Laser Tattoo Removal Treatment

The first step to take is to book a consultation with one of our highly experienced Clinic Practitioners. You will run through your full medical history and the treatment will be explained to you. If you decide to go through with Laser tattoo removal, an appointment with one of our practitioners will be arranged for you.

The area is likely to bleed and scab over to form a crust. If you have red ink treated you may well get blisters. Do NOT pick or scratch any blisters or scabs as this can lead to scarring. The area will usually heal within around 2 weeks. You may apply Aloe Vera gel to the area to soothe it.

The laser treatment feels hot but is very fast. You will be required to wear protective eye goggles during treatment. We do not advise using anaesthetic cream prior to treatment as it can affect the results.

The sensation is described by many people as stinging slightly and therefore is easy to tolerate. The sensation is in many ways similar to the sensation of having a tattoo applied, but far quicker so the sensation does not last for long. It is quite normal for a crust to appear in the skin above the old tattoo, this will heal after a week.

The laser that we use has 2 different wavelengths and is suitable for treating most colours of ink. Tattoos with black, yellow, red and orange colours respond well to laser treatment, some colours however like aqua blue, green, pink, purple and white can be difficult to remove.

Each tattoo varies and will respond differently to the treatment. However as a rough guide a professional tattoo will take between 6 and 12 treatments before it is faded away, while amateur tattoos will often take between 2 to 6 sessions. It is of course possible that some will take longer than this. In order to provide a better estimation we would recommend booking a consultation with one of our therapists.

When laser tattoo removal technology first began, it received bad press. These early surgical CO2 lasers sometimes burnt the skin and could cause significant scarring. Todays lasers are far more advanced and work in a different way by focusing the light only on the ink pigment which is then carried away by the body's immune system.

Over the last 2 decades, Mary White our Prescribing Nurse has successfully removed thousands of tattoos without scarring. It is normal for the skin to appear darkened or lightened after the treatment and this should reduce over time. Mary played an integral part of the advent of Q-Switched lasers for tattoo removal into the UK back in 1992/1993 and carried out trials with these lasers. These are the same lasers that are still used today for tattoo removal. We do not exaggerate the nature of this treatment nor mislead you about the length of time it will take to clear your tattoo. 20 years of experience has taught us which tattoos do and don’t respond quickly.

The cosmetic laser industry is sadly unregulated at present, and this means than non-medically qualified practitioners can carry out laser treatments that are potentially dangerous. With Outline you are in safe hands. Don’t trust your safety, well being and health to a non qualified clinic or tattoo artist studio. As a medical led clinic we can also guide you through any problems, side effects or difficulties that non medics simply cannot. We would always recommend a sunblock, with a minimum SPF30,during the laser treatment period.