Laser Tattoo Removal
The laser method is currently the most successful and best method of tattoo removal, as it does not leave any scars.
During tattooing, dye is injected into the layers of the skin with a needle. However, when a person's aesthetic attitudes change, when fashion changes, when the appearance of the tattoo itself changes due to skin stretching during pregnancy, weight gain or ageing, or if the person wishes to remove tattooed names or the tattooing was done under pressure (e.g. in military or police schools), then the person might wish to have the tattoo removed.
Until recently, the removal of tattoos was done surgically - the affected part of the skin was cut out or a skin layer was removed with a Thiersch knife - which left visible scars in both cases. In addition, it was simply not possible to surgically remove a large tattoo. However, such interventions are presently out of date.
When removing tattoos with a laser, it is important to use a special laser with an extremely short laser pulse duration. This pulse of light breaks down the pigment which absorbs the energy produced by the laser beam. Every pigment has a certain range of wavelengths that it absorbs. During the procedure, high temperature is used that melts the pigment but does not damage the surrounding tissue.
HOW IS TATTOO REMOVAL DONE IN OUR CLINIC?
After the area to be treated has been disinfected, the unwanted pigment (tattoo) is first treated with an Er: Yag fraction laser, which damages the surface of the skin at points. This step is a preparation for the actual step of tattoo removal. In the next phase we treat the tattooed area with a Q SWITCH laser and thus act on the pigment. The type of laser instrument we use depends on the colour we want to remove. Since this treatment gives off a lot of heat while the laser is in operation, we also use a special device that blows cold air over the treated area. In such a way, the procedure does not become uncomfortable.
It is not advisable to treat fresh tattoos, one should wait at least 6 to 12 months.
RECOMMENDATIONS AFTER THE LASER TREATMENT
After removing the tattoo, the treated area should be creamed with Bepanthen and protected with a bandage. This process should be repeated several times a day for the next 2 to 3 days.
It is also advisable to protect the treated area from the sun for a month after treatment.
REPETITION OF TREATMENT
Depending on the type of tattoo and the colours used, 2 to 10 treatments are usually required, repeated at intervals of at least one month until the tattoo is completely removed.
ADVANTAGES OF THIS METHOD
In contrast to the methods previously used to remove tattoos by cutting out the skin on the affected area or by removing the skin layer with the Thiersch knife, the laser treatment leaves no scars, is painless and minimally invasive. When the Er: Yag and Q SWITCH are combined in tattoo removal, a significantly lower number of treatments are required to completely remove the tattoo. Our experience with the combination of these two lasers is excellent and we have achieved good results with them.
In the Maletić Polyclinic, we have been using various types of lasers from the Slovenian manufacturer Fotona since 2008. They were proven effective and successful in aesthetic medicine. Thanks to long-standing experience and our own research, we can determine an individual approach for each patient that will produce the best results given the specific features of each presented case.
Before and after examples:
