It seemed like a good idea at the time: a tattoo. You told yourself, It's as if I have art on my body! but as you got older, you thought of more pragmatic questions, How will I explain this to my children? What if it stretches? While these were things you probably should have thought of before committing to permanent ink, it's not too late to fix the problem: Laser Tattoo Removal can help to remove unsightly self-inflicted blemishes.
Laser Tattoo Removal Results of Dr. Janee Steinberg
Recently seen on The Doctors, several patients came on set to talk tattoo regrets. Whether it was a self-proclaimed moniker, an ex's initials or work done by an inexperienced artist, these women wanted their tattoos off. One such patient went to see laser specialist Roberta Moradfar, R.N. of Laser Away to have her large tattoo removed. According to Moradfar, the laser selectively targets the ink and vaporizes the pigments within - leaving surrounding skin undamaged.
An important thing to note, says Boca Raton dermatologist Dr. Janee Steinberg is for tattoos that have a variety of colors, several different lasers and sessions are required. Laser tattoo removal cannot be performed in one session, as this would be too aggressive and may cause severe scarring. Another fact that Dr. Steinberg stresses is patient expectation, "Greens, purples, oranges and yellows are very difficult to remove. The patient has to understand from the very beginning, that you may not be able to remove every bit of ink that they have." Blacks and blues are the most effectively treated with laser tattoo removal.
Laser Tattoo Before and After Photos by Dr. Janee Steinberg
Dr. Steinberg has treated many patients who are now working in a more conservative environment or find their tattoos hinder them from getting the job they want, "There are many people who come to me and they say, 'I did this when I was young and foolish and now I'm grown up and in the business world," says Dr. Steinberg. She has seen a myriad of tattoo designs but her goal is to remove the ink and restore her patients' confidence.
And if you thought it hurt when you were getting the tattoo, even with numbing agents and topical anesthetics, laser tattoo removal is no walk in the park. "It probably hurts a lot more to remove the tattoo than to put it on," says Dr. Steinberg, "But with numbing creams, topical lidocaine anesthetics, local injections and maybe sedation in some cases, it's doable most people put up with it they're motivated they want that tattoo off."
The cost of laser tattoo removal varies due to market, availability and of course, the size of the tattoo under question. But as Moradfar points out, it is not a treatment to take on lightly as it requires approximately 6-10 treatments and at $30-$55 a square inch, it could cost between to $6,000-$12,000 for an entire round of treatments.
As The Doctors cast member Dr. Travis Stork points out, if you're considering a tattoo, it may do yourself good to ask yourself at least 3-4 times if you really want it before committing to permanent ink - especially in light of the time and expense required to remove it.
