Everything You Need to Know About Tattoo Removal

Like Megan Fox who was, perhaps, a little excited when getting a Marylin Monroe tattoo on her forearm, or Eva Longoria, who had her wedding date etched on her body with her ex-husband Tony Parker, some tattoos are not meant to last forever. As medical technology has advanced, laser tattoo removal has become more common for those wishing to get rid of their body ink. L'OFFICIEL spoke with Dr. Astrid Elfandi of the Pasquier Institute about the ins and outs of the procedure, and what methods she uses at her clinic.

L'OFFICIEL: Are you seeing an increase in demand for tattoos right now?  

Dr. Astrid Elfandi: Yes, with the arrival of more beautiful days, the arms are bared—shoulders and legs too. The season lends itself to revealing the vestiges of youthful mistakes, tattoos that have aged badly, or the desire to be able to wear new, more modern tattoos. Some are already thinking about the start of the school year as well, about professional retraining not allowing them to keep their tattoo(s).

L'O: Are some more stubborn than others?

The tenacity is evaluated according to the number of sessions necessary until the tattoo is erased. The most important things that we have to take into account are the color of the patient's skin, the type of ink used for the tattoo, the amount and depth of encrustation of the pigment, and most importantly, the color of the pigment used. So that the laser does not destroy the pigments of the skin at the same time as those of the tattoo, the more skin is pigmented, the more we must reduce the power of the laser shots, which leads to an increase in the number of sessions necessary to arrive at the end of the tattooed pigment. Handcrafted tattoos with natural inks erase well and in a few sessions. Tattoos with large amounts of ink and deeply encrusted require a greater number of sessions to obtain a satisfactory attenuation of the pigment (knowing that some can never be completely erased and will always leave a kind of relief on the skin). Regarding the pigment of the ink, each color corresponds to a wavelength. Some lasers can only target certain wavelengths. With the laser that we use, the best results are seen on the black pigments, then, in order, on the blues, greens, and browns. Tattoos with colors associated with those of the sunset (red, orange, yellow) are more difficult to extract, especially yellows. As for white pigments, currently, no laser allows their treatment.


L'O: What technique do you use?  

At the Institut Pasquier, we use the PicoSure laser from Cynosure, the fastest and most risk-free technology to erase natural (age spots) or artificial (tattooing) pigmentary “spots.” This is because it uses three different wavelengths to target a wide range of pigment colors, emits so much energy that it keeps the number of sessions as low as possible, and has such a short heat pulse duration (a picosecond), that it minimizes the duration of painful sensations and the risk of burning or post-procedure scarring.

L'O: What happens during the session?

Each session lasts between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the surface to be treated, and the wearing of protective glasses is compulsory. The laser impacts cause a whitening of the tattoo and sometimes small bleeding or bubbles (blisters). Even if from the first session, after a few weeks, the tattoo appears less dense, several sessions are necessary to get rid of it properly; these are spaced four to six weeks apart so that the skin has time to heal. As we do not know the nature of the ink, nor its quantity, nor its depth, it is impossible to predict with certainty the number of sessions required. This is why we start on a basis of eight to 10 sessions, and we re-evaluate this number downwards or upwards depending on the results obtained.
 

L'O: How do you rate the pain level?  

I will say moderately painful (often less than the tattoo itself). Truth be told, the sensation of a Picosure laser shot is similar to the little splashes of hot butter or oil that you sometimes get while cooking. The majority of patients do not need an anesthetic cream, but for comfort, some prefer to apply one locally, one to two hours before the session.

L'O: After the session, what are your recommendations?  

At the end of the session, we apply a thick layer of healing ointment to the treated area, which is covered with a bandage. Prolonged immersion in a humid environment (bath, swimming pool) is prohibited, but showers are authorized provided the treated area is not wet during the first 48 hours. Subsequently, the area may be wet, but not rubbed. Also, the use of mild soap is recommended, while avoiding the direct application of soap or water jet on the treated area. In post-procedure effects, we find swelling and redness (for about a week), bumps (which fall in 10-12 days), and even blisters (which are not to be pierced). The healing time differs from one patient to another but for a few weeks, it will be necessary to protect the treated area, hence the interest of continuing to make redress the wound. On scabs and blisters, apply a fatty substance such as petroleum jelly (and if they pierce, try an antibiotic ointment). Then a return to normal is observed in about two weeks and the skin can be left in the open air but exposure to the sun will be deterred throughout the duration of the treatment and up to one month after the last session. Sun protection will be essential for six months.