The way we think about tattoo removal these days is drastically different from some of the earlier methods; it’s only in the last ten years that laser treatments have really been refined. Luckily for you, we have a Removery Clinical and Safety Manager, Chelsea Labrecque, CLS/MLS, to explain a little bit about the history of tattoo removal. Once you hear about some of the original methods, you’ll be thankful for all of the advancements.
Tattooing dates back over five thousand years and has been used in various cultures for different reasons: Greeks and Romans used tattoos to mark slaves and criminals, while some African cultures used scarification to indicate social rank, political status, or religious authority.
When it comes to tattoo removal back in the day, the rudimentary methods sound incredibly painful at best. Rudimentary methods included using abrasive substances to scrape down the top layers of skin and remove the pigment, inflating a balloon underneath the skin to stretch it, then cutting the tattoo out and grafting it with extra skin, or even cryogenically freezing the tattoo and using microdermabrasion to remove it.
It wasn’t until 1967 that Dr. Leon Goldman, M.D., used a 694 Ruby laser and an Nd:YAG laser to remove a tattoo for the first time. Then in the 1980s, those same specialists began using CO2 lasers to remove tattoos, but that technology was still in its infancy and resulted in scarring and permanent pigmentation issues. Plus, it was extremely painful and required general anesthesia.
The early 90s brought about safer laser procedures with minimal side effects, thanks to Dr. Rox Anderson, M.D., and John A. Parrish, M.D., because of the development of short-pulsed width lasers and the theory of selective photothermolysis (selecting tissue and using a specific wavelength of light to target a specific area or chromosphere).
In the last ten years, laser treatments have really become refined by the introduction of new protocols, training, and technology. At Removery, they have been working with their proprietary “T2 Method” that was designed specifically to make the Candela PicoWay® more effective at removing the full color spectrum of stubborn ink.
We’re on a mission to give you the most straightforward, easy and efficient laser tattoo removal experience. Your estimate will be entirely bespoke to your tattoo; the size, the colors, the ink. It won’t take long and afterwards you’ll have a plan to finally get rid of your unwanted tattoo and get back to being you.
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