Tattoo removal is not a one-and-done procedure, regardless of how the tattoo was applied. The condition of the skin and the desired treatment area, including how the tattoo was applied, affect the laser tattoo removal process. We know practitioners want to provide clients with the best tattoo removal results. Learn more about what causes ink retention during tattoo removal and how to remove stubborn ink at your tattoo removal business.
Tattoo Ink and Application Affects Tattoo Removal Process
Lighter colors like white, yellow, vivid blue, and light green are more difficult to remove than darker colors like black, dark gray, and brown. This is because lighter colors have lower absorption spectrums and reflective properties, making them harder for lasers to target. Neon colors are also more difficult to remove and may require multiple laser tattoo removal sessions.
There are three main wavelengths for effective tattoo removal: 1064 nm, 532 nm, and 694 nm. The most common tattoo removal lasers are Q-Switched Nd:YAG lasers, which typically include 1064 nm and 532 nm wavelengths. These two wavelengths target the most common tattoo ink colors, like dark browns, blacks, grays, and warm sunset colors.
The tougher-to-remove tattoo ink colors mentioned above, such as light blues and greens, require ruby laser technology. Fortunately, Astanza offers a laser that incorporates all three of these wavelengths into one machine, allowing practitioners to treat and remove tattoo ink of any color. The Astanza Trinity tattoo removal laser machine encompasses all three wavelengths: 1064 nm, 532 nm, and 694 nm. Having the best tattoo removal technology at your business is key to providing your clients with their desired tattoo removal results.
Treating Tattoo Ink Blowout and Dense Tattoo Ink with Laser Technology
Tattoo ink blowout occurs when a tattoo artist presses too hard when applying ink to the skin OR if the client moves too much during the session. It is also very prominent in areas where the skin tissue is very thin, such as the knuckles and ankles.
The needle penetrates past the dermis into the hypodermis where adipose (fat) tissue resides. This is located in this layer where the ink spreads out more easily, creating the blurred lines that appear in the healed tattooed skin on the surface. The blowout appears a few days after the tattooing session, as the ink seeps through the wound and becomes fully noticeable in a few weeks. While treating tattoo ink blowout may be difficult, it isn’t impossible.
The density of tattoo ink affects the difficulty of removal. Ink blowout can be challenging to remove and may require extra sessions, but it is possible. Tattoos located on areas farther away from the heart (lower extremities) can also be harder to remove. The body and its immune response is working against gravity, lower circulation, being further away from the heart. Tattooed “bony” areas have a higher chance of scarring and ink blowout.
Scars and Ink Retention During Laser Tattoo Removal
Factors such as the type of ink used in the tattoo and how the tattoo was applied will impact the overall laser tattoo removal process. Skin trauma, such as scars, can also alter the laser tattoo removal journey for your patients.
Scars form during the healing process after the skin has been damaged. The skin repairs itself by growing new tissue to pull together the wound and fill in any gaps caused by the injury. Scar tissue is made primarily of a protein called collagen. The trauma to the skin has to be deep enough into the deeper inner layers of the skin for a scar to occur.
When we injure the deeper layers of our skin, cells produce collagen to repair the wound. Because your body makes this collagen quickly, it’s thicker and less flexible than the rest of your skin. Thicker or denser skin is, of course, not the same as your typical outer layer of the skin, which the laser tattoo removal machine usually penetrates to target and break up the ink.
The best tattoo removal method and process for treating scarred areas of the skin is patience and consistency. Educating your patients from the beginning and setting proper expectations that this may take a few extra sessions than your average laser tattoo removal journey is key. Removing tattoos that are on top of scars, or removing tattoos that have scars from the tattoo application, is doable. However, it could take a few more sessions than it typically would to completely remove a tattoo. Click the image below to download the on-demand version of our recent clinical education webinar, Conquering Tattoo Ink Retention with Laser Tattoo Removal.
Using Microbeam Handpieces for Stubborn Ink During Tattoo Removal
One additional option for tackling hard-to-remove tattoo ink is utilizing advanced aesthetic laser technology and optional handpieces, such as the DF microbeam handpiece. The Astanza Duality Signature tattoo removal machine offers an optional 8 mm DF microbeam handpiece that can perform fractionally ablative procedures. Adding this to your laser tattoo removal process for hard-to-remove tattoos is the perfect enhancement. Learn more about the Duality Signature and its versatility for your aesthetic business by reading our recent blog, Unlocking the Versatility of the Astanza Duality Signature.
Start a Tattoo Removal Business with Astanza
Questions? Ready to start offering laser tattoo removal services or add it to your existing business? Interested in learning more about the versatility of the Duality Signature or adding the DF microbeam handpiece to your laser tattoo removal process? Contact Astanza today!
Our expert team is available to answer questions and help your aesthetic business succeed in the laser industry.
