Choosing a Laser Tattoo Removal Facility

As a Fort Worth Native, you may love the good ol' days of the Texas Cowboy: rodeos, round-ups, and open plains. If you have a tattoo, however, you probably don't want to resort to tattoo removal by the same means as those used by the 1800's cowboys on the prairies of Cowtown. Sure, cooking beans in a cast iron pot over a wild campfire overlooking the Trinity River sounds fantastic, but what about scrubbing off that tattoo with a sandstone rock or having "Ol' Cookie" use a branding iron to burn it off? Doesn't sound so appealing! Fortunately for 21st century cowboys and cowgirls, tattoo removal has made some major advances. One of those advances came when lasers made their way into the medical field.

The big question today, however, is how do you select a laser tattoo removal facility? To put it simply, it gets confusing in a hurry when you try to start looking up information on the web.

Laser tattoo removal itself has come a long way since its onset in the late 1980's, when pulsed lasers made laser medical procedures a reality. Since then more and more research has been done to determine just what frequency and wavelength is required to remove tattoos. With different lasers at varying wavelengths and frequencies, great accuracy can be achieved in removing a wide variety of colors. So how the heck do you make sense of it all?

Here's how you choose:

1) Make sure they're using the right Laser for the job. With so much research out there you would think that every laser facility from Sundance Square to Will Rogers Memorial Center and beyond would be using the right laser. Unfortunately that is not the case. With so many lasers on the market, each designed for a specific procedure, it is tough for the consumer to know which one is right for their particular laser procedure. As far as tattoo removal goes, one of the cutting edge lasers available is the Astanza Trinity.

The Astanza Trinity Nd:YAG and Ruby Q-switched laser is used for complete tattoo removal as well as removal of a wide variety of skin discolorations, such as age spots, sun damage, freckles, and birthmarks. This laser targets pigment and nothing more. It pulses more intensely with more heat and at 1/1 trillionth of a second pulses than a hair removal laser. By comparison, a hair removal laser has a longer pulse length (1/1000 of a second) and less heat/intensity. A hair removal laser will heat the tissue for a much longer period of time as it's goal is to kill the hair follicles. A tattoo removal laser needs to heat the ink just enough for the pigment to shatter. If a hair removal laser was used for tattoo removal, scarring would be extremely common. Unfortunately, many facilities use a hair removal laser to try and remove tattoos. With a little research, Fort Worth residents can be confident that the right laser for their procedure is available.

Here's a tip: if you are getting your tattoo removed by a laser and seeing no results after 1 treatment, they're probably either using the wrong laser or don't have it calibrated properly.

2) Do they offer free consultations? An FAQ page on a website is a great start, but it is no substitute for sitting down with a certified laser specialist and asking questions yourself. Each person and each procedure is unique. You need to have the opportunity for the laser specialist to get to know you and your unique situation. The specialist needs to have time to inspect your specific tattoo or skin discoloration, and at least a minor health history needs to be taken. Though not many, there are some contraindications to laser treatment.

If the facility isn't willing to give you a reasonable assessment of treatment times and costs, be wary. Using the correct laser should get consistent results, so a well-trained staff member should be able to give a decent assessment upfront.

3) What is the Facility Like? While not as important as the proper laser and confident, friendly staff, another factor to consider when choosing a laser facility, is the atmosphere of the facility itself. Push come to shove, this is a medical procedure. If the facility is not representative of a medical standard, walk away. A legitimate laser facility will be overseen by a doctor and be aware of the cleanliness and atmosphere that needs to go with a healthcare procedure.

4) How well trained is the staff? And last but certainly not least, remember the aforementioned certified laser specialist? Although not required by law, you should look for a facility with at least one certified laser specialist on staff. You want to know that the person performing your procedure is knowledgeable and confident in their abilities and also comfortable working with the laser.

Make sure no matter where the facility is located that you are confident that their laser is the right one for your procedure and you are comfortable with the staff as well as the atmosphere of the facility itself. You want your skin to be healthy after your tattoo is removed, not look like you've been out riding the range for the last 50 years getting scarred and battered!

Whether you are just contemplating a laser procedure or are ready to get started, make sure you do some research. Ask questions, and be confident in the laser facility you choose. Vanish Laser Tattoo Removal and Skin Aesthetics is here to serve Fort Worth and surrounding communities with all their laser pigment removal needs. Visit our website for more information, http://www.vanishdfw.com, or call our office at 817-585-4100 to schedule your free consultation.