Removal of an old unwanted tattoo is a growing request for Australians. As the frequency of tattoos in the population grows, so does the desire to remove older, outdated or no longer relevant body art. But the question people want to know the answer to is, is laser tattoo removal painful?
The simple answer to this question is yes, but the next question is how much does it hurt? This is where we can provide you with more useful information before you embark further into the process.
The lasers used in tattoo removal direct a single wavelength of light onto the skin. This laser light is attracted to the pigment in the tattoo. A tattoo remains in the skin by having a large pigment molecule. The laser breaks down the pigment into smaller fragments that are then able to be absorbed by the body’s macrophages (a white blood cell that engulfs and clears foreign particles from the body).
When the laser hits the tattoo pigment it causes a sharp pain. People vary significantly in their pain sensitivity. Some find laser tattoo removal quite tolerable, others find it much more painful. The size, colour and location of the tattoo can also affect the amount of pain caused.
But it’s not all bad news!
At Geelong Veins, Skin and Laser we aim to make laser tattoo removal as comfortable as possible for our clients. Being a medical clinic with on-site doctors and nurses in addition to our highly skilled dermal therapists, we can offer a range of pain numbing and analgesic options.
Levels of analgesia:
- Some clients cope well and require no analgesia apart from cool packs / ice
- Adaptation in laser techniques
- Standard numbing creams (EMLA/Angel cream)
- Oral (tablet form) painkillers
- Prescription only higher concentration numbing creams (combination of local anaesthetic ingredients)
- Injections of local anaesthetic under the skin to completely block all sensation
Pain management will be individualised to your needs. If you have specific concerns you can see our on-site doctor for more information.
TATTOO TRIVIA:
What are the 3 most common types of tattoos that are removed?? (As voted by our dermal therapists)
#1- Names
#2-Tribal patterns
#3- Animals