How does laser tattoo removal work?

How the Tattoo Removal Works

By: Jessica Meyer

The laser is called Q-Switch. The energy given off by each pulse of the Q-Switched laser targets pigment and heats up the ink (this happens in nanoseconds) and allows it to fragment. Because these fragments are digested by your body’s lymphatic system, healthy patients will have the best results because their bodies’ systems are performing optimally. There are some more specific guidelines and ways to ensure the best results that are important to know before having the tattoo removal procedure done.

My own Tattoo Removal Experience

It was the end of a long weekend in the Wisconsin Dells with my best friends. I was newly 18 and feeling a little rebellious. We all stopped at a tattoo shop and had the man draw up a little Roman numeral “5” (or “V”). This design had been thought out for a few years, so obviously the five of us knew we wanted to honor our friendship with a forever tattoo.

Fast-forward about four years to the present. I’m still great friends with all of them, but not so in love with my “wrist tat”. The tattoo is fondly described as “that dirt on your wrist” by my parents. Needless to say, they couldn’t be happier that I’m starting the tattoo removal process. Thank god for laser technology, because I cannot describe this dumb tattoo to wrist gazers anymore!

The Upside: My tattoo is pretty small, about 1 square inch. It’s also only black so just one laser is required for removal. Whereas multicolored tattoos could potentially require multiple lasers with different colored laser light to target the different colored pigment. (We have the laser that treats all tattoo colors at Derick Dermatology, too!)

The Downside: My tattoo is on my wrist where there is less blood flow because it’s further from the heart. My tattoo was also done professionally four years ago. Because the ink sinks deeper over time, older tattoos are harder to remove.

First Laser Tattoo Removal Treatment

I wasn’t nervous at all leading up to the appointment, but when I sat in the chair I felt a little anxious. As someone who occasionally faints from needles, the lidocaine was the worst part. It wasn’t painful at all, especially after the first little injection, but I’m naturally curious and watched the whole thing of course. The Q-switch laser was not painful at all. The most common comparison is the rubber-band snapping analogy, but it really didn’t even feel as powerful as that. Afterward the color looked kind of like a burnt marshmallow. A little bit of bacitracin, a bandage, and I was off to the gym.

One week after laser treatment- The tattoo is already noticeably faded! It’s just a little bit crusty feeling, and slightly red where the lidocaine was injected. If it works this much every time, hopefully I won’t need that many treatments!