At Skynn Studio we use the Astanza Duality Laser

To allow the skin enough time to heal between treatments and the body’s immune system to flush away ink, we recommend a minimum of six weeks between laser sessions – and eight weeks for darker complexions. Stacking the treatments too close together can cause damage and permanent side effects to the skin and doesn’t allow the body enough time to remove the ink that was shattered at the most recent session. For ideal results, we recommend waiting three months between treatments.

Most patients will need between 5-8 treatments, some will see complete removal in 3 or 4, and others may need 10 or more treatments if there is significant scarring or layered tattoos.

Laser tattoo removal typically does involve some level of pain. That said, many say that it hurts less than they expected.

It’s a common belief that tattoo removal is excruciating, yet most laser tattoo removal patients say that the sensation of removal is comparable to having a tattoo applied. Common descriptions include the sensation of a rubber band snapping against the skin or bacon grease – basically it’s uncomfortable but bearable.

We recomend using an Over the Counter lidocane cream before your laser apppointment for max comfortability.

The most common side effects are:

• Redness

• Tenderness

• Swelling

• Blistering

• Scabs

• Bruising

• Hyperpigmentation

• Hypopigmentation

All of these side effects are temporary. Redness, tenderness, and swelling typically subside within a day or two following treatment. Blisters usually appear within 24 hours of treatment; sometimes the blisters are very large and may look alarming – this is completely normal. Scabs, bruising, and blistering may take up to a week or longer to heal.

Each pulse of the laser sends light energy into your skin. We use different wavelengths of laser light to treat different colors of ink in your tattoo. As the light energy is directed into your skin, it is selectively absorbed by the tattoo ink particles trapped in the dermis of your skin. When the ink particles absorb this energy, they instantly shatter into tiny fragments. Once the laser has broken the ink into smaller pieces, your body’s immune system works to remove the ink over the following weeks, flushing it away from the tattooed area. We see the result of this as the tattoo lightening in appearance. Each additional laser treatment breaks down more and more ink until the tattoo can no longer be seen.