Laser Tattoo Removal Brisbane

Medical grade lasers remove tattoos by delivering specific wavelengths of laser light into the skin in very short bursts of picosecond or nanosecond pulses of energy, creating a shockwave that fragments the ink and allows the body’s immune system to attack and eliminate the dispersed ink particles. The body’s immune system removes the fragmented ink to fade the tattoo.

The number of treatments are determined by the laser system used and the person’s immune system response.

As the results of laser are based mainly of an individual’s immune and lymphatic system the amount of sessions required for removal varies widely from person to person. We also need to take into account a range of factors such as the age of the tattoo, the colour and quality of the ink used, the depth the artist has tattooed the ink into the skin, any scarring as a result from the tattoo, the saturation of the ink, if the tattoo is a cover-up or not, etc. 

Once we see the results from the first session, this will give us a much better guide to how many sessions are required for your individual tattoo. 

Pain threshold is different for every person and also it depends on the area getting treated. The pain in having the tattoo removed is less than getting the tattoo. The treatment time is much quicker than receiving a tattoo. The feeling is similar to a rubber band flicking your skin or oil touching your skin while cooking.

We approve the use of topical anaesthesia creams for anyone requiring pain control. You can purchase and apply yourself 1 hour prior or come in 1 hour prior to your appointment and we will apply it for you.

With our advanced Candela PicoWay laser, the average number of treatments to achieve total clearance is between 6-8.

Every person’s immune system is different and each tattoo is different. We will do a full consultation and then customise the treatment protocol. A list of different factors affecting the number of treatments vary for every individual based on the following factors:

Skin Type: The Fitzpatrick skin type rating scale from Type I skin to Type VI. This is basically from fair skin that burns and never tans to very dark skin that never burns and tans very easily.

Location: As fractured tattoo pigments are being attacked by the body’s immune system the effectiveness of the immune system varies based on the body region. As the head and neck maintains the largest vascular supply, the immune system is the strongest in this area resulting very effective tattoo ink elimination. Then the upper and lower trunks are next then the extremities receive the last of vascular supply. This means tattoos on the hands and feet will take the longest time to have total tattoo clearance.

Colours: Tattoo ink is made from a mixture of varying compounds. Professional inks are different to inks used by amateur tattooists. The colour of the pigment differs in the size of the granules. Black ink is the easiest to remove due to small size and lacks metallic elements and absorbs the laser wavelength. Red is the next easiest then green, yellow and orange.

Amount of Ink: Increased intricacy of design also affects the tattoo. The 4 categories of ink are divided into: Amateur (letters, words or small symbols), Minimal (one colour, simple design), Moderate (one colour, complex design) and Significant (multicoloured, complex design).

Scarring and Tissue Change: Tattoo placement can cause scarring which is an overproduction of collagen. This can encapsulate the ink and hinder the penetration of the cells of the immune system. This will result in lowered effectiveness of tattoo removal.

Layering Tattoos: Many people decide to hide old tattoos by using new tattoos to perform a “cover up”. Since this requires layering of darker ink this means more treatments for tattoo removal.

Individual’s Immune System: This is the hardest to identify. As each person’s immune system is determined by the state of health. This factor will determine how well your body will get rid of the ink.

With our Picoway Laser, we can treat your tattoo safely every 4 weeks, however we find the best results by completing treatments at 6-8 week intervals. This allows your body more time to process the last treatment and remove more of the ink, resulting in fewer sessions required for removal.

The older style lasers (CO2 lasers) essentially caused a burn that would disrupt the ink and cause an injury which resulted in a skin trauma. This would scab over and the ink essentially was ejected from the body with the scab. This method was effective but also produced severe scarring.

Candela PicoWay employs the latest state of the art tattoo removal technology the fractures the ink into tiny particles that your body’s immune system eliminates. Our professionally trained certified clinicians carefully input the correct settings matching the skin type meaning you will get the results you expect with minimal chances of scarring. Unless the laser system is a picosecond or q-switched the laser is not designed for tattoo removal which means more chance of scarring.

