Tattoo removal services make epidermal regrets a distant memory

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Tattoo removal services make epidermal regrets a distant memory
January 9, 2011
By Caroline Dohack-McCrary
Columbia Daily Tribune

Bodies, affections and even values are susceptible to change over time.

Tattoo removal can decrease — if not completely obliterate — the appearance of inked expressions that might not be valid or attractive anymore.

DeSpain Cayce Dermatology Center & Medical Spa recently purchased a new laser tattoo removal system called the Trinity Laser. Since the center started offering the procedure in mid-December, 16 patients have sought tattoo removal services, said practice administrator Stephanie Flakne. So far, the most commonly requested removal is for tattoos bearing someone’s name, said pediatric nurse practitioner Sara Haslag, who performs the procedure under the direct supervision of dermatologists John DeSpain and Kimberly Cayce.

The Trinity Laser combines three laser wavelengths into one machine, which allows the operator to erase the full spectrum of ink colors.

Haslag said laser tattoo removal works by emitting short pulses of high energy.

“It shatters the tattoo pigment into extremely small particles. Then your body’s immune system goes to work and helps your body rid itself of the ink particles,” Haslag said.

Each session takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, with about five minutes of actual laser time, Haslag said.

Afterward, the skin will blister and scab for a few weeks, which Haslag said is a good thing.

“The scab is drawing the ink out of the skin,” she said.

Flakne said the whole process is a little painful but fast. When Haslag needed a test patient to try out the new machine, Flakne decided to let her have a go at the butterfly she got when she was 18. On a pain scale of one to 10, she rates the process a six.

“It’s comparable to getting the tattoo done, but it’s a lot quicker,” she said.

To take some of the sting out of it, Haslag uses a machine called a Zimmer Chiller to cool the area before and during the tattoo removal process.

“The patients seem to think it works wonderfully,” Haslag said.

Sessions are spaced four weeks apart, which Haslag said patients should take into account if they’re trying to eliminate some ink before a big event such as a wedding.

“The expectation is that it’s going to take an average of six months,” she said.

Because it’s up to the body to rid itself of the ink particles, Haslag said there’s no guarantee all tattoos can be completely removed.

“You can certainly lighten them if you can’t remove them,” she said.

Factors including the colors in the tattoo, the age of the tattoo and the body’s reaction to the laser affect the number of sessions a person will need, but Flakne said that most people should be able to complete the treatment in six to 10 visits.

“Some people will only take three or four, some will take more than 10,” she said.

Small tattoos, about the size of your hand or smaller, are $200 per session. A medium tattoo, about the size of two hands, is $300. Something the size of three hands is $500 per session.

“Anything beyond that is custom pricing,” Flakne said.

The center offers discounts for multiple tattoo removals, and consultations are free.