How Long to Wait to Remove a Tattoo

More and more people are getting tattoos today. This may very well be because everyone now knows you can easily remove a new tattoo. But when can you remove it? In this episode of DermTV, Dr. Schultz explains when you can remove a new tattoo.

Hello! I am Dr. Neal Schultz and welcome to the DermTV. Today, I'm going to tell you something about new tattoos that I'll bet you didn't know. More and more people are getting new tattoo's and for all sorts of good reasons. But I'll bet that one of those reasons is people have realized that if they don't like their tattoo or they want to remove their tattoo, it can be done easily, safely and without scarring by laser treatments. I'm going to let you use your imagination as to what the reasons are that people finally do decide to change or remove a tattoo, it can be the wrong color, it can be in the wrong place, maybe they're just not happy with it anymore or maybe it's a result of having had a few beers one night and then waking up the next morning and realizing maybe that wasn't such a good idea and lastly, it just may be the wrong name. But what most people don't understand about laser tattoo removal is that in order for the laser to work that tattoo has to set, has to be there for about two months. Let me explain why. When a tattoo is put in, ink is injected into the skin with particles and these particles have a color. They're relatively large particles in terms of the scale of the skin. These large particles are much too big for the body to get rid of, so they just stay there. It's sort of like if I were to try to take the large bookcase behind me out through a window-it just wouldn't fit. Lasers work by actually pulverizing those larger particles into tiny, tiny little particles and those little particles can then easily be taken away by the body and then the tattoo disappears. But here's the catch, it takes about two months for those new large particles to be acted on by cells and absorbed into the large cells that ultimately pulverizing will allow the body to remove. So, the bottom line is: Before you get your next tattoo, make sure it's the right color, the right shape and the right tattoo because once you get that tattoo whether you like it or not you're going to have to wear it for two months. Please join me again at DermTV.com. If you have a question, please send it to me by visiting DermTV.com/question. I am doctor Neal Schultz and thank you for watching today.