Laser removal of permanent makeup

Natalya Komarnitskaya , dermatocosmetologist

Sooner or later, every master faces the issues of correcting or removing permanent makeup/tattoo. How to fix an unsuccessful tattoo , we wrote in one of the previous materials. We offer in general terms to consider the main methods that are used to get rid of tattoos, their advantages and disadvantages.

Due to various circumstances, people sometimes resort to such radical methods of body decoration as permanent makeup and artistic tattoos. But for every person there comes a moment when you have to part with a tattoo: career, age, as well as poorly executed, “floating” tattoo - all this can seriously ruin your life. Fortunately, in the modern world there are a number of ways to remove annoying pictures. One of the most popular and effective methods is laser tattoo removal, which allows you to almost completely “erase” the tattoo, while avoiding the formation of scars and scars on the skin.

Modern cosmetology offers two fundamentally different procedures:

• laser resurfacing;
• selective method of influence.

However, for the correct choice of the method of laser exposure, it is important to understand the essence of the proposed procedures and, having compared the “risk⎼benefit” parameters, make a decision in each specific case.

Laser resurfacing (peeling) for tattoo removal

The method involves the evaporation (removal) of the upper layer of the skin along with the coloring pigment. It is used only in the case of a shallow location of the picture. The primary recovery of the epidermis occurs within 7 days, and complete healing occurs after 2-3 weeks.

For resurfacing, an erbium laser is used, the action of which is based on the evaporation of moisture from the upper layers of the skin (vaporization) and the subsequent removal of damaged areas. The main disadvantage is the inability to work with tattoos located in deeper layers - or rather, it is theoretically possible to remove them in this way, but it is almost guaranteed to lead to scarring.

Selective exposure method

The laser destroys the coloring pigment directly, without affecting the skin. With a selective exposure method (selective photocavitation), the laser wavelength and type of radiation are selected depending on the color of the pattern and the depth of its application. The result is an almost complete removal of a tattoo / tattoo of any contrast and saturation, even with a deep pigment. The remains of the paint are excreted from the body naturally within a month.

Three types of lasers are used for selective photocavitation: ruby, alexandrite, and neodymium Q-switch lasers.

ruby laser . Effectively destroys shades of brown, black, blue and green, but has a lot of disadvantages that limit its scope. In particular, it affects only superficial tattoos with a depth of no more than 1mm, it is very painful, many sessions are required to remove the tattoo, which increases the likelihood of scars and scars. In addition, the ruby laser does not see the red shades of the tattoo at all. It is impossible for them to remove the tattoo due to the high risk of scarring of the delicate skin of the eyelids.

Alexandrite laser. Close to ruby, but faster. Well removes tattoos of dark colors, located at a depth of up to 1.8 mm. It is not able to destroy the pigments of red and orange colors. Since the wavelength of the laser is absorbed by melanin, alexandrite and ruby laser tattoo removal is only possible on fair skin.

Neodymium Q - switch laser . Versatile and efficient. Removes pigment, which lies at a depth of up to 8 mm, in which it has no equal. Suitable for all skin types, as well as for removing permanent make-up from the face. It can generate two beams that are designed to remove pigments of different colors: the infrared beam affects all cool colors, and the green beam is effective on warm shades.

The advantage of the technique is the ability to almost completely get rid of the pattern without resorting to surgical intervention. But an image that is too large and bright cannot be completely removed.

The main disadvantage is the need for multiple repetitions of the procedure to achieve a pronounced effect, which significantly increases the cost of the patient. In addition, the effectiveness will depend on the color of the tattoo - for example, yellow tones can be corrected noticeably worse than others.

When destroyed, coloring pigments can cause allergic reactions such as redness, swelling and itching. With strongly pronounced similar symptoms, the choice of technique should be reconsidered. In addition, there is a risk of infection of the damaged area of the skin, which will require additional treatment and elimination of consequences.

Before getting a tattoo or tattoo on the face, you should think carefully about the need for such self-expression and the semantic meaning of the image, and also take the choice of a master seriously so that you don’t have to look for ways to get rid of the resulting drawing. It is important to remember that the complete removal of high-quality professional tattoos in many cases is not possible, since the likelihood of preserving the contours, even slightly hazy, is high.

The material was first published in Permanent No. 3/2016