Views: 1 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2023-05-05 Origin: Site
As society continues to evolve, the negative stigma surrounding tattoos has diminished and more and more people are suffering from the complex and fascinating world of tattooing. But people change over time, and what used to be a proud tattoo may slowly turn into a regret. Fortunately, today's laser technology makes tattoo removal possible. But how does laser tattoo removal work?
In this article, we take an in-depth look at how lasers can shatter your tattoo and return your skin to its natural, ink-free state.
How do tattoos work?
A tattoo is done by piercing the skin with a needle and inserting ink particles into the dermis of the skin. Tattoo needles are different from ordinary hollow point needles. Instead, they consist of a set of multiple needles and use capillary action to hold the ink between these needles before it is transported and deposited into your skin. But why do tattoos stay on? Why can't our immune system recognize and remove foreign ink? In fact, our immune system and white blood cells do try to remove these ink particles! Unfortunately, most ink particles are too large for our white blood cells to remove. They can only remove smaller particles at best.
However, that doesn't mean they stop trying. Our bodies continue to recognize tattoo ink as a foreign invader and will continue to try to remove it. This is why tattoos fade over time. But either way, large ink particles simply cannot be removed by the body alone.
This is where laser tattoo removal comes in.
How does laser tattoo removal work?
Typical ink particles are too large to the point that our white blood cells cannot remove them. The laser is absorbed by the ink particles with short duration and high dose of energy and heat, breaking these large ink particles into smaller particles. This allows our white blood cells to do their job and clear them through the lymphatic system.
How long does it take to completely remove a tattoo with laser?
Laser tattoo removal usually involves multiple sessions over a long period of time. Most laser devices are capable of completely removing a tattoo in 8 to 10 different removal sessions. These sessions last 2 or 3 years. However, its effectiveness depends largely on several different factors. These include:
1）Tattoo Size and Color
The larger the tattoo, the longer it will take to completely remove it. Also, brightly colored, brightly colored tattoos also take longer to remove than black and white tattoos.
2）Color
The lasers used in laser tattoo removal work by directly targeting the different colors of the ink. This means that if there is more contrast between your skin and the tattoo, the laser will be able to recognize it better. The lighter the skin tone, the easier the tattoo will be to remove. People with darker skin tones will take slightly longer to treat.
3）Tattoo location
The location of the tattoo plays an important role in how quickly laser tattoo removal can be removed. Since the removal process relies on the lymphatic system, areas of the body with high numbers of lymphocytes and good blood flow will be removed more quickly. These include areas close to the heart, such as the chest, shoulders, neck, and upper arms. Conversely, areas such as the lower legs and hands will take longer to completely remove.
4）Healthy
The overall health of your body and immune system will undoubtedly affect how quickly the laser removes unwanted ink. Avoiding anything of the sort like excessive drinking or smoking will put your body in the state it needs to carry ink particles in and out of your body.
The most common type of laser used in tattoo removal. Q-switching is a technique that uses a laser to generate a pulsed output beam in the nanosecond range. The resulting light pulses penetrate the layers of the skin, where they reach the ink pigments and break them down. There are different classes of q-switched lasers that are more effective at breaking down certain pigment and ink colors than others. These include Q-switched ND:YAG lasers, Q-switched Alexandrite lasers.
Picosecond lasers are a relatively new laser technology that emit short, rapid bursts of light energy on the order of trillionths of a second. They are very effective at removing almost all kinds of colors and inks.