Laser Tattoo Removal Questions

A small sample of questions that seem to get asked frequently about our approach to offering laser tattoo removal.

Does it hurt?

Yes. The pain will be similar to the pain you had getting the tattoo put on. We offer local anesthesia topically or with injections of Xylocaine if you want to use it.

How are tattoo inks different?

Every color of tattoo ink is made of a different chemical and sometimes mixtures of chemicals. Black pigment can be very many compounds one estimate is over 30 different chemicals can be used to make black. Each chemical has its own laser response and will also have its own rate of clearing. One of the most frustrating things about tattoo ink regulations is that the companies making the ink are not required to reveal the compounds they are made from. Knot knowing what your ink is mad of makes it impossible to predict how many treatments it will take to remove the ink.

I did my own tattoo when I was younger can you get it off?

Usually. Homemade tattoos however are usually deeper and irregular when compared to professional tattoos. Homemade tattoos are usually darker pen ink and can be very responsive to our laser.

Will all the ink come off?

No. In most cases you will get the tattoo much lighter and then drop out of your treatment schedule. The smaller the amounts of ink the more difficult it is for the laser to break it up. You can get the tattoo light enough that finding the remaining ink will be difficult.

Why does this work?

The physics of a laser is fascinating and is the reason we can great so many things. The q switch laser we use hits the ink so fast and with a burst of energy that is mostly absorbed by the ink and not the surrounding tissue. The globs of ink that make up your tattoo break up in to small fragments and the cells of your immune system are then able to engulf them. These cells take the ink to your lymph nodes, then to your liver and finally the ink ends up in your bile. The bile with traces of the tattoo ink is dumped into your intestine and finally in the toilet. So you basically pass the ink into your bowel movement, but the process can take years.

How much does it cost?

We charge $85 for a laser tattoo treatment when the tattoo fits under a business card. Each additional card size area will cost less when treated at the same time. Adding local anesthesia with Xylocaine will increase the cost $25 dollars for the first card. It is best to come in for a consultation or send us a photo with a ruler in the picture so we can estimate your costs.

How many treatments will it take?

Many. Every tattoo is different and answering this question is at best a guess. Your results will be different. We can list some of the factors that affect the ability to remove the ink. The color of the ink is one of the most important factors with blue and green ink. Many of the older tattoo removal lasers were not able to attack these colors but our Quanta q-switch laser has the ability to treat these colors. underneath your breast or we can go through the lower edge of the areola(the brown part of the nipple area). Our preference is to use the incision in the fold underneath the breast. This makes creating the pocket less painful when using local anesthesia and seems to result in less bleeding during and after the operation. The incision for silicone implants we try to make 5 cm long (about 1.97 inches). The incision for saline implants can usually be less closer to 3 cm in length. There are many good breast implant surgeons who prefer to use an incision in your armpit. More recently a technique has been developed to place breast implants through your belly button. These last two techniques are more difficult if not impossible under local anesthesia and are not offered at re*be®.

Can you do the treatment with under local anesthesia?

Yes we can. We have been successfully placing silicone gel breast implants and saline breast implants underneath the muscle using local anesthesia since September of 2014. Local anesthesia works just as well to place the implants above the muscle. Local anesthesia for years has been known as a safer alternative to general anesthesia for many procedures. There are now breast implant surgeons all over the planet who have begun to use local anesthesia for this procedure. Placing breast implants under local anesthesia had become popular beginning more than 6 years ago and is expected to increase in popularity into the future. Local is not only is it safer than general anesthesia it is less costly. At re*be® in Okoboji, Iowa we have been using local anesthesia exclusively for our laser ablation procedures for varicose veins. Local anesthesia is been used for face lifts, thigh lifts, breast lifts, laser liposuction, skin excisions, lipoma excisions and may other procedures.

Do you charge for a tattoo removal consultation?

No. We do not charge for cosmetic consultations at this time. The decision to have a tattoo removed is often emotional and we beginning to understand why as we treat more tattoos. Knowing what is involved and getting to know the people who will be treating you is important as well as knowing about how much you will spend. Cosmetic procedure consultations are complimentary (free).

Do I have to have local anesthesia?

No. We do recommend a local aesthetic. You will likely experience pain similar to what you had when you got the tattoo. Most people try the treatment without local anesthesia and only add local anesthesia if needed.

Will the treatment leave a scar?

Sometimes but not usually. We have one of the most effective tattoo removal lasers on the market. It targets the ink much more than the your normal tissue. We have seen tattoos that have been scarred more from when they were put on than when they get removed. Reducing the amount of scarring is one of the reasons it takes so many treatments to remove a tattoo.

Can you remove tattoo makeup?

Yes. To remove the tattooed eye liner is the most difficult due to its location. Eye shields are necessary and this is the most expensive treatment. Eyebrow tattoos can be removed but tattooed lip color is very slow to respond. We have not tried to remove tattooed lipstick so far.

Why does it cost so much to have a tattoo removed?

Tattoo removal treatments are expensive for many reasons. Tattoos are designed to be permanent and the technology to remove a permanent tattoo is expensive. The potential for complications such as scarring and pain make the therapy a medical treatment. Many treatments are required. Tattoo ink is not flat under your skin so the ink closest to the surface absorbs the laser energy. Each treatment extends deeper and deeper only as the ink closest to the surface clears. There are so many different types and colors of tattoo ink and each has its own difficulties being removed. Black ink tattoos that are closest to the surface is the easiest to remove and therefore can be the least expensive to take off.