Neck Tattoos

St. Louis Laser Tattoo Removal Technology

The newest technology for removing tattoos with a laser is called Q-switch. There are several offices in the St. Louis area that use this technique. Here is more information about it.

Lasers have been used for removing tattoos since the early 1990s, although the effectiveness of the method was first reported in the late 1960s. Lasers are also used for other cosmetic purposes, such as permanently removing hair and rejuvenating the skin.

Offices that offer the procedures include hair-removal clinics, cosmetic surgeons, dermatologists and some day spas. They may refer to the procedure as Q-switch, pulsed light or simply laser therapy. Q-switch technology is use by most modern clinics and spas that perform these services.

The first lasers put out a continuous stream of light. Q-switching creates a pulsed beam which has a much higher output then the old continuous beam lasers.

Today pulsed beams are used because they are more effective, can accomplish the same results with fewer treatments and in general are less painful. It feels something like a rubber band being snapped against your skin. The pulsed beams also have the advantage of being less likely to burn or cause other damage to the area being treated.

Out of all the lasers that use the Q-switch technology, the Medlite C6 is considered the best for tattoo removal. The high energy, short pulse technology of the Medlite C6 allows tattoos to be treated with minimal risk of scarring and less discomfort than any other laser system. Another big advantage it has over other lasers is the ability to output four different wavelengths. This makes it possible to treat more colors, as opposed to other laser systems which are less effective on all but the darker colors.  Vanishing Point is one of the few places that use this technology in the St. Louis area.

Lasers remove tattoos by working with the body’s lymphatic system which naturally removes impurities from the body, and cause tattoos to eventually fade. By shattering the tattoo ink into very small particles, lasers speed up this process. This makes it easier for the particles to be cleared by the body’s lymphatic system, causing no harm to the body.

Dark color ink responds better to laser tattoo removal treatments than lighter colors. For example black and red are easier to remove than yellow and green.

Some parlors are using a new kind of ink for their tattoos. The ink is called Infinitink. It was created with the purpose of being able to be removed in one laser treatment. Other inks on the market will take several treatments (at least 3) to produce the results most people are after.

If you got your tattoo before 2009 and live in the St. Louis area, you would most likely need no less than three laser sessions to see a drastic fade in the colors. Before 2009 Infinitink was not used very often. When first introduced, it was only available in black, but is now being produced in other colors.

Professionals in St. Louis who perform laser tattoo removal advise their clients to wait 6 to 8 weeks between treatments. The ink continues to break up and fade over that period of time. Allowing several weeks between appointments also reduces the risk of burning or damaging the skin.

The cost of laser tattoo removal can vary greatly between the specialists in the St. Louis area. Usually you will get quotes between 0 and 0 per visit, depending on how large and how many tattoos you want treated.