If you have an unsightly or embarrassing tattoo you'd like to get rid of, you're not alone. A tattoo can hurt your chances of gaining employment, and many Americans have opted to have their tats zapped.
Pew Research Center found nearly 40% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo, and 76% of employers surveyed feel that tattoos hurt an applicant's chances of being hired during a job interview.
A recent study from the Pew Research Center found nearly 40% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo, and 76% of employers surveyed feel that tattoos hurt an applicant's chances of being hired during a job interview. Another 39% of those surveyed believe employees with tattoos reflect poorly on their employers, and 42% feel visible tattoos are always inappropriate at work. Whatever your reason is for zapping your tat, rest assured that chances are you'll be able to completely remove it with laser tattoo removal.

Laser Tattoo Removal Gives You a New Lease on Life

Compared to more traditional tattoo removal techniques (think chemical peels, excision, and dermabrasion) laser tattoo removal is safe, effective and relatively gentle. Other methods can permanently damage and irritate the skin. They're also largely ineffective because they can't penetrate the skin's deeper layers. Only laser technology can safely remove even the most stubborn tattoo pigments, regardless of whether you have an amateur or a professional tattoo. Amateur tattoos can go either way - they can either be really easy or more difficult to treat. Typically, amateur tattoos have less ink deposited at varying depths. Therefore they usually require fewer treatments than professional tattoos. Exceptions occur when the ink is deep under the skin or there's scarring present. Because each tattoo is unique, removal techniques must be tailored to suit each individual case. Factors that influence the number of sessions you'll need include:

Skin Type

Medium or fair skin and dark tattoos usually respond best to treatment. Why? Because the laser can selectively target ink. Darker skin tones may be more likely to experience hypopigmentation or keloid scarring. Don't despair if you have darker skin, though. Laser tattoo removal is still possible for people with darker skin tones, but your physician must use lasers with specific wavelengths to minimize potential complications.

Location

Fading is generally slower for tattoos located farther down the leg or the arm. These tattoos often require more laser treatment sessions and may demonstrate slower healing in-between sessions. Tattoos located on the back are easier to treat. As a rule of thumb, tattoos located closer to the heart are easiest to treat because they have good circulation and fast healing rates.

Ink Color

No single laser can remove all tattoo colors. Different inks respond to different wavelengths. Black and dark green inks are the easiest to remove. Yellow, purple, turquoise and fluorescent inks are hardest. However, newer laser technologies, such as the PicoSure (Q-switch) laser, can obliterate even the most stubborn tattoo colors through photomechanical energy. Lasers like the PicoSure "explode" the pigment without affecting the surrounding tissue. This is because the explosion gently fragments the ink, enabling tattoos to fade--and you to heal--faster.

Tattoo Layering

If laser removal uncovers skin changes, you may be left with what looks like a "ghost" of your old tattoo. This is especially true for people who chose to tattoo over an undesirable tattoo. If you have one tattoo on top of an older one, extra laser treatments will probably be needed, and no results are guaranteed because there is likely to be a large amount of ink (ink from the new cover-up tattoo, plus ink from the old tattoo).

The Tattoo's Age

Older tattoos generally fade more easily with laser treatments than newer ones. For instance, a black tattoo that is ten years old may take one or two treatments less than a one-year-old black tattoo. Why? Because the body has already absorbed some of the tattoo's pigment throughout the years, making it easier to fade. Individuals with previously treated tattoos may also be candidates for laser tattoo removal. Tattoos that have not been effectively removed by other treatments or through home remedies may respond well to laser therapy providing the prior treatments did not result in excessive scarring.

Zapping Tats Like Magic

The science behind laser tattoo removal is nothing short of magic. Laser tattoo removal works by targeting pigment colors in the skin's dermis, the layer of skin between the epidermis and subcutaneous tissues. Light beams radiated by the laser are absorbed by tattoo pigments, which then fragment. The body then absorbs and eliminates the pigment fragments. The Q-switch is the most common type of laser used in tattoo removal. It produces pulses of light boasting an extremely high peak power. Several types of Q-switch lasers exist, and each one targets a different color spectrum at different wavelengths. Because Q-switch lasers are so precise and intense, tattoo pigments fragment instantly, resulting in minimal damage to the surrounding tissue.

Be Prepared for Your First Time

Before a laser tattoo removal session, your physician will determine which type of laser to use and how many treatments you'll need. The number of required treatments is based on the tattoo's age, size, type, and pigment depth. Before determining an appropriate treatment plan, your physician will first test out the laser on your skin to see how it reacts. So what happens during a laser tattoo removal treatment? Before the session starts a medical professional will apply an anesthetic cream, and you'll be given protective eye gear to wear, along with a cooling device. The medical professional will then gently place a handpiece against your skin and deliver laser pulses to the tattoo pigment. With each laser pulse, most people experience a sensation similar to a rubber band snapping against their skin. The amount of laser pulses depends on the tattoo's size, but most treatment sessions only last a few minutes. You may experience minor bleeding, redness, swelling and blistering for several hours or days following treatment. The next several weeks may see the treated area flaking, peeling and scabbing. Handle the treatment site gently. While the site is healing, you should avoid sun exposure and public swimming pools. Once the skin has completely healed (usually four to six weeks after treatment), you can undergo additional sessions.

Got a Bad Tat? Then You Need LaserAway

There's no other choice, really. Laser tattoo removal is the only safe and effective method to remove unwanted tattoos. After a series of successful laser treatments, most tattoos are pretty much gone. Keep in mind, however, that how fast your tattoo disappears depends on its color pigments, depth, and age. But even stubborn cases aren't hopeless. Though colors such as yellow, green, or light blue are more difficult to remove, they can certainly be faded. The same goes for ink that rests deep within the dermis. So what are you waiting for? Schedule your free, no-obligation laser tattoo removal consultation at LaserAway by emailing LaserAway.com or calling the staff at LaserAway at (888) 965-2737.