The new ways to remove tattoos are also the most effective, the least painful and the least likely to cause scarring. Dermabrasion, cryosurgery, cutting out that portion of the skin and scrubbing the area with salt are some of the options that were used in the past.

Removing tattoos today usually involves the use of a Q-switched laser. Of these the Hoya Medlite C6 is considered to be the gold standard for this procedure.

Using laser to remove tattoos was originally demonstrated in 1961, but it took two decades before they became widely available. Price was still a big factor though, and it took a few more years before they were affordable enough to be widely used by tattoo removal specialists.

Hoya introduced the first of the C series in 1992 and has continued to upgrade and enhance them. You may be wondering how they work. Basically, they make use of the body’s natural healing ability.

The body naturally replaces skin cells on a continuous basis. This is why scars and tans eventually fade.

When small particles of dirt or other foreign material become lodged in the skin, the body eventually removes it though it’s natural healing process. It is either absorbed and cleared by the body’s lymphatic system or pushed out.

The pigment particles used in tattooing are too large to be removed through natural processes, which is why coming up with ways to remove tattoos has been difficult. Everyone knew that too much sunlight would fade the pigments eventually. It made sense that laser lights could be used to do the job faster.

Like other Q-switched lasers, the Medlite C6 works to break up the pigments into smaller particles that can be cleared by the body. It took time to develop the technique. There were obstacles having to do with light penetration and the color of the laser. Timing of the high energy pulses had to be exact in order to break up the pigment without burning the surrounding skin.

Hoya took all of this into account when developing their lasers. Their earlier C series models were only effective on black, dark blue and red inks. The Medlite C6 can effectively remove sky blue and green inks as well as the darker colors.

The Medlite C6 is not used by all professional, but it is uncommon that they would not be using some type of Q-switched laser. Other methods of tattoo removal just don’t compare.

Learn more about tattoo removal in St. Louis. Stop by Vanishing Point’s site where you can learn about the latest technology available for removing tattoos in St. Louis and the surrounding area.

Tags: Tattoos