The days of tattoos being seen as taboo are fading quickly and as more people have tattoos, more people need to have them removed. Until recently, the ink used in a tattoo was virtually impossible to remove because it was underneath multiple layers of skin. Those many skin layers made it impossible to reach with topical solution. With the introduction and evolution of medical lasers, there is now a new tool to remove tattoos, one that is able to get under the surface of the skin and breakdown stubborn tattoo ink.

Most people who have tattoos know that prolonged exposure to the sun will make them fade. This is the same principle that lasers operate on. Dermatologists have determined that certain wavelengths of light will affect different colors of ink, a factor that is crucial when choosing the proper laser. The pigment of a person’s skin also must be taken into account when determining what laser to use and at what energy level to get rid of a given tattoo.

With so many factors to account for when considering a laser treatment, it is important to be sure your provider is experienced and has the right tools to perform every session correctly.