Tattoo Removal

Plastic Surgery in Charleston, SC

Tattoos can be permanent reminders of temporary folly—an endless love that somehow ended, a fascination with a philosophy or a cartoon character, a night on the town with friends. Tattoos are often a decision made in haste and repented at leisure. Nearly half of people between 18 and 40 have tattoos, and about half of them wish they could get rid of the permanent mark. Fortunately, laser tattoo removal offers a way to get rid of your tattoo, without leaving a scar behind.

If you have a tattoo that you no longer want, please contact Dr. Brian G. Widenhouse at Port City Plastic Surgery to schedule a consultation. Your tattoo can be evaluated, and you can learn how long it may take to remove.

What Is a Tattoo?

A tattoo is made up of ink or other colored material that has been embedded in the dermis, a deep layer of the skin. Typically, this is done with a needle or other sharp object. Tattoos can be made with one or several colors of ink. Sometimes, tattoos are the result of an accident, and are composed of dirt, grit, or other material. While the outer layers of the skin are shed, this layer remains in place, along with the material that has been placed in it.

How Laser Tattoo Removal Works

Laser tattoo removal uses a principle similar to other laser procedures like laser hair removal, laser birthmark removal, and laser spider vein removal. Because the tattoo ink is darker than the skin around it, it absorbs more light energy. When a laser shines on the tattoo, the particles of ink are destroyed, while the skin around it experiences only mild heating. Each color of ink requires a different color of light to destroy it and not all the ink particles can be destroyed at once. This means that laser tattoo removal requires several treatment sessions to completely remove a tattoo.

At Port City Plastic Surgery, we use the VersaPulse laser that can emit several different colors of light. This facilitates the treatment of multicolored tattoos and may reduce the number of visits necessary to remove your tattoo. However, even a single-color tattoo generally requires at least two sessions to remove.

Once completed, the treatment results in tattoo removal with no incisions and no scars. It is not always possible to remove every trace of a tattoo, but for most people, the tattoo may become nothing more than a memory.

If you would like to have your tattoo evaluated for removal, please call or email plastic surgeon Dr. Brian G. Widenhouse in Charleston, South Carolina today to schedule an appointment.