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Tattoo regret? How to choose a removal service
By Katie Lee, The University of Queensland, Claire Coulstock, Victoria University, Samantha Reeve, Victoria University
About one in four people regret at least one of their tattoos. Almost half of those go on to have their unwanted tattoo removed or camouflaged with a new one.
So it’s no wonder people are searching for laser tattoo removal services.
Here’s what to consider when choosing the best clinic and what to expect when you get there.
Why are tattoos permanent?
You can still see tattoos on the 5,300-year-old ice mummy Ötzi. That’s because tattoo artists use needles to deposit ink in the dermis, the layer of skin under the outer layer (or epidermis).
When this happens, the body recognises ink particles as “foreign”. So immune cells in the dermis, such as macrophages, take them up.
But the particles are too large for these specialised cells to break down and remove via the lymphatic system. Instead, the particles remain “locked” permanently in macrophages in the dermis.
How do lasers remove tattoos?
To remove a tattoo, a laser device delivers high-intensity laser pulses to the ink. These incredibly short pulses are delivered in a billionth or trillionth of a second (nanosecond or picosecond pulses), confining the laser energy to the tiny ink particles, minimising damage to the surrounding skin.
Once the ink particles absorb the laser energy, a thermal reaction takes place, increasing the particles’ internal pressure and causing them to expand, then fragment.
The macrophages can now remove these smaller particles via the lymphatic system. That’s when your tattoo starts to fade.
Can all inks be removed?
Most inks can be removed, but several factors affect the result.
Colours
Each colour absorbs a different wavelength of light, so each colour requires a specific laser to be removed effectively. This may require using several different machines over the course of the treatment.
Some colours are much more challenging to remove than others. For instance, black ink is much easier to remove than yellow, which is easier to remove than white.
Read Full Story https://theconversation.com/tattoo-regret-how-to-choose-a-removal-service-222595