There are many options for eliminating the discomfort associated with laser tattoo removal, from local injections to topical creams and more. No option will completely eliminate the associated discomfort and most come with drawbacks.
Local injections are administered with a needle in multiple areas throughout the tattoo. The tattoo removal procedure often times can be performed in less time than is necessary to administer the injections.
Topical creams must be applied at least 30 minutes prior to the laser treatment. Just before the procedure the area must be cleaned with alcohol which removes the majority of the cream. To further complicate the situation, any residual cream could reflect some of the laser’s energy resulting in less energy reaching the ink thus slightly diminishing the effectiveness of laser treatment.
Oral pain killers such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen must also be taken at least 30 minutes prior to laser treatment. Aspirin products and other pain killers with blood thinning qualities can counteract the immune system response thereby diminishing the effectiveness of laser treatment.
To avoid the drawbacks of the aforementioned pain killing options, Vanish uses a cryo unit to blow extremely cold air onto the treated area before, during, and for a few moments after treatment. This helps to cool and numb the area without the pain of needles, the time required for topical or oral anesthetics, or the counteractive properties of topical and some oral anesthetics.
Most patients at Vanish describe the pain associated with laser tattoo removal to be “about the same as getting a tattoo” or “not as bad as I expected. There are some who say that tattoo removal is extremely painful. Because no two patients are alike, we remind all of our patients that they are in complete control of their treatment. We can go as fast or as slow as is necessary for your treatment to be tolerable. The positioning of the cryo unit’s air is within the patient’s control as well.
At Vanish we strive to ensure the comfort of all of our patients. If there is something we can do to make your treatment more tolerable do not hesitate to let us know.