Things That Looked Good Years Ago, Don't Look So Good Now.

If you have a tattoo that is fading, or just not what you want anymore, there is help. St. Louis Skin Solutions now does tattoo removal.

October 14, 2004 -- If spring breaks or wild nights from years ago left you with tattoos and memories you would like to forget, there is now an answer for you. At St. Louis Skin Solutions, tattoo removal has become a popular treatment.

As the popularity of tattoos has increased, so has the number of patients requesting tattoo removal. Laser tattoo removal is a safe, effective way of eliminating dermal inks with minimal side effects. The energy from the laser fragments the pigment particles in the tattoo making them small enough to be absorbed by the body. The number of treatments needed depends how much ink is in the tattoo; usually several are required. Different pigments respond at different rates. Since there is no regulation of injectable tattoo ink there is no way of knowing exactly what substances were used in the tattoo. This makes it difficult to predict how many treatments will be necessary to clear the pigment.

Tattoo removal is slightly uncomfortable. A topical anesthetic can be applied prior to treatment to ease any discomfort. There may be some scabbing while the skin heals. Generally treatments should be 4 to 8 weeks apart to allow for maximal recovery and pigment absorption by the body. The time each treatment takes depends on the size of the tattoo. Most sessions run from 10 to 30 minutes.

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