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What to Expect With Laser Tattoo Removal · Bryan Health Podcasts

• 0:03
  Melanie Cole, MS (Host): Welcome to Bryan Health Podcast.
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  I'm Melanie Cole.
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  And today, we're talking about tattoo removal.
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  Joining me is Courtney Sams.
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  She's a nurse practitioner and a specialist in Aesthetics and Women's
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  Health at Advanced Skin and Body Aesthetics in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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  Courtney, thank you so much for joining us today.
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  So, tell us a little bit about tattoo removal.
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  Is it pretty common that people want that?
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  Tell us about the process.
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  So, what does it involve to remove a tattoo?
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  How does the laser work?
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  Tell us what happens.
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  Courtney Sams: Yes, it's great to be here.
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  Thank you.
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  It actually has become a very popular treatment.
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  We do a lot of treatments every day.
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  A tattoo laser works by targeting the colored pigment
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  particles that are in the skin.
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  Those particles are absorbed by the laser light, and the heat
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  will destroy those particles.
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  Essentially, the laser pulses start by breaking up those
• 1:03
  large particles in the ink.
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  And then over time, those particles become smaller and smaller with each treatment.
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  They're actually eliminated through the skin and internally
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  through our immune system.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: Does it hurt?
• 1:20
  Courtney Sams: That's always the question.
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  Yes, it is not a very comfortable procedure, but we do offer numbing
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  cream to be placed on there thirty minutes before the procedure.
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  And we also use cold air that we blow on the treatment area during the treatment.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: Oh, that's pretty cool.
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  So, how many treatments does someone expect before they really can
• 1:48
  see that it's not there anymore?
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  Courtney Sams: So, that can vary from person to person.
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  There's a lot of things that we have to consider: how long they've had it,
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  where the tattoo is located on the body.
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  The closer to the heart typically responds better than further away.
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  So, having it on the foot or the hand can actually take longer
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  than if it's on the torso.
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  And then, we have to consider all the different colors
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  that are within the tattoo.
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  Black typically responds the best.
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  When we get into like reds and yellows and whites, those can sometimes
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  be a little trickier to treat.
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  We take all that into consideration along with patient's skin type.
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  And then, even if they're in the sun often, those kinds of things.
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  There's lots of different criteria.
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  So on average, we'll say between eight to 12 treatments.
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  Sometimes it's more.
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  It all depends on all of those things and after we start treating it.
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  There'll be times where I will think, "Okay, this one's going to be easier,"
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  but you start to treat the tattoo, and you find that there's certain parts of that
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  tattoo that were clearly either thicker in ink or maybe went a little bit deeper.
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  And so, those little areas might take longer than the other
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  side of the tattoo, let's say.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: Courtney, does it leave a scar?
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  What does it look like at the end?
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  If somebody gets that removed, is the skin a different color now?
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  Is it a little whiter?
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  Is it a little darker?
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  What does it look like?
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  Courtney Sams: Right.
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  So, our goal obviously is to remove the tattoo and have it look exactly
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  like it did before they got the tattoo.
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  But when we're actually doing the treatment, it can get real
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  irritated, red, raised a little bit.
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  It can even frost or it kind of turns white-ish in color.
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  Our goal is not to let the skin break down or open, but that can happen.
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  Sometimes actually, they'll start to notice that a little area may blister,
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  and that can even happen two days later.
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  So, we don't even know that it's going to happen right after the treatment.
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  Obviously, if there's a blister or something like that opening in
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  the skin, then they're at a higher risk for then having a scar if
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  it's not taken care of properly.
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  We usually have people put on Aquaphor or Vaseline to keep it moist until it's
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  healing and staying out of the sun.
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  And honestly, the other thing that helps heal and just a general heal
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  is going to be just drinking lots of water, staying out of the sun, like
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  I said before, and healthy diet.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: Well, I mean, what you're describing sounds like the same
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  things we're told when we get a tattoo, is the Aquaphor, drink plenty of fluids.
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  Does it itch?
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  Because I remember getting it, it really itched.
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  Is this something that itches again when you get it removed?
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  Courtney Sams: It sure can.
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  And it's just because of the irritation from the laser heat,
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  you know, the energy in that, those little particles breaking up.
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  So yes, it definitely can itch.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: And how long?
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  So, you
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  talked about how many treatments, but what does recovery time look like?
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  Like, will it look better in a year?
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  Does it take longer than that?
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  How long does it take to really notice the big results?
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  Courtney Sams: With the amount of treatments that someone might
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  need, and we space them out, on average, eight weeks apart.
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  So if you think about that, if you have to do eight treatments eight weeks
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  apart, how long that process truly is.
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  I always let people know this is truly a commitment when you do this.
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  It's not going to be instant gratification.
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  You aren't going to notice this huge change right away.
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  You have to be patient and know it's a commitment.
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  So if we treat it, and we have really quick, fast results, you know, within
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  a year, they may notice a difference, but it could be two, three years.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: Wow.
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  So, I mean, it's a big deal to get them removed, and something I think that we
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  really want to give a lot of thought to.
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  And certainly, tell us about when you're talking to somebody.
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  There's no judgment, right?
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  People want these removed for all different reasons.
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  Courtney Sams: Oh, absolutely.
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  I mean, anything from something that they did when they were 18, and they're like,
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  "Oh, I wish I wouldn't have done that."
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  Or rings on their finger like, you know, instead of wearing a wedding
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  ring, they get the ring tattoo.
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  We do a lot of those actually.
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  Names, they put names of people on their body and there's no judgment.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: No, that's an important point to make because people might
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  be nervous to go talk to somebody.
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  And how quickly after getting a tattoo can someone start the removal process if
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  they are really not satisfied with it?
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  Courtney Sams: We typically recommend waiting for about six months.
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  And the reason is because there is injury and healing with the
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  tattoo process in the first place.
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  And so, this allows the time for the skin to recover from that process,
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  as it can be traumatic to the skin.
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  If you start it too early, it can increase the risk of irritation, ineffective
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  removal, and other complications.
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  So usually, we'll say about six months after.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: So now, tell us about scheduling a free consultation.
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  Courtney Sams: They would just need to give Advanced Skin and Body Aesthetics a
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  call, and they would set you up for a free consultation with one of the providers
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  that can take about thirty minutes.
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  We will go through that process of asking all the questions about the tattoo and
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  about either lifestyle, going through the process, how it works, what to expect,
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  risks, complications, all of those things.
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  Then, we will determine how much that specific tattoo is going to
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  cost for removal per treatment.
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  And then, if they determine that they want to do it, then they can get it scheduled.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: This is really information and such good information.
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  So, best advice on tattoo removal and what you want people to know
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  about what you're doing there at Advanced Skin and Body Aesthetics.
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  Courtney Sams: That we're here for you and, again, no judgment.
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  We will help you determine how we'll do the treatment, how much expected
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  treatments we feel it will take.
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  We just want to help them look and feel their best.
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  Melanie Cole, MS: That's great information.
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  Thank you so much, Courtney, for joining us today.
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  And I'd like to thank our Bryan Foundation partner, PILLAR Restaurant Group.
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  To listen to more podcasts from our experts, please visit
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  bryanhealth.org/podcasts.
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  That wraps up this episode of Bryan Health Podcast.
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  I'm Melanie Cole.