How it works; laser tattoo removal.

The ink particles in tattooed skin are very difficult to get rid of. In fact, your body is always trying to do it but simply can’t. It recognizes the ink particles as foreign objects and sends an army of white blood cells to break them down and eliminate them. But because those ink particles are so much larger, these white blood cells are powerless against them. (The most they can do is slowly erode it – which is why your tattoo will eventually fade – but they’ll never succeed in eliminating it).

Clearly, those ink particles are tough stuff, which is why it takes something as strong as a laser to get rid of them. And not just any laser – using a laser designed for hair removal on your tattoo isn’t going to do much other than waste your time. Laser tattoo removal requires a specialized type known as an ultra-short pulse laser. These lasers work by emitting extremely hot blasts, in short, quick bursts to heat up and break apart the ink particles.

The pigment of the ink also matters. Different pigments absorb different wavelengths of light. For the laser to break down the ink, it has to be set to the right wavelength. Tattoos with different pigments will need to use more than one adaptor to break down every type of ink particle. But the laser doesn’t work alone. Remember those white blood cells attacking the ink particles? They’re still hard at work. Once the laser breaks the ink down into smaller pieces, the white blood cells seize them and carry them to the liver so they can be flushed out along with other foreign objects and toxins in your body.