It must be stressed that the procedure is still employing the use of a powerful medical grade laser and the different types of inks are next to impossible to determine. If the operator isn’t trained correctly or if the operator uses settings that are too aggressive scarring can occur. Inks can react to the laser that may cause reactions to the skin. In less than 2% this can result in textural changes in the skin after healing. Our expert clinicians are certified skin therapists and their protocol is based on “best practice”. This means the clinicians care about skin integrity as much as removing the tattoo. On large tattoos a patch test will be implemented with a follow up in 2 days to determine if there are any reactions.

What you will see during treatment is the tattoo developing a white frosted crust. Redness and some swelling will occur. Some blistering may occur as this is the body’s natural healing process but it is rare. A wound dressing is applied post treatment.

The Picoway laser system has the following spot sizes: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 & 10mm. With the smaller spot sizes we are able to treat tattoos with a high degree of precision as well as just treating the areas of the tattoo you want to remove and avoid the parts you want to keep.

All our clinicians are expertly trained certified skin therapists. Each clinician undergoes extensive training in the operation of the laser systems and performs many hours of clinical training. The advantage of having a certified skin therapists is they understand the science of the skin and how skin reacts to lasers. Certified skin therapists can assess each patients’ suitability and provide the most accurate treatment protocol.

In the past, nanosecond laser systems were advised not to be used on cosmetic tattoos as the heat of the laser could cause the tattoo to be darkness so the results were unpredictable. The PicoWay laser system uses photoacoustic energy rather than photothermal energy. This means the power of the picosecond laser is able to shatter even cosmetic tattoo ink. It is highly effect for this purpose as cosmetic tattoos are normally applied on the surface of the dermal layer.

As PicoWay operates in the photo-acoustic parameters you can treat your new tattoo after 4 to 6 weeks of getting the tattoo and the skin is completely healed.

Once the skin is healed completely you are able to tattoo over the same area.

Many of our patients want to remove an old design to allow their new artist to create their new artwork.

We are able to return your skin to a new “canvas” to get the tattoo you have been dreaming of.

We’re also able to remove just enough ink to do a cover-up tattoo, in which case full clearance isn’t always necessary.

Laser therapy uses non-ionising radiation in the form of a concentrated light source that produces a very fine laser beam. Laser therapy does not use the same ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths as those found in sunlight (i.e. UVA and UVB), which are known to damage the DNA in cells and cause skin cancer. Non-ionising radiation is also different to ionising radiation (e.g. nuclear radiation, X-rays), which is also known to cause cancer.

There hasn’t been any clinical linkage in the use of laser to cause any cancer in the 40 years of laser therapy.

List of Precautions

• Recently tanned skinned cannot be treated. A client must avoid sun for 2 weeks. Otherwise blisters and hyper (dark skin)/hypo (light skin)-pigmentation may occur.
• Fake tan must be discontinued for a week prior treatment.
• Infected or acne break out area must be avoided.
• Wait 6 months after Accutane therapy.
• History of photosensitivity to infrared light.
• Pregnancy.
• Seizure disorders.
• Medications and Supplements: Daily anti-coagulation therapy, iron supplements, herbal supplements such as ginkgo, ginseng or garlic and fish oil supplements may bruise more readily.
• Photosensitizing Medications: Medications that induce photosensitivity or medications in or around the 532, 755 and 1064nm wavelengths range. Stop the medication if possible for 3-5 days prior to treatment.
• Topical Medications and skin care products: Stop 72 hours pre and post.
• HSV 1 & 2: Do not treat if active lesion(s) are present within the intended treatment area. Patients with a known history of frequent HSV 1 & 2 lesions should begin prophylaxis prior to treatment as prescribed by their healthcare provider.
• Poorly controlled Medical Conditions: These clients should be carefully evaluated by their healthcare provider for medical clearance.
• Active skin infection: Avoid treatment of open wounds and skin that is actively infected.
• Keloid scarring: Perform test spots prior to treating larger areas.
• Implanted medical devices: Pacemakers, cardioverters and other implantable devices or fillers consult healthcare provider.

