We hear the story over and over again: “I was following a trend and got this tattoo to surprise my significant other, but I’m no longer with that person.” Or, “I just got my dream job, but my tattoos can’t be visible in the workplace. Help!”

Fortunately, with today’s advanced laser technology (our YAG laser is the most current in tattoo-removal tools), we are able to obliterate the ink in most tattoos, but not damage the skin.

The laser emits light wavelengths that vaporize, or fragment, the ink particles. Then, the body is able to absorb these elements naturally, and the color usually fades over the next couple of weeks.

The best news is: laser tattoo removal is one of the safest, quickest, and most likely processes to leave your skin intact. Over the years, other removal options often resulted in serious scarring and had a potential for infection. With the laser, treatments may cause some redness and tenderness; plus, itching may be a relatively minor issue, but you should be able to have a treatment during your lunch break and return to work with no downtime.

Because tattoos are various sizes, and the types of inks used may vary, the number of treatments cannot be estimated until our Aesthetician, Melissa, looks at your specific artwork. Please understand the location of the tattoo, in addition to its age, determines the number of treatments necessary to completely remove the tattoo. Depending on how many treatments are required, removal appointments are usually scheduled four to eight weeks apart.

To schedule a tattoo-removal consult, contact Melissa at (850) 784-7722, Ext 117 at Gulf Coast Facial Plastics.