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15 March 2022
Why Tattoo Removal Requires Multiple Sessions?
Tattoos are not always a sight to behold. Sometimes they can make you regret your decision, remind you about remorseful past experiences, or appear unsightly because of the shoddy job done by the artist.
Thus, professional laser tattoo removal in Melbourne has become a common way of getting rid of undesirable artwork on the body. With growing awareness about the success rate of the treatment, many people are opting for it.
However, they have their doubts related to the duration of the procedure. Laser treatment takes longer than most people assume because it requires multiple sessions. Here is why it is necessary to go through several sessions to remove the ink completely.
Contrary to popular belief, laser treatment is a lengthy process that cannot be completed in one session. There is no standard timeline for the procedure as it varies for every person because of their unique tattoo designs. While some tattoos can be removed in five to six sessions, others can take up to twelve sessions.
The laser practitioner is the right person who can provide you with the exact timeline for the treatment. They examine the tattoo and let you know about the number of sessions and the gap required between subsequent appointments for the best results.
To understand the process, we need to know how the laser works on ink removal. During the treatment, the practitioner uses an advanced laser system that generates a high-intensity laser beam. The highly targeted beam penetrates the epidermis and reaches the dermis where the ink is deposited.
The melanin present in the ink pigment absorbs the light. At this stage, the short pulse of energy generated by the laser breaks down the pigment and it gets fragmented into tiny particles. The shattered ink particles are then removed naturally from the body by the lymphatic system.
Laser only affects the ink and does not touch the surrounding skin tissue. Thus, there is no risk of burning or scarring. However, the practitioner must be experienced to know the right wavelength needed for the ink colours and must be able to set the pulse appropriately.
The heat produced by the laser can be used on the skin for a short period only because longer exposure can lead to burning or scarring. Also, it is not possible to break down the entire ink in one session.
Professional tattoo artists use a large volume of ink for the tattoo, and this can increase the fragmentation time. Another point to consider is that the successive sessions cannot be booked for the next day or week as the skin needs time to recover from the impact of the laser.
Thus, every practitioner prescribes a window of six to eight weeks between two sessions to allow the skin to recover. The waiting period further extends the timeline. There are several other reasons that impact the duration of the treatment. Let us understand them in detail.
A tattoo that was created recently will have a high volume of ink in the dermis as compared to the one that was made years ago. The reason behind this is that tattoo ink becomes faded on its own after a few years. Thus, recent tattoos require more sessions.
It is understandable that tattoos that cover a larger surface area will take more time. For example, if the tattoo covers the entire arm, it will take up to 12 sessions for the removal of the ink. On the other hand, if it is a small one on the wrist, it can be erased within 5-6 sessions.
Since the shattered ink particles are expelled from the body through the lymphatic system, the expulsion is affected by the circulation of blood.
Thus, the tattoos that are placed closer to the heart are easier to remove because blood circulation is the highest in this region. Similarly, tattoos positioned on the feet and hands take longer because these areas are the farthest away from the heart.
Black ink gets removed quickly because it absorbs all the wavelengths, so such tattoos are the easiest to remove. Conversely, multi-coloured tattoos need several wavelengths because different ink pigment absorb different wavelengths.
The latest laser system allows using multiple wavelengths in one session, which has reduced the time of each appointment. However, removing coloured tattoos still takes more time than black tattoos.
Since the ink is flushed out of the body through the lymphatic system, it is vital to have a healthy immune system to expedite the process. If the person is suffering from low immunity due to some infection in the body, the lymphatic system will become busy fighting that infection rather than working on the removal of the shattered ink.
Thus, people who are sick or have low immunity may not get the desired results quickly. So, it is important to stay healthy during the treatment by eating right, quitting smoking and exercising regularly.
If you have been worried about getting rid of your tattoo and finding the best way to do it, you need to understand that laser tattoo removal in Melbourne is the safest and most successful treatment. However, you need to be prepared for the multiple sessions.