PicoWay Picosecond Laser System is “The Gold Standard”

• PicoWay is the fastest Picosecond Laser System on the market. Picoway 300ps vs Picosure 750ps. Faster means less thermal damage to the skin and creates a true photoacoustic shock wave.
• PicoWay has the highest peak power of picosecond laser system. PicoWay 0.9 gw vs Picosure 0.36gw. This means the peak power of the PicoWay is 4.5 times more than Picosure. The photoacoustic shock wave shatters the ink into the tiniest particles for the immune system to remove the pigment. This allows the immune system to process the ink through the body.
• PicoWay is the only true 3 picosecond wavelength rated at 370ps for the 532nm, 300ps for the 785nm and 450ps for the 1065nm. Discovery Pico markets itself as 3 wavelengths but one of them is the ruby laser (694nm) with 6ns (nanosecond). The 532nm and 1064 are rated effectively the same.
• PicoWay can treat all colours and skin types. Picosure can only treat black and can not treat darker skin types safely.
• All these factors mean you can have tattoo clearance within 4 to 6 months.

• Avoid skin irritation or intentional skin tanning. Sunblock is advisable when
  outdoors during daylight hours.
• The use of self-tanning skin care products must be discontinued 1-2 weeks
  prior to treatment. Any residual self-tanner must be removed prior to
  treatment.Avoid the sun 4-6 weeks before and after treatment.
• Use daily a broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen SPF 30 or greater for 4-6
  weeks prior to and throughout treatment.
• Some medication may contradict with receiving treatment. Please advise
  the clinician of any medication taken, (both prescription and nonprescription),
  so we can safely treat you. A doctor’s clearance letter may be requested.
• Arrive for treatment with clean, shaven, skin. There should be no lotion, make-up,
  perfume, powder or bath/shower oil present on the skin in the area to
  be treated.
• A topical anaesthetic should be used only as directed by a physician and
  only if necessary.
• Areas of dental crowns, caps, braces, or other metal dental implants may
  be more sensitive to treatment and the clinician may use dental rolls, gauze
  or a tongue depressor to isolate the area and make the treatment more
  comfortable.
  
  

• Immediately after treatment, there should be a “slight frosting” on the area that
  is treated. Erythema (redness) and edema (swelling) at the treatment site may
  occur and may last up to 48 hours or longer. Pinpoint bruising may also occur.
• Following treatment of the tattoo apply a lubricant (Aquaphor® Healing
  Ointment or Aloe vera gel) to the area and cover with a non- stick dressing
  and paper tape. After 1-2 hours, remove the dressing and continue to apply lubricant for 7-10 days following treatment, but do not re-cover the treatment site with
  a dressing so as not to trap heat into the area.
• Avoid sun exposure to reduce the chance of hyper-pigmentation
  (darker pigmentation).
• Use daily a broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen SPF 30 or greater for
  4-6 weeks prior to and throughout treatment.
• The treated area should be cared for delicately until healing is complete.
  Prevent trauma to the treated area for the first 7-10 days following treatment.
  Avoid physical exercise (aerobics, lawn mowing, sport activities) for 1-2 days. Do not participate in any rough physical activities
  (playing football or ice hockey, etc.) for 10 days post treatment and avoid
  excessive perspiration to the area as it may cause tissue disruption. 
• There are no restrictions on bathing except to treat the area gently, as with
  any other wound (ie. do not shower in very hot water, instead, use only warm water only for 2 – 3 days)
• No swimming for 1 week.
• If blistering occurs, do not pop or break the blisters as this can cause infection. Instead, keep ice and aloe vera gel on the area until blisters have subsided.