nd: YAG, the newest system in this class of lasers and
particularly advanced in the removal of red, blue and black inks
Lasers work by producing short pulses of intense light that pass harmlessly
through the top layers of the skin to be selectively absorbed by the tattoo
pigment. This laser energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into
smaller particles that are then removed by the body's immune system.
Researchers have determined which wavelengths of light to use and how to
deliver the laser's output to best remove tattoo ink. (If you're wondering
if the laser might also remove normal skin pigment, don't worry. The laser
selectively targets the pigment of the tattoo without damaging the
surrounding skin.)
Feel free to make a consultation with Board Certified Dermatologist, Debra
Jaliman, MD at her Manhattan, New York office to discuss removal of your
tattoo. |
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