Tattoo Removal Specialist

Tattoos can be a great way to express yourself or memorialize something special, but not everyone is as excited about their ink as they once were. Tattoo removal can help deliver a clean slate and is available from Weston Waxweiler, MD, and Nathan Clever, DO, FAOCD, FAAD, of Southern Skin and Beauty Bar, with locations in Cumming and Dawsonville, Georgia. If you’d like to learn more about what to expect from tattoo removal, call or book your personalized exam online. 

Why are tattoos difficult to remove?

The same process that makes tattoos such a lasting form of art also makes them difficult to remove. When you get a tattoo, a motorized needle delivers ink into the deeper layers of your skin. 

Your body identifies that ink as a foreign substance and launches a swift response to try and clear it. Smaller ink particles are swept into your lymphatic system and eliminated from your body in your urine, just like dead cells and other waste products. 

But the larger ink particles are too big to be removed in this way. They effectively become trapped in the deeper layers of your skin and remain visible. The only way to remove them is to break those ink particles into smaller bits without harming the surface of your skin. 

How does laser tattoo removal work?

Laser tattoo removal works by using controlled beams of light to generate heat in the pigment of your tattoos. This heat blasts the ink particles into smaller pieces. Your body can then effectively carry the particles away through your lymphatic fluid. 

Southern Skin and Beauty Bar is proud to offer the PICO Genesis® FX system by Cutera®. During treatment, the laser delivers picosecond pulses of energy. That energy creates heat in the colored ink particles but does not affect the surrounding skin. 

You may feel a snapping or heating sensation on your skin during treatment. A degree of swelling and tenderness is normal after sessions, but there is no need for anesthesia or downtime. Wear sunscreen to protect your skin after treatments.  

How long does it take to remove a tattoo completely?

It can take multiple treatments to remove all traces of a tattoo. Some colors of ink are more responsive to laser treatment than others. Black ink is among the easiest colors to remove. 

Other factors in tattoo removal include the depth of the tattoo, the color of your skin, and what kinds of shading techniques were used for the tattoo. Larger tattoos will take more time to remove than smaller ones, and multiple treatments are needed to cover all ink particles. 

If you’d like more information on laser tattoo removal, call the office today to schedule a visit. Online booking is also an option and takes just a few moments to complete.