Almost 25% of people who get tattoos regret at least one of them, according to a 2015 Harris Poll. That’s a lot of people with ink on their skin they’d like to erase.
If you’ve started regretting a tattoo — whether you got it last week or 10 years ago — you don’t have to live with it anymore. Jeffrey Gosin, MD and his team at Shore Vascular and Vein Center in Somers Point, New Jersey use state-of-the-art Cutera® enlighten® III laser for safe, effective tattoo removal. Here’s how it works.
Shatter unwanted ink
When you get a tattoo, the tattoo artist deposits layers of ink deep into your skin. That’s why you can’t merely scrub off the image using salt or another abrasive, despite what the internet claims.
Instead, you must shatter each layer of the pigment into tiny particles that your body then permanently eliminates through normal excretion. The enlighten III uses short pulses of nonthermal, photomechanical energy to break up the ink.
Dr. Gosin chooses pulses that last just two nanoseconds (i.e. two-billionths of a second) to break up dense, large particles of ink, as well as pulses that are only 750/660 picoseconds long. The picosecond pulses are best for further shattering small ink particles. Each picosecond pulse lasts just one trillionth of a second.
Erase all colors
In addition to featuring two different pulse rates, the enlighten III utilizes three different wavelengths of energy, each of which targets a different color on the spectrum. A unique 670 nm red wavelength erases deep, dense colors such as green and blue, without leaving a “ghost” behind.
The genesis III 532 nm wavelength shatters light, hard-to-treat pigments such as red, yellow, and white. Light pigment may first oxidize (i.e., turn brown) before eventually fading. The third wavelength of 1064 nm addresses black ink as well as reds and other colors.
Your body does the rest
Once the genesis III shatters your tattoo ink into tiny particles, your body eliminates them through your lymph system. That’s one reason why you should leave at least one month between each removal session: Your results aren’t apparent until your body’s had time to adequately process the ink particles.
Tattoo ink is applied in layers and must be removed in layers, too. You may need anywhere from 3-10 treatments to completely remove your tattoo.
Leave healthy skin alone
One of the advantages of the enlighten III’s use of photomechanical energy is that the energy doesn’t affect healthy skin. Light-based lasers use heat, which could damage your skin if used incorrectly.
You choose whether you want to remove the entire tattoo, or only part. After tattoo removal, you can keep your skin clear or add a new tattoo.
To take the first step toward clear, healthy-looking skin again, contact us about tattoo removal today. Call 609-297-5992 or use the handy online contact form.
