Over time, people change. What they once thought they would like forever, like a butterfly tattoo on their lower back, becomes undesirable. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with the consequences of a regrettable decision forever. With laser tattoo removal at Dundee Dermatology in West Dundee, IL, you can use laser therapy to remove unwanted tattoos if you are in the Elgin, South Elgin, Huntley, or Carpentersville area.
Can Laser Tattoo Removal Get Rid of Any Tattoo?
Yes, laser tattoo removal can be used to get rid of any tattoo. However, you should understand that you can’t come in for just one therapy session and leave happy with your results. Depending on your goals, you can expect with a fair amount of confidence that you will need between five and 10 treatment sessions to achieve satisfactory results. Note, this only applies to your case if your goal is to eliminate an unwanted tattoo completely.
If your goal is to fade an unwanted tattoo, you may be able to achieve your desired goal with only two to four laser therapy sessions. On the flip side, closer to 11 or 12 therapy sessions may be required depending on the size, color, age, location, and quality of your unwanted tattoo. The more durable the pigments you are, the more treatment sessions you will need to achieve your desired goals. Also, you will need more treatment sessions if your unwanted tattoo is newer.
How Frequently Can I Get Laser Treatments?
It is not uncommon for treatment sessions to be scheduled 60 days apart. However, if you are anxious to turn the page to the next chapter in your life, you can schedule your sessions six weeks apart. There are a couple of reasons why you want to wait several weeks between treatment sessions. One reason is that your skin needs time to eliminate the pigments destroyed by the heat emitted by the laser light.
How Soon Will I See My Results?
The speed at which you will see your results depends primarily on how many sessions you will need and how far apart they’re scheduled. If you need two sessions to fade an unwanted tattoo, you’ll be able to see your ideal results in fewer than six months.
How Long Does a Laser Therapy Session Take?
Laser tattoo removal sessions can be completed in as few as 10 to 15 minutes if you only have a small tattoo that you want to remove. On the other hand, if you have a large unwanted tattoo, you shouldn’t be surprised if each session takes between 20 and 60 minutes, especially if the tattoo has lots of colors. While laser therapy can destroy any pigment effectively, it takes a while to calibrate the wavelength of the laser to destroy a given pigment effectively.
How Should I Prepare for My Treatment Session?
The first step you must take before scheduling your laser therapy session is coming in for an initial evaluation. We need to verify that you are healthy enough for laser therapy before we can advise you on whether you are a good candidate for this treatment. If we determine that you are healthy enough for laser therapy, we will give you a complete list of preparation instructions.
One of the most important things you need to do to prepare for laser therapy is to minimize sun exposure for four weeks in advance of your treatment session. Regardless of where your unwanted tattoo is, make sure that you apply sunscreen to the area diligently. As an added precaution, spend as little time as possible in direct sunlight between the hours of 10 o’clock in the morning to 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
What Other Preparation Steps Should I Take?
Another important preparation step to take is to ensure you are hydrated at the time of your therapy session. The heat emitted by the laser light will penetrate your skin. As the pigments in the tattoo ink absorb the light, they become so energized that they shatter. However, after that, your body’s waste removal system has to recognize, process, and eliminate the destroyed foreign substances. The more hydrated you are, the faster this will occur.
Additionally, your body will eliminate the destroyed pigments faster if you are well-nourished. Therefore, you should make sure you eat nutritiously in the weeks leading up to your therapy session. It is a good idea to calculate the nutrition of the meals you plan to eat to make sure you’re getting your RDA of minerals and vitamins every day. Also, it’s a good idea to minimize your consumption of processed products, to increase your system’s efficiency.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
Yes, laser tattoo removal can be used to get rid of any tattoo. It’s just a matter of how many sessions you’ll need and how long those sessions will take. To find out if this treatment is right for you, contact us today at Dundee Dermatology in West Dundee, IL if you are in the Algonquin, Geneva, St Charles, or Lake in the Hills area. We can’t wait to meet you and help you craft a treatment plan that will be comfortable, convenient, safe, and effective for you.