LASER TATTOO REMOVAL
ASSISTED WITH MICRONEEDLING
The average person knows that tattoos can be removed by
laser, but what they don’t know is that it isn’t nearly that simple, not by any
stretch. For one thing tattoo removal is more painful—and certainly more
trouble—than getting the tattoo was in the first place. The cost, hassle and
discomfort will depend on the size of the tattoo and the ink colors involved.
Black ink and shading will respond more readily than yellows and greens,
although some laser wavelengths may still be effective. Also, some tattoos
never fully fade away, while others are very resistant to treatment.
More than that, people tend to vastly underestimate the
number of treatments it takes to get to the end. Laser manufacturers and some
spas or laser treatment centers may claim to be able to remove a tattoo in five
or six treatments. The actual number is more like 15 treatments on average,
according to Kristen Ward, head esthetician and office manager at Aesthetica
Medical Spa in Lindon, Utah. “People come in with unresolved tattoos and say
someone else promised them removal in six sessions, and that’s just not the way
it works,” she said. In truth, while some situations may exist where the size
and color of the tattoo, the health of the individual and other factors come
together to provide such an outcome in six sessions, it is not the norm or even
close to it.
Enter Dermapen micro needling tattoo removal . About the
size of a large felt tip marker, the easy-to-use handheld device features a
disposable, sterile tip with an array of eleven surgical steel micro-needles
for safe fractional dermal-needling. It is minimally-traumatic fractional
micro-wounding via piston-driven needle oscillation is safe to use and may be
of benefit to the session, according to Ward who is currently overseeing the
device used in that manner—on herself. “I have a 1” by 5” tattoo that’s been
resistant to lasers, so we decided to try using Dermapen first, in the hope
that it might improve the results.” Confident in its safety, Ward—who is also
the staff trainer for every device in the spa—had one of her estheticians use
Dermapen on her tattoo immediately before applying normal laser treatment.
After applying topical anesthetic, the user performed three
passes of Dermapen (1.5 mm depth, 90 Hz needle insertion speed) over the area.
Afterward, a combination vitamin C and E cream was applied, with normal laser
treatment soon after (using the Alex TriVantage from Syneron-Candela, 755 nm wavelength,
4.5 mJ, spot size 3). The difference was more than noticeable. “I would
characterize the result as at least 60% better improvement than with laser
alone in this case,” she said.
While at this stage the result is preliminary (though
encouraging), and no actual histological study or analysis has been performed,
Ward has a few theories about how Dermapen may be positively affecting the
tattoo area. First, the holes in the epidermis created by Dermapen may improve
the penetration of laser light and/or improve absorption of the wavelength by
the target chromophore (tattoo ink). Another is that Dermapen may break up or
otherwise affect more superficial ink that the laser isn’t treating.
“We adjust
the spot size of the laser to treat different layers of implanted tattoo ink,”
Ward explained, “and some ink may be too superficial to absorb enough energy to
cause fracturing of the pigment for subsequent removal by the body’s natural
waste removal processes. Dermapen may affect that layer of ink.” Another possibility
is that because Dermapen wounding stimulates the healing and debris removal
processes of the body, it may create a situation where this stimulation
improves removal of fractured ink. “Simply put, fibroblasts are activated and
they remove the particles of fractured ink, but only for so long. That’s why
some of the tattoo removal result depends on the health of the individual,
whose fibroblasts may activate in greater quantity and for a longer time than
those of another person.” One, none, or any combination may be true and further
study would be necessary before a real conclusion could be drawn.
Ultimately the hope is Dermapen might improve magnitude of
outcomes possible with a single session, thus reducing the total number of
sessions needed for clearance. It also may help fully resolve tattoos still
mildly visible, even after numerous sessions. Ward will be able to tell you in
several months. She’s continuing Dermapen of her previously resistant tattoo
until it’s resolved. “I’m also going to have them work on another small tattoo
I have as well and see how that goes,” she shared. Because of the success of
the initial session with Dermapen, Ward expects to begin offering
Dermapen-assisted tattoo removal by the end of 2013.
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