Who can get laser tattoo removal?
AW3 Laser tattoo removal treatments are effective on most ink colours and are safe for all skin types. Skin type is determined using the Fitzpatrick scale. Darker skin types may require extra care and we will customize treatment to suit your needs.
What tattoos can be treated?
Professional tattoos: These are placed 2-3mm into the dermis and are usually comprised of colours and dense ink. These tattoos can be harder to remove.
Amateur tattoos: These usually consist of blue and black inks and often are not as deep so the ink may not be as dense. These are easier to remove than professional tattoos.
Semi-permanent makeup: Not as deep as the above two but the pigment can contain Iron that does not respond well to the laser treatment. These types of tattoos can also be in hazardous areas that are no advisable to treat, such as eyeliner. We strongly advise not treating the eyelids.
How many treatments do I need?
Clients will see a reduction after the first treatment. However, full tattoo removal can potentially take 3-12 sessions with six-week intervals, depending on the ink colour and how deep it is in the skin. More sessions may be necessary for more clients.
Many variables affect the number of treatments that each tattoo need such as age of tattoo, depth of ink, ink colours/type, client health, location on the body, density of the ink, pre-existing scarring as well as other factors.
How long does a treatment take?
Treatment duration depends on the size of the tattoo; a small tattoo might take 5 minutes; large or multiple tattoos could take an hour or more.
Does it hurt?
Pain depends on the type of tattoo, the amount of treatment required and individual pain threshold. Some clients describe it as no more than uncomfortable, while others describe it as an elastic band flicked against the skin. Advice on pain relief is available during your consultation.
What are common side effects?
As the ND YAG Q switch hits a tattoo, a loud cracking noise is heard when the tattoo ink absorbs the photo shock wave. This is normal and lessens as the tattoo fades over the course of treatments.
White gas bubbles may rise on the skin immediately. This is a good sign that heat has been released from the shattered ink particles. This usually disappears within 20 minutes of treatment.
Pin-point bleeding may occur and this is due to the tiny blood vessels within the skin erupting. This should stop within 20 minutes of treatment.
There may be skin redness and temporary swelling due to the heat and intensity of the treatment.
All of these side affects are considered normal and should clear up within 20 minutes to a few hours of treatment.
Do I need to take special precautions before and after treatment?
The AW3 ND YAG Q-switch technology can treat all skin types as long as you are in good health and do not have hypo/hyper- pigmentation, tanned or Keloid scarring in your family or personal history.
A patch test will be conducted prior to treatment to access skin reaction. This is a legal requirement. After patch testing, it is advised to wait 20 minutes before leaving to ensure any pin-point bleeding (if any) has stopped.
For more information, visit our pre and post treatment guidelines.