Effective Tattoo Removal Using Pico Laser In Singapore

For many years, tattoo removal has been performed with various treatments with varying degrees of success. While tattoos are still considered permanent, it is now becoming easier to remove them with newer, more advanced lasers.

How does tattoo stay in the skin?

In order for the ink to stay permanently in the skin, a tattoo artist punctures the skin with hundreds of needle pricks, depending on the size of the tattoo. Each prick delivers ink into the dermis, the skin layer below the epidermis. Most of the tattoo pigment stays put after the ink is delivered into the skin. It stays in the dermis within the skin cells.

Getting a tattoo may seem like a good idea at the spur-of-the-moment, but tattoo regret is very common. In fact, a survey was conducted with 600 people who got tattoo and about 75 percent of these respondents expressed their regret for getting inked.

Fortunately, newer and more advanced lasers are able to remove tattoo of all colors more effectively with less downtime.

Using Pico laser for removing tattoo

The energy emitted by PicoSure laser is the same as Q-switched laser except for its pulse duration. It creates an intense photothermal impact on the skin in one-trillionth of a second, whereas for Q-switched lasers are in one-billionth of a second. Simply speaking, PicoSure laser spares the skin serious thermal damage that regular lasers may inflict. This is because PicoSure laser stays on the skin much shorter than Q-switched lasers, causing the skin to heat up the skin less quickly and reduce chances of scarring. The PicoSure technology also targets dark pigments on the skin with more precision and efficacy.

Are all tattoo inks easy to remove?

Unfortunately, no. Different color pigments respond to different light wavelengths. In general, black inks are the easiest to remove because black pigments absorb the laser most easily. This is followed by red and darker shades of blue. Light green and neon colors are the most challenging to remove.

Some factors that may contribute to the removal of tattoo ink:

SKIN COLOR The color of your skin plays a very important role in determining how easy or difficult removing tattoo is in your skin. PicoSure laser works by breaking down the ink color if the contrast between the ink and your skin color is huge. This means to say that black ink on a fair-skinned person would come off more easily than on a person with tanned skin.

AGE OF TATTOO The older the tattoo, the easier it is for the laser to break down the ink pigments. This is because the ink in older tattoos have had more time to disperse under the skin and move closer to the top layer of the skin.

QUALITY OF TATTOO Good quality tattoos are more difficult to remove as compared to a tattoo done by an amateur. If the tattoo is done by an experienced tattoo artist, the ink is usually placed deeper into the skin. This means that removing it becomes more tedious, but not impossible.

TYPE OF LASER In the past, there was no laser that can remove all ink colors. Most traditional Q-switched lasers can only effectively remove the darker hues, while leaving residual lighter colors in the skin.

Tattoo removal using PicoSure

Pulsed picosecond energy interacts with the tattoo, leaving the surrounding skin undamaged. After the treatment, the treated area will appear inflamed and sore for a few days. During the healing process, the body metabolizes the tattoo ink particles and exit the body, resulting in a gradual lightening of the tattoo.

Other than tackling darker shades of tattoo inks, PicoSure laser can also effectively break down other tattoo inks that are traditionally challenging to remove, such as green, yellow, blue and teal.

The 755nm wavelength targets the black, blue and green tattoo inks, while the 532nm wavelength targets colors such as red, yellow and orange.

What can I expect after the treatment?

Your skin may appear “frosted” immediately after the treatment. This is perfectly normal.

After a day, you may notice that the treated area may become slightly inflamed and painful. This is also normal and it should resolve in a few days. About 5 days after the treatment, you will notice that the tattoo will become lighter and less visible.

Side effects of tattoo removal

Tattoo removal is an aggressive treatment that uses a powerful laser to break down the pigments in the dermis. You can expect some redness and inflammation for a few days post-treatment. During the recovery process, you need to stay out of the sun and regularly moisturise the skin.

Cost of tattoo removal in Singapore

It is difficult to provide an estimated price because it depends on several factors and the number of sessions you need.

In general, a small area will set you back by about S$300 per session. A large area will cost about S$2,000 per session.

Frequently asked questions about tattoo removal in Singapore

Is tattoo removal painful?

Some patients have described tattoo removal procedure to be painful.

Here at Radium Medical Aesthetics, our doctors use a combination of topical anesthetic cream and other pain relief measures during the treatment to keep the pain level tolerable.

Do tattoo removal cause scars?

If done properly, the risk of scarring from a tattoo removal treatment is minimal.

In certain rare cases, tattoo removal can cause discoloration of the skin i.e. hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation. This typically happens when there are complications in treating the tattoo. It is, therefore important that you seek treatment from an experienced doctor so that such complications will be minimised.

What should I do after tattoo removal treatment?

Proper post-treatment care is important in ensuring the best outcome and minimising complications

Here are some tattoo removal aftercare tips we recommend:

• Apply antibiotic ointment to the treatment area to minimise infection
• Avoid long, hot showers with high water pressure
• Avoid touching any blisters that may form and leave them to heal on their own
• Avoid participating in activities such as swimming, sauna and tanning

What is the downtime for tattoo removal?

You can expect the skin to remain inflamed and swollen for up to 3 to 5 days. During this period, make sure you constantly moisturise and protect your skin from sun exposure.

How many tattoo removal sessions do I need?

How many sessions you need depend on several factors. Some of these factors are:

• Your skin color
• Size of the tattoo
• Age of the tattoo
• Placement of the tattoo
• Color of the tattoo
• Metabolic rate of your body

How long is the interval between each tattoo removal session?

It is safe to say that on the average, most cases of tattoo removal take about 5 to 6 sessions about 6 weeks apart to allow the body to heal and remove the fragmented ink pigments naturally in your body.

People who wish to remove their tattoo.