Ask Us Anything
Before we start your treatment we will answer any questions that you may have but here are some of the most commonly asked questions and answers
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT WHEN I COME IN FOR THE TREATMENTS?
Each session should take about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the tattoo. You will be asked to wear protective eyewear and the area to be treated will be gently cleaned beforehand. The skin will be cooled throughout the treatment and a cooling gel is applied to the area immediately afterwards.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT ON THE INITIAL VISIT/CONSULTATION?
Three easy steps:
∙ The doctor will explain the science involved in the tattoo removal process
∙ Your “Kirby- Desai“ score will be calculated together with you so that we give you an estimate of the number of treatments you will need
∙ A very brief medical history will be taken to ensure that the treatments are safe and appropriate for you
HOW MANY TREATMENTS DO I NEED?
This depends on 8 factors
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Your skin type
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How old the tattoo is
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How dense the tattoo is
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Where on your body the tattoo is
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Layering – did you have a “cover-up”
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How many colors
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Is there any scarring
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What medications you take, if any
On your initial free consultation, all of these will be assessed and you will be given an estimate of the number of sessions it will take to remove your tattoo.
We will do this together using the well-established “Kirby-Desai” score.
DOES THE LASER CLEAR THE TATTOO RIGHT AWAY?
No.
Remember, tattoos are meant to be permanent when they are put on – so they are not quickly or easily removed. In addition, the laser is used to fragment the ink, but it is your immune system which removes the ink particles and this is naturally a slow and gradual process.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE A TREATMENT SESSION?
We recommend about 4 to 8 weeks between laser sessions in order to allow your immune system to clear away the ink particles which have been fragmented during your previous session.
What Is Kirby-Desai Scale for Tattoo Removal?
The 8 factors listed above will be evaluated for each individual client and a number score will be awarded for each factor. The sum of all the factors will be determined. The number of sessions required will be the sum (number) +/- 3.
SKIN TYPE:
Darker skin contains more of the pigment melanin. This skin type is more likely to absorb laser energy and so create more heat, potentially increasing the risk of a burn. So, for the same tattoo on a dark-skinned person (Type V, VI) a much lower energy has to be used at each session. This typically results in a slightly higher number of treatments to remove or fade the tattoo. Conversely, a higher level of laser energy may be used for lighter skin color because lighter skin does not contain as much of the pigment, melanin.
LOCATION:
A tattoo on the hands or feet gets a score of 5, while a tattoo in the head/neck area gets a score of 1. This means that tattoos located on the extremities typically require more sessions to be removed as compared to tattoos located in the head/neck area. A more detailed explanation will be given during your initial consultation with the doctor.
INK DENSITY:
Each laser treatment will breakdown a specified amount of ink, which will then be cleared away from the tattoo site during the period between treatment sessions. The more ink in the tattoo, the darker it will look and the more sessions it will take to be removed or faded.
Areas that are lightly shaded will have less ink and so will likely fade sooner. Typically, you may not see any visible clearing until after the fourth treatment session because only a microscopic amount of ink is being cleared after each session.
If your tattoo has multiple layers of ink – due to touch-ups or cover-ups – then there is a greater amount of ink in the tattoo, so it will take longer to fade or be removed.
SCARRING:
Scar tissue is much denser than normal skin tissue, it has less efficient immune function and much less efficient lymphatic flow. You may have scar tissue in the tattoo area due to a reaction to the ink when the tattoo was first done or due to injury in the tattoo area.
Scar tissue prevents the laser from easily penetrating through the skin and reaching the ink granules in the deeper layers of the skin. Therefore, the presence of scar tissue is likely to increase the number of sessions it will take to remove or fade your tattoo.