Laser Tattoo Removal- How effective is it?

Tattoos can be traced back for thousands of years throughout history, falling in and out of fashion along the way. Fast forward to today and what was once seen as ‘subculture style’ is now very much at the forefront of fashion.

It’s hard to turn on the television, open up the latest glossy magazine or walk down the street without seeing body art in some shape or form! Many of favourite singers, models and sporting heroes are renowned for their ink, bringing tattoos in to the mainstream more than ever before.

Yet, as tattoo accessibility and popularity increases, so does the need for laser tattoo removal. Whether it’s simply to amend a design or a complete change of heart, tattoo removal services are now widely sought after.

With so many different clinics and parlours offering this laser treatment, using different technologies and techniques, it’s not always simple finding the ideal fit for you. That’s why we thought we’d take you through the basics of our Fotona laser system of choice!

How does it work?

Here at the Dr Tanja Phillips Medical Aesthetic Clinic in Hampshire, we use a high powered Fotona laser. The Fotona Starwalker MAQX is an award-winning Q-switch laser that can effectively remove complex and multi-coloured tattoos.

Our technique uses a two-phase process, all undertaken at one sitting. In the first phase, micro-channels are created over the tattoo using a special hand piece. This helps the laser energy to reach deeper ink pigments and therefore remove pigment more effectively. The second phase uses a photo-acoustic effect to break down the pigment into tiny  particles. These are then naturally absorbed by the body’s immune system and your treatment is over!

Does it hurt?

To make the experience as comfortable as possible for our patients, a local anaesthetic cream is applied to the area prior to treatment. The use of an anaesthetic cream is easy to apply, unlike injectable anaesthetics that are recommended with other laser removal techniques. It is also fast-acting.

How effective is it?

Amateur tattoos are always the easiest to remove, whereas professional ones may require more treatment sessions. The tattoo will fade slowly between treatments as the body removes the remainder of the tattoo pigment naturally. Take a look below at the before and after results using the Fotona Starwalker:

How many sessions are needed?

Dr Tanja will set out and discuss each patients bespoke treatment in their initial consultation. It’s not ‘one size fits all’! The number of sessions required will depend on the size of the tattoo, as well as it’s location, depth and colour.

The team at Dr Tanja Medical Aesthetic Clinic Hampshire have had great success using the Fotona Starwalker and are able to achieve the best possible results for our patients using this incredible technology. So, why look any further!

If you’re based in Hampshire or the surrounding areas and would like to know more about laser tattoo removal or want to book your consultation, get in touch with us here.