Lasers can lighten, remove tattoos

Lasers can lighten, remove tattoos

February 14, 2017

Tattoos, once a relatively rare adornment reserved for Navy men and folks on society’s fringes, have gone mainstream in a big way. In 2016, it was a $2.3 billion industry, and today an estimated 21 percent of Americans have tattoos. (38 percent of 30- to 39-year-olds).

But the tattoo trend has led to another trend: tattoo removal. Whether it was inspiration or impulse that led you to get inked in the first place, a number of people have second thoughts later in life.

Tattoo removal is done with laser therapy. The results vary, but tattoo removal can lighten or completely remove unwanted tattoos. The energy from the laser beam is absorbed by the tattoo, causing the color to fade.

Black tattoos are the easiest to remove, and color tattoos are more challenging. Tattoo removal typically requires 4 to 6 treatment sessions. There can be mild discomfort during treatment, as the laser light pulsates against your skin.