The Best Laser Tattoo Removal in Toronto

Tattoos are a fantastic way to express yourself and your personal autonomy. However, not all tattoos age as gracefully as we do. After some time passes, the ink that you once loved may no longer suit your interests or lifestyle. It's not a rare occurrence to regret your tattoo, and in some cases, a tattoo artist just simply missed the mark. It's not a pleasant feeling walking away with a permanent body modification that you're simply not sure about. For years there was not much you could do about it besides shrugging it off and learning to live with it. These days, however, you're not stuck with a lifetime of lousy ink and regret; the possibilities have come a long way. Tattoos can be modified, faded, or even removed entirely.

 

Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work?

Yes, laser tattoo removal treatments work. It wasn't long ago that laser tattoo removal wasn't as effective as it is now. Early lasers worked best with solid black tattoos and weren't as effective with colors. Lighter colors were even more challenging to remove, as finding the right laser frequency wasn't quite mastered yet. Modern laser tattoo removal is much more effective. Better technologies and practices ensure that even lightly colored tattoos are zapped by laser light. As long as you have patience and can handle a bit of discomfort, nothing is stopping you from getting an unwanted tattoo removed. With today's top-of-the-line lasers and our qualified removal technicians, you can expect a complete reduction of your unwanted tattoo. Before your removal sessions start, one of our removal specialists will consult with you to create a tailored plan of action. Whether you want a simple fade to make room for additions or alterations to your tattoo, or if you're interested in a complete removal, we're here to help. Once you let us know what you're looking for we'll come up with the best way to get it done. To explain how laser tattoo removal works, you first need to understand how the ink settles onto your body. Tattoos are placed by embedding pigment directly into a layer of your skin. Your body detects the ink as a foreign object and immediately tries to remove it with white blood cells. It's easy for the blood cells to remove the smaller particles of color, which is why you notice that your tattoo fades over time. Larger chunks of pigment are too big for white blood cells to remove, which is what you see when you're looking at a tattoo. Our Q-switched lasers irradiate those larger clumps of pigments with specific frequencies of light. It flash heats them and blows them up, making them into smaller pigment pieces that can be removed by the white blood cells. It takes several sessions to eradicate a tattoo, and you'll need a few weeks of recovery in between sessions. But, if you've got ink that you regret or would like to make changes to, call us to set up a free consultation. We're one of the best tattoo removal specialists in the Toronto Area, and we'll make sure you get what you want.

 

Can Tattoos Be Fully Removed?

Yes, you can remove an entire tattoo. But we can’t guarantee the same results for each client. The quality of the removal depends on various factors, including skin types and the location and pigment of your tattoo. The laser frequency works better with some colors than others and can disrupt the skins' natural pigment. Each customer is different, as is each tattoo. Tattoo removal treatments are guaranteed to lighten any tattoo, but complete removal depends on the aforementioned factors. In any case, you'll see a drastic reduction in the visibility of any tattoo. You'll see results after the first treatment, and each successive treatment reduces the image further. The number of treatments you'll need depends on the size of the tattoo and its color. More complex tattoos with more pigment variation will require more treatments to remove. The worst-case scenario of laser removal treatment is that a slight ghost image of the original tattoo is left behind. It's also important to keep in mind that the skill of the tattoo artist who originally placed it matters. Removal may bring old scarring that resulted from the tattoo to the surface.

 

What Are the Easiest Tattoos to Remove?

The easiest tattoos to remove are solid black tattoos. Laser light operates on specific frequencies of light. Certain colors reflect more light than others, while dark colors, such as black and blue, absorb more of the light spectrum. If a tattoo pigment reflects the frequency of the laser light, it won't absorb as much energy and therefore won't dissolve. Black absorbs all light spectrum colors, which means that there is no power lost when the laser hits it. Black tattoos will come off much faster, and generally with fewer treatments. Tattoos that have a more solid design also tend to have better removal outcomes. When pigment particles are more concentrated, they dissolve with more ease. Dark shades of blue and green fall into the same category as black ink and can be removed quite easily. On the other hand, lighter colors such as yellow and white are more stubborn. They reflect more of the light spectrum and thereby have increased resistance to laser treatments. In those cases, we need to adjust the light frequency on the laser to make sure that the tattoo color will absorb it. With current technology, it's possible to remove or reduce any tattoo. Keep in mind, though, that not all removal plans are one and the same. Different tattoos require different approaches, which is why we offer free consultations. There's no predicting how many sessions you'll need until you discuss it with a removal specialist who has your best interests in mind.

 

How Painful Is Laser Tattoo Removal?

A common concern with laser tattoo removal treatments is the pain associated with it. If you've browsed online to find answers on this topic, you've likely encountered horror stories that are steering you away from removing your tattoo. Luckily, this is just a misconception. Laser removal is on par with the pain you felt when you first got your ink. You are getting shot with a laser, so there's bound to be some discomfort involved. But if you recall what getting your tattoo felt like, rest assured that the pain associated with laser removal is nothing you've never felt before. Each person experiences pain differently. And because pain is subjective, it's hard to determine whether or not it's bearable for you. One thing we can say is that you'll certainly experience discomfort. Whether or not it surpasses your threshold is something we can't predict. Customers who have naturally sensitive skin will likely experience more pain than others. If you're prone to sunburns and rashes, you should take your skin's sensitivity into account. Clients also tend to experience discomfort for a week or more after each session while the skin is healing. You're damaging your skin with a highly focused light, which means you will feel tenderness and possible bleeding for a while afterward. Although very uncommon, there may be some scarring after laser tattoo removal. But you don't need to worry, our staff will provide you with everything you need to know about the pain and the best ways to treat it. A myriad of helpful topical treatments and medications are available that we can point you towards.

 

Are Newer Tattoos Easier to Remove?

You may think it would be easier to remove a fresh tattoo rather than an older one. Interestingly enough, the opposite is true. Older tattoos take fewer sessions to remove because your body has already worked hard to get rid of them for longer. From the minute you get a new tattoo, your body's immune system works to get rid of it. The blood cells envelop it and try to carry off the pigments as soon as they enter your skin. It's easier to carry off the smaller pigments than the larger ones, which is why older tattoos look faded. All that's left of older tattoos are the larger chunks of pigment that weren't carried off by white blood cells. That means that the laser will disrupt any of the pigments it hits without interference from the smaller particles. You can still remove newer tattoos, but it may take a few more sessions on average compared to a tattoo that's been with you for a while.

Can You Shower After Laser Tattoo Removal?

You should wait at least two hours before showering after a laser tattoo removal treatment. Once the two hours are up, the answer is yes. You can shower. It's not recommended to go swimming or expose the treated skin to chemicals. The skin is often raw and could still be bleeding. If you notice some bleeding or blistering, avoid soaking the area. All these measures ward off the risk of infection, which you should avoid at all costs. Infections can turn severe and require further medical attention. That means you shouldn't put anything on or near the treated area that isn't listed in your aftercare instructions.

 

Conclusion

Ideally, you'll never have any reason to regret your tattoo. And in a perfect world, everyone would be as happy with their ink today as they were when they got it. But plenty of people change their minds, and perhaps you are one of them. If you're interested in a free consultation with a tattoo removal specialist in Toronto, Chronic Ink is here to help you make your decision. Our team of experts will give you all the information you need and walk you through the step-by-step process.