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tattoo removal

The Changing Face of Tattoo Removal

According to a random study done by Harris Interactive of over 2,300 hundred Americans, over 16% of the U.S. population has a tattoo. Of the 16% of the population that do have a tattoo, over 30% regret having gotten one. For years, tattoo removal was pretty much an impossibility, and in the past few years, things were not much better, with a person requiring invasive surgery that was extremely painful.

But that’s all changing with the use of lasers for tattoo removal. The laser produces a short burst of energy/intense light that can pass through the skins top layer without causing any harm. It is then absorbed by the pigments in the tattoo which in turn causes the pigments to split into much smaller particles that are then removed by the body’s immune system.

While this technique is less painful then invasive surgery, do not expect it to be pain free. People describe the laser that’s used in tattoo removal to the feeling of having hot oil drops hitting the skin or having your skin pinched/snapped in a tough manner.

The easiest tattoo color to remove is black as black pigment can absorb all laser wavelengths, whereas colors like red and green will need to be treated with special lasers depending on the pigment color.

The laser removal process is typically done over a few sessions as it’s nearly impossible to remove all of a tattoo in one session. The actual laser removal only takes a few minutes, however you will need to wait approximately three weeks before you can continue with your laser removal session.

Something to think about before getting a tattoo is the fact that tattoo removal can be a costly and lengthy process, so make sure that that body art is something you want for your lifetime or at least for a long time.