What better way to say “I do” than by getting a band permanently tattooed on your finger, right?  Unfortunately, we have seen far too many regrets when it comes to ring tattoos.  The good thing about ring tattoos that have fallen into disfavor is that they are small and easy to cover with jewelry.  Laser tattoo removal for ring tattoos, however, is more challenging than one would think.  Since the tattoo is small and is made to stand out, the artist is usually generous with the amount and depth of ink that is placed.  In tattoo removal, what affects the number of needed treatments more is not the size of the tattoo, it’s the depth and density of the ink.  This is the same reason that a cover-up tattoos is relatively difficult to remove.  The size of the tattoo, on the other hand, directly affects how long each treatment takes but not how many treatments are needed to remove it.  Since, it is speculated, laser tattoo removal works with the body’s lymphatic drainage, tattoos in distant extremities, such as hands and feet, take longer to remove.  There is no published data that proves this, and this is only theoretical.

At Tattoo MD, we treat ring tattoos similarly to other tattoos.  The treatment is thankfully very fast for such a small tattoo and the cost falls under our minimum price.  Please call for a free consultation if you are interested in laser tattoo removal at Tattoo MD.

Fraxel and fractionated lasers have revolutionized the treatment of various tough skin conditions, such as acne scarring.  Fraxel works by breaking up the deeply penetrating laser beam into tiny fractions which are spread out over a broader area.  With each treatment, only a portion, such as 20%, is treated and the tiny areas heal quickly.  The effect over a large area is quite significant and causes smoothing out and tightening.  Over the course of several treatments, as much as 100% of the skin is treated.  In the era before fractionated lasers, such treatment had much greater risks of scarring and extensive down-time for healing.  Fraxel, however, allows more controlled and safer treatment that is even safe enough to be performed on darker-skinned patients.  Fraxel has been shown to be effective for acne scarring/pitting, as well as wrinkles, melasma, scars, and stretch marks. Call TMD to see if Fraxel is right for you.

We throw big Botox parties at TMD now and then.  These are fun and the patients that attend tell us that the experience is very enjoyable.  Some people may prefer to have their own “private Botox party.”  Now you can arrange a private Botox party for you and at least two others at TMD Medispa.  If you schedule at least you and 2 friends back to back to get Botox treatment, everyone receives Botox for only $9/unit.*  We will even provide refreshments!  Call to inquire on how to set this up!

*Minimum 10 units per person to qualify for special pricing.

Topical anesthetic, or numbing cream, is an integral part of how we remove tattoos at Tattoo MD.  Anesthetic cream takes most of the sting out of the laser tattoo removal session.  Starting at least 30 minutes prior to your treatment, anesthetic is applied and then covered with an occlusive dressing.  If the tattoo is not very large (less than a half-sleeve) then you can put on the anesthetic even prior to your appointment and come in ready for treatment.  Otherwise, or if it is your first session, you will have it put on for you while you are waiting for your treatment.  Topical anesthetics have to be used with caution and we do not allow patients to have large areas covered with numbing cream outside of our observation.   If you have had any previous adverse reactions or allergies to anesthetics, please mention that during your consultation.  Numbing creams are highly effective and make laser tattoo removal a tolerable and not unpleasant experience.  See our other blog entry about painless laser tattoo removal.

When you begin the laser tattoo removal process, you of course want to see dramatic results immediately.  Who wouldn’t?  However how quickly you see noticeable fading depends on so many variables!  You are most likely to see fading soonest in areas of the tattoo with the lightest, most superficial tattooing and in colors that most readily respond to laser treatment (e.g. black more than yellow).  You will find that the parts of the tattoo with shading will seem to be gone sooner while the heavy outlines may persist quite a bit longer.  In a word or name tattoo, parts of letters may clear before other parts.  Tattoo removal depends on so many variables that, of necessity, every tattoo responds differently to treatment.