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What is Tattoo?
A tattoo is formed by injecting tiny pigment granules into the skin, each of which is smaller than a human cell. While our immune system's white blood cells typically remove foreign substances and cellular debris from the body, tattoo granules are too large to be cleared out, so they stay in the skin permanently. Only specialized lasers can break down the pigment and gradually fade the tattoo.
Types of Tattoo
Professional -
Professional tattoos come in various sizes, designs, and, most notably, colors. They tend to have a more intense concentration of color and multiple layers, which makes them significantly harder to remove compared to less complex tattoos.
Amateur -
Amateur tattoos typically use black carbon ink and are found in the more superficial layers of the skin. They usually feature simple outlines and tend to fade more easily, as they contain less pigment. Examples of amateur tattoos include traditional designs like Pacific Islander tattoos and Asian ‘Sak Yang’ tattoos.
How to Remove Tattoo?
Q Switched Lasers
Introduced in the early 90s, Q-Switched lasers are used for scarless tattoo removal by emitting short pulses of light that break down ink particles into fine dust. This allows the body to remove the particles through the lymphatic system. The laser's wavelength is chosen based on the tattoo ink color. While Q-Switched lasers can effectively remove tattoos, multiple sessions are often needed. Lightly inked tattoos may require fewer than 5 treatments, but professional tattoos can take longer; a study found that even after 15 sessions, only 75% of tattoos were completely removed.
Pico Lasers
Green and blue inks have traditionally been more difficult to remove but advances in laser technology, specifically lasers that produce picosecond pulses, have accelerated the removal process. Typically, multiple treatment sessions are required, with intervals of 6 to 8 weeks between them. Heavily-inked professional tattoos may need over 15 treatments to be completely removed.
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