Body art is something that many people choose to have done. As for the reasons why these people decide to get body art, those are as diverse as the backgrounds of the people who get them. While body art is meant to be permanent, there are some people who start to dislike various aspects about the body art that they have gotten.
These are the people who, more often than not, end up having their tattoo (or, in some cases, tattoos) erased via laser tattoo removal. In order to understand the basics of how this procedure works, it is important that people really have a better understanding of how a tattoo is applied in the first place.
Now, it is important to note that there are some cultures that have a very specific way of applying their tattoos. For example, sometimes a sharp object is used to create the overall design of the tattoo (often this is done in cultural tattoos that are based on pointillism) and then ash is placed over the open skin.
However, mainstream tattoos are applied in another way, using an electric needle. The electric needle moves up and down very quickly, puncturing the skin with many tiny holes, while at the same time injecting these holes with ink. The ink immediately bonds to the skin molecules, therefore making the tattoo permanent.
Well, it would have made the tattoo truly permanent if this had been just a couple of decades ago. That is, of course, unless the person decided to have another tattoo placed over it. Laser tattoo removal is considered by many medical professionals to be the safest way to remove a tattoo because of the precision of the lasers.
How does laser tattoo removal work, specifically? This is an outpatient procedure that is usually performed by a dermatologist. First, a topical anesthetic cream will be given to the patient on the tattoo area. Next, the dermatologist will use a special laser device to start removing the tattoo.
What basically happens is that the heat of the laser eradicates the skin molecules that have bonded to the ink. At the same time, the light of the laser stimulates blood flow in the skin, therefore creating new skin tissue to replace the old skin tissue.
It is important to keep in mind the fact that the laser tattoo removal process will not completely get rid of the tattoo in just one session. Rather, it will take several sessions, with the time between each session being several weeks in order to allow the skin to heal correctly.
The actual amount of removal sessions that will be needed will depend on the size, color, and placement of the tattoo. Generally speaking, the larger and darker the tattoo is, the longer it will take to remove. The same is true if the tattoo happens to be located in an area where the skin is thicker. After each removal session, the area being treated will be wrapped in a bandage, and the person will be given care instructions.
