Important guidelines to consider when planning a tattoo removal

By Shari Roan
The Los Angeles Times

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive

• The removal should be done in an appropriate medical setting, such as a laser clinic or a doctor's office.

• Find out if the laser system the doctor plans to use is right for your skin type and your kind of tattoo. How many lasers does the doctor have? More lasers sometimes mean a greater ability to treat a wide range of tattoo ink colors and skin types. Some doctors have more experience than others with darker skin.

• Ask how many treatments will be involved and what the side effects and risk of the treatments are, such as scarring and white spots where the tattoo was removed along with some of the skin's natural pigment.

• Ask whether a test spot is necessary. Doctors will sometimes treat a very small patch of the tattoo to determine the result before moving ahead with a full treatment. Test patches are often performed on facial tattoos and tattoos on people with darker skin types.

• Find out what the total cost of the removal will be.

• Call the doctor if you experience pain, discomfort or discoloration after the procedure.

• If you opt for a tattoo, remember that yellows and greens tend to be the hardest colors of ink to remove. (That information might come in handy down the road.)

Source: American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and Times sources

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company