Are you reconsidering that ink? Laser tattoo removal is a generally safe method. Still, it is also a costly one that can be used to remove a tattoo if you find that you no longer love it as much as you once did.

Laser tattoo removal’s ease and celebrities’ openness about using it on social media have given the impression that having a permanent tattoo requires less commitment than it used to.

Even though the facts about laser tattoo removal are helpful, effective, and beneficial when removing tattoos, there are several tattoo removal myths about what they can do. Here are some things you should first know about the laser process.

For anyone considering laser tattoo removal, it’s important to separate fact from fiction and consult with a reputable med spa to learn more about the laser process and what you can realistically expect from the treatment.

The 6 Tattoo Removal Myths

Myth #1: It Is Safe To Have Laser Removal Done Anywhere It Is Available

Although laser clinics and spas are springing up all over, it’s essential to make sure that a dermatologist performs laser removal. They know how to spot complications and who should not be treated. Laser tattoo removal can cause bleeding, infection, and scarring, but a nurse aesthetician can treat them. Check your practitioner’s credentials.

Myth #2: If You Have A Bad Tattoo, Laser Removal Is A Simple, Fast, Reliable, And Easy Solution

The process makes it challenging. Tattoo removal might take one to two years, with treatments every 6, 8, or 12 weeks. It’s also invasive and costs hundreds of dollars per session. Lasers shatter pigment molecules, which the immune system removes. Laser treatment recovery might be difficult.

Myth #3: Getting A Tattoo Removed Is Not Painful

Laser tattoo removal is usually painless since doctors numb you first. Doctors can numb larger tattoos with lidocaine injections, whereas non-medical professionals cannot. Since laser settings are based on color, smaller tattoos are just as painful to remove. Unlike removing a large tattoo, removing a small tattoo is less painful.

Myth #4: Everyone Can Safely Use Laser Removal

Laser removal is only suitable for some. Based on laser physics and how the laser operates, darker skin tones make removal more difficult—the laser targets pigment in the dye and melanin in your skin. Thus, using a laser to remove a tattoo becomes more difficult with darker skin. In deeper skin tones, laser removal can burn and hyperpigmented.

Myth #5: All Tattoos Can Be Easily Removed

Not every tattoo is made equally. Compared to tattoos in vivid colors, black ink is simpler to erase. Multicolor tattoo removal requires numerous lasers, another reason to consult a skilled expert. Professional tattoos use more colors and deposit deeper into the dermis, making them harder. Carbon-based, single-color, superficial tattoos are easier to erase. Older tattoos’ ink diffuses upward, making laser removal easier.

Myth #6: If Getting A Tattoo Didn’t Cause Any Adverse Feelings, Getting It Removed Won’t Either

Even if your tattoo heals well after obtaining it, your body could still react poorly to laser removal. One reason is that lasers can result in permanent skin discoloration and scarring, unlike tattoos. Laser removal breaks the pigment into the lymph nodes, causing a systemic response. Allergy patients can remove tattoos surgically or with an abrasive laser.

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