Laser Tattoo Removal in Torrance

Helps with

Fading unwanted tattoos, or lightening one before a cover-up design

Session

Laser eye protection for everyone; a numbing cream or injection may be used

Typical course

Often 6 to more than 10 sessions, spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart

Downtime

Pinpoint bleeding, crusting, redness or blisters are common while skin heals

How laser tattoo removal works

Very short laser pulses heat tattoo ink so quickly that it breaks into tiny particles. Your immune system then clears those particles over the following weeks. Most tattoos fade a little at a time, so treatment takes a series of visits with time to heal in between.

Some people want a tattoo gone. Others want it lighter so a new design can cover it. Tell us your goal at your consultation.

Our tattoo-removal lasers

• Spectra laser (Q-switched Nd:YAG). FDA-cleared for dark inks (black, blue and brown) at 1064 nm and, with its 532-nm and dye handpieces, for lighter inks such as red, tan, purple, orange, sky blue and green.
• PicoCare® Majesty (picosecond Nd:YAG). FDA-cleared for black, brown, green, blue and purple inks at 1064 nm on all skin types, and for red, yellow and orange inks at 532 nm on skin types I to III.

A systematic review found only limited evidence that picosecond lasers remove tattoos better than Q-switched lasers. The laser and settings are chosen for your ink colors and skin type.

Different lights, different targets

How many sessions will it take?

The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) says six to more than ten treatments may be needed, spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart, and some tattoos never fully clear. In one clinic’s review of 100 patients, satisfactory removal took about 10 sessions on average, ranging from 3 to 20. That review linked the number of sessions to six factors:

• skin type
• location, with the head and neck needing the fewest sessions and hands and feet the most
• ink colors
• amount of ink
• scarring
• layered ink, such as a cover-up tattoo

Why some colors are harder

According to the FDA, black and dark blue are the easiest colors to remove, while green, red and yellow are the hardest. Flesh-toned and white inks and cosmetic tattoos, such as tattooed eyebrows or lip liner, can turn black when treated with a laser. The ASLMS adds that white, pink, red, tan and light brown inks can darken, and that scarring hidden under the ink may show once the ink fades.

What to expect at our Torrance office

1. Consultation

   We look at your tattoo’s colors, size and location, review your skin type and health history, and talk through your goal.

2. Numbing

   A numbing cream applied beforehand or a numbing injection may be used.

3. Treatment

   Everyone in the room wears laser eye protection. Pinpoint bleeding, crusting, redness and blistering are common afterward.

4. Aftercare

   Keep the area clean and moist with ointment, don’t scrub it, and avoid direct sun. Once it heals, use SPF 30+ daily.

Side effects & risks

• Lighter or darker skin where the tattoo was.
• Scarring, including a raised or thick scar that may appear 3 to 6 months after removal.
• Infection, pinpoint bleeding, redness and soreness.
• Ink that turns darker and may not clear.
• Allergic reactions, which are rare but can affect the whole body.

Results vary, and some tattoos never fully clear.

Who should not have it, or should talk to Dr. Shin first

• You have darker skin. The ASLMS advises longer-wavelength lasers for darker skin, and the 532-nm clearance for red, yellow and orange inks covers skin types I to III.
• You have had an allergic reaction to a tattoo.
• You tend to form raised scars.
• You are pregnant. A review advises delaying elective cosmetic procedures until after the baby is born.
• You take, or recently took, isotretinoin.
• You want a cosmetic tattoo removed, such as eyebrows, eyeliner or lip liner. The ink can darken, and the eye area needs special protection.

The FDA notes these lasers are cleared for use by, or under the supervision of, a health care professional. Treatment may be performed by Dr. Shin or by a licensed registered nurse or physician assistant under his supervision.