tattoo removal

madlyn

i have a tattoo on my left shoulder i am considering have removed by laser.
it is around the size of a £2 coin and blue and green in colour.
does anyone know the best way to find a trusted, compitent and professional clinic to do this?

Chickabiddybex

Most tattoo parlours will do laser removal nowadays. Have a look at their portfolios, if they do rubbish tattoos chances are they do rubbish removals :P

Something so small shouldn't be a big deal though or too expensive

Bathory

I went to an established tattoo studio that had been in town for years which offered laser treatment and had gained good reviews, either on the internet or word of mouth, before deciding on treatment. I had part of a tattoo removed which was about an inch square, it cost 30 pounds per session and took 3 sessions so far (the damn thing is still a bit invisible). However, I was advised that black and red colours are easier to remove and green is the hardest to shift.

madlyn

i didnt expect tattoo studios to offer removal thought i would have to go to a cosmetic surgery clinic.
have found a studio near me that does removal and i'm going to do some research be for i commit myself.

heartbreak_star

Could you have it covered with a design you prefer?

HBS x

StuC75

Had a small tattoo laser treated last year (3 sessions at £20 a pop I think), do ask them about the type of laser used.

After 3 sessions it was ready for cover up work as was getting a better piece done and so its not as noticeable - the treatment also meant the cover piece could be finer \ lighter rather than going bold..

Agree with Bathory that Black \ red faded easier - I found the blue colour was difficult to blast - to do with the laser frequency needed to blast it down. So a mixture of Blue and green could be trouble?

Its worth looking at what your expectations are - 'complete' removal will take loads of sessions and may not be so successful depending on how long ago and how good the original work was..

If you want a coverup then speak to the artist and see what they might suggest..

Toothsmith

I have a laser and have been doing tattoo removal as a sideline for about 5 years now.

When I started, to operate a class IV laser, you needed registration from the Healthcare Commission. This was a whole load of hoops to jump through to prove you were appropriately trained, appropriately insured, appropriate maintenance contracts, a safe laser and had appropriate protocols and policies in line with running a health-based service.

There were also one or two tattoo studios who had acquired lasers and were doing it as very much a back-room sort of service.

A few years ago, the CQC took over from the Heathcare Commission, and shortly afterwards, laser tattoo removal was deemed a 'cosmetic' procedure, and it was completely de-regulated.

I think that was a big mistake.

There is now a huge range of people out there offering the service.

Some with quite cheap, scary lasers.

I think people should be very careful. Check out the qualifications of the person offering the service, the type of laser it is, whether insurance is held, whether the laser is regularly maintained, whether it is operated safely. You need to do it, because NOBODY ELSE IS. There is no regulation!

£20 for a laser removal session? I wouldn't trust my skin to that.

adandem

Toothsmith wrote: »

£20 for a laser removal session? I wouldn't trust my skin to that.

Can I ask why?
My daughter is having treatment on hers, she's moved back home so we need to find someone local.
Her sessions lasted 5 mins absolutely max, I personally don't think £20 is cheap for a 5 minute treatment?

madlyn

the place i have found charges £50 a session.
complete removal would be great but 80% i could live with.
and it seems loke a bit of a minefield out there, even if i think the clinic or studio are reputable and can answer the questions i ask. they may still not be that good.
and what sort of laser would a qualified and reputable person use for this type of thing??

Toothsmith

adandem wrote: »

Can I ask why?
My daughter is having treatment on hers, she's moved back home so we need to find someone local.
Her sessions lasted 5 mins absolutely max, I personally don't think £20 is cheap for a 5 minute treatment?

My - tattoo specific, high end, Italian medical laser cost me £40k. They don't last forever, and need regular maintenance by highly skilled laser engineers. It costs me more to insure myself for it for me and my nurse, than my dental indemnity insurance costs me.

We maintain the same cross infection protocols as I use for the dental practice. Gloves and masks are mandatory. The correct safety goggles cost £140 each last time I bought some and they don't last forever either.

I have appointed a laser protection advisor as a go-to person in case I need safety advice. This was a condition of the insurance, even though I've never needed to speak to him.

I charge £90 a session, or £125 if it's a larger area.

Had I bought a cheap Bejing copy laser for £2k or less, not bothered with insurance, training and just used some dark Foster Grants (which look very similar) I could probably knock off 5 main appts for £20. Especially if I didn't clean things in between patients! (You should see how much vapourized fat sticks to the handpiece!)

Now - where would you feel best for your daughter to have her tattoo removed?

the_devil_made_me_do_it

My other half decided to skip the tattoo studio tattoo removal & went to Laserase.

This company is a recognised tattoo removal clinic & in my case it is based at Freemans Hospital in Newcastle. It is a lot more expensive than a tattoo studio, but they are registered, regulated and audited by the Care Quality Commission.

They do have clinics across the UK and offer a very professional service. They also have over 20 years experience too which is a bonus.

During the consultation they explained all the pros & cons. They also said that they do each treatment 12 weeks apart as this reduces any risk of scarring. Black is easy to remove, other colours, including white, will take more sessions as these are very difficult to remove.



Here is the link to their website:

http://www.laserase.com/tattoo-removal/