As we age, we lose substance and fullness of the supporting structures of the face.  This causes the skin to sag over decreased muscle, fat, and bone.  A surgical facelift can pull this skin taut again, but is a more radical solution.  It also carries the risks of surgery, scarring, increased downtime, and higher costs.
An alternative to traditional facelift surgery is the use of Botox and injectable dermal fillers, such as Radiesse.  These fillers last a year or more and can be injected to build up cheekbones and other facial prominences, as well as to fill in depressions that have formed.  Botox can be used for lifting by inactivating muscles that exert downward pull, such as the crow’s feet muscles.  This results in a rejuvenating effect as the skin now lies over a fuller support structure.
Other treatments that complement fillers and Botox are aimed at the color and texture of the skin.  Chemical peels, such as the Vi Peel, are great for smoothing out texture and stimulating collagen remodeling of the skin.  IPL Photofacials are very good for discoloration, including that due to sun exposure.

Using the multi-modality treatment, it is possible to achieve significant rejuvenation and lifting without resorting immediately to formal surgery.  There is always time to get surgery but most people agree that one should postpone it with the use of nonivasive treatments.

One of the most challenging areas in laser tattoo removal is that of cover-up tattoos. These typically involve a tattoo that was placed over a previous tattoo and made as dark as possible so that the tattoo underneath would not show through.  In the process, not only is there ink from the original tattoo still there, but the cover up tattoo may contain more ink than it would have if it were a stand-alone tattoo.

It is not uncommon to be dissastisfied with a cover-up tattoo.  It may be that the cover up is bigger and less attractive than the original.  Or it may be that there was a mistake in its execution.  Whatever the reason, now there is something larger and darker that needs to be removed.  Laser tattoo removal is a valid way to fade and possibly remove a cover-up tattoo.  However, expectations need to be adjusted for the results.  If there is a lot of ink in the area, more treatments than usual may be needed for adequate fading.

The state of the economy has everyone examining if their purchases are good for the economy.  Any time we choose to buy American goods and services, we help our economy and keep American workers employed.  We want you to know that Tattoo MD understands this.  Virtually all the equipment we use, including our tattoo removal laser, microdermabrasion machine and the IPL, are made in USA.  Also, our injectables, Botox, Juvederm, and Radiesse are all made in USA by American companies.

Of course, when you make a purchase at Tattoo MD Medi-Spa, you are keeping your dollars circulating within the American economy by supporting our employees and our purchases of additional American goods.  At Tattoo MD, we try to do our part for the economy.

Laser tattoo removal has become one of the more common cosmetic laser procedures in recent years and is the most frequently performed procedure at Tattoo MD.  It is reassuring that we have performed thousands of tattoo removal treatments.  However, one should not be lulled into thinking that laser tattoo removal is 100% risk-free.  Our training and experience at Tattoo MD keeps us wary and careful to minimize the potential risks of laser tattoo removal procedures.

The most common risks include:

• hypo-pigmentation - loss of natural skin pigment in the treated area
• hyper-pigmentation - darkening of the skin in response to inflammation
• scarring - a raised area of scar tissue
• allergic reaction - would occur if a tattoo already had some allergic response to the pigment in it
• side effects or allergies to anesthetic creams

While this list is not exhaustive, it contains the majority of risks that we consider and discuss with patients prior to beginning treatment.  Additionally, the patient and clinician must protect their eyes with safety goggles we provide to prevent laser-induced eye injury.  Fortunately, eye injury has never occurred at Tattoo MD.

Hypo-pigmentation is more common in colored tattoos (i.e. red, blue, green) that require the use of shorter wavelength laser beams, including 532 and 694 nanometers.  These interact more with melanin, and damage to melanin-containing cells is common when these laser wavelengths are used.  This is usually reversible but is unavoidable in cases where the removal of a colored tattoo is desired.

Hyper-pigmentation is also common but almost always reversible.  This occurs in darker-skinned individuals and is often confused with “scarring.”  The change in color is not technically scarring.  We offer skin bleaching cream from Vi Derm that can minimize this reaction and avoidance of sun exposure to the treated area helps as well.  Regardless, this side-effect typically fades away over weeks to months.

Scarring is the risk that is most carefully avoided at Tattoo MD.  Although patients often ask to “turn up the laser” as much as possible as early as possible, the obvious downside of that is the increased risk of scarring.  Tattoos at the start of treatment contain more ink than tattoos that are more faded.  They therefore absorb more light and require a lower energy setting on the laser to produce tattoo fading.  Likewise, as the tattoo fades, the laser energy setting can be gradually increased without producing blistering.  Severe blistering is a red flag for a higher risk of scarring, and so is avoided as much as possible.  However, some individuals respond unpredictably to settings that seem gentle in other patients and blistering occurs occasionally.  Fortunately, most cases of blistering resolve without scarring.  Future sessions are thus adjusted accordingly to avoid blistering.

If your tattoo seems very inflamed, or weeping, then it should not be treated.  The reason is that when it is treated with the laser, additional ink particles are released to which you may be allergic.  This could cause much more severe allergic symptoms, such as hives, swelling, or even breathing problems.  If your tattoo seems to have developed an inflammatory reaction, you should see a dermatologist for further evaluation and treatment.

If you have an allergy to any anesthetics, such as novocaine or lidocaine, please inform us during your consultation.   Usually, patients may have an allergy to one kind of anesthetic but not another.  We carry different varieties of anesthetics in case of such situations.  We also limit the area on which anesthetic cream can be used at one time to avoid excessive absorption of anesthetic.
In summary, laser tattoo removal is generally safe, but requires careful patient selection and education.  Patients should be aware of the risks prior to beginning treatment.  However, most such risks are small and generally resolve well with time.

Latisse is the new FDA-approved treatment to make lashes longer and fuller. Differences were amazing at 6 months and side effects were uncommon and minor in the FDA study. It took us a very short time, after reviewing the safety and efficacy profile, to add Latisse to our menu of services. Latisse is made by Allergan, the makers of Botox. TMD Medi-Spa will now carry Latisse for only $125 per vial. You will typically start seeing results after 3-4 weeks. A free consultation is necessary to ensure that Latisse is right for you. Go to the Latisse page here.