Are Tattoo Removal Lasers Safe?

Tattoo removal lasers might be the greatest invention in the tat industry since the tribal sun tattoo. But how exactly do they work? And are they safe? Here we dispel some myths and provide the latest information about this groundbreaking yet oft misunderstood technology.

Before tattoo removal lasers came around getting rid of a tat was an arduous and extremely painful process. Tattoo removal customers had such pleasant options as excision, which used a scalpel to remove the tattooed skin, or dermabrasion, which ‘sanded’ down the skin that portrayed the tattoo image.

But when W.H. Reid patented the first tattoo removal laser, technically known as a Q-Switched Laser, all of this changed. Suddenly tattoo removal patients could get their skull and flames tattoo removed without going under the knife—they just had to go under the laser.

Laser tattoo removal works by blasting the tat with pulses of light until the ink is broken up into small molecules that can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. Though it sounds a bit intense for the skin it is actually much safer than other tattoo removal methods. There’s little risk of infection and the results with the use of a tattoo removal laser are usually quite satisfactory.

But there are side effects with laser tattoo removal—even if they are much milder than with other methods. There is a 5% chance of permanent scarring, much less than with excision or dermabrasion, and there is also a chance of hyperpigmentaion which is an abundance of color.

For the most part using tattoo removal lasers will leave you with a slight feeling of being sunburnt, and nothing more. Often the biggest side effect is the impact the procedure can have on one’s wallet. But when it comes to safety, comfort, and overall effectiveness there is no better choice than laser tattoo removal.