Body Art, particularly the art of tattooing, is a worldwide practice with a history going back at least 5,000 years. Tattoos consist of dyes that are injected into the deeper layers of the skin and are usually graded as amateur, professional, traumatic or cosmetic. Recently, tattooing has surged in popularity. In fact, various studies show that 16% of all adults in the United States have at least one tattoo, and for those aged 25 to 29 years, it jumps to 36%, and for those 30-39, it jumps to 28%. However, with the increased prevalence of tattoos, we have seen a matching increase in the number of individuals looking for body art (tattoo) removal.
Tattoos are treated with a Q-switched laser, which produces an extremely short laser pulse that is absorbed by the tattoo only, causing the dye to break down while causing minimal damage to surrounding tissue. The body's immune system removes the resulting by-products as part of the healing process.
Different colored tattoo dyes respond to different colored lasers. Red, blue and black tattoos are easier to remove than green ones. More than one treatment may be required to give adequate cosmetic results. Treatment is usually done under local anesthesia and only requires a few minutes per session. Amateur tattoos are easily removed and often only require 1-2 sessions, while many multicolored tattoos require 12 or more sessions placed 1 month apart.
For more information about this topic, or to schedule an appointment at SMAC, please call 561.886.0970 or contact us today by clicking HERE .
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