Over the years, your tattoo may have faded, the sun may have altered its colours and your body shape and skin may have changed, distorting your tattoo.  Your lifestyle and tastes may be different today, or you may just fancy a change.  Having your tattoo removed or altered is safe and simple with Dr. Laser.

Your first consultation at Dr. Laser is an essential part of the pre-treatment preparation.  It usually lasts 15 minutes, and involves:

         Taking a medical history;

         Examining the treatment area;

          Photographing the treatment area;

         A skin cancer check of the area (by a doctor who dual-specialises in skin cancer medicine) ;

         Lasering a small test patch;

         An explanation of the procedure, the risks and pain management;

         The chance to ask any questions you may have;

         Receiving an estimate of sessions required and price, and instructions for your first laser session.

To avoid skin damage, please keep the area to be treated out of the sun for at least 4 weeks before beginning treatment, and avoid spray tanning that area for two weeks before your first laser session.  The doctor may need to shave the treatment area before treatment can begin.

At Dr. Laser, there are no nurses, no dermal clinicians and no technicians, only qualified medical doctors.

At Dr. Laser, we use the Ultralase medical grade laser, and the doctors operating them have specific qualifications in laser work.

Similarly, the hyfrecators are medical grade and operated only by doctors with long experience in using them.

Laser treatments at Dr. Laser are quick and simple.  They consist of a series of bursts of light being applied to the skin, with the hand-piece of the Ultralase machine.

People often describe the sensation of laser treatments as “short and sharp,” like “flicks” or “flashes” on the skin.

At Dr. Laser, our patients’ comfort is paramount, so we discuss a range of pain management options.  The most helpful is local anaesthetic cream (EMLA) applied approximately 90 minutes before a treatment, to numb the area.  We will discuss this in your first consultation, and tailor subsequent treatments to your needs.

This depends on a number of things, including what is to be lasered and the size and number of areas to be treated.  In addition, for tattoo removal, the number of sessions depends on the colours used, the type and depth of ink and the tattooing technique used.  At Dr. Laser, your sessions will only be as long and as often as they need to be, to receive the results you’re looking for.

It is unlikely that any tattoo ink will fade to the level desired with fewer than four treatments, or that it’ll take more than ten.  If you do need more than ten sessions, we’ll do them free-of-charge for a year.

Freckles and small blood vessels are significantly quicker than this; sometimes disappearing after a single treatment.

For tattoo removal at Dr. Laser, treatment sessions are typically 6 weeks apart (with the gaps often lengthening later into the treatment cycle) so that the ink can be broken down and removed by the body, and any inflammation has time to settle.

For removal of other pigment (freckling, blood vessels etc.), it may be 4 to 6 weeks, depending on healing.  At the beginning of each session, your doctor will make an assessment of the level of fading and determine what further treatment is required.

The Ultralase lasers used at Dr. Laser work best on brown, black, dark greens, dark blues and red inks, so treatments of tattoos with these colours are likely to need fewer sessions than tattoos with other colours.

Yellows, light greens, pinks and oranges are harder to remove, and depend on the ingredients of the ink.  These colours typically have limited results.  If, at your first free consultation, your doctor does not believe that we can help significantly with your tattoo, we will refer you on to another practitioner who can help you get the result you want.

Whites are almost impossible to remove with any laser.

The component parts of your tattoo will be examined and discussed in detail at your initial consultation.

At Dr. Laser we use only the highest quality lasers, proven to produce high-quality results.  However, some inks are more difficult than others to break down, and some tattooing techniques are more steadfast. Laser therapy is known to be the most effective treatment for the removal of tattoos, some freckles and pigmentation.

Scarring is not a typical side effect of laser treatment.  You may experience a slight loss or gain of pigmentation or some swelling at the treatment site, but this will gradually disappear.  There is always a small chance of permanent pigment change with any skin treatment.  The risk for you and your skin will be discussed at your initial consultation, so it can be worked into your treatment plan.

The treatment site will be sore and pale immediately after treatment.  It will turn red and remain swollen and mildly sore for a few hours.  You may experience slight ‘pin-point’ bleeding or blistering and it may be quite sensitive for a few days after treatment.  The site will be covered with antiseptic cream and a dressing.

You will always be able to contact your doctor, should the need arise or you have any concerns in the period after a treatment.