Treatment
How It Works:
New Look Houston’s Laser Tattoo Removal offers an effective solution to your unwanted tattoos. As a simple outpatient procedure, it fits easily into your busy schedule.
Laser tattoo removal works by focusing laser energy to break up the pigment and color in your tattoo. Our Houston center’s Duality and Ruby lasers by Astanza are designed exclusively for tattoo removal – to give you the best results.
New Look Laser Tattoo Removal can remove a wide range of colors in tattoos, all over the body. Our lasers use three separate wavelengths of light to remove darker (black, purple, brown), brighter (red, yellow, orange), and stubborn blue-green tattoo pigments. The laser needs only a fraction of a second to break down the pigment allowing your treatment to be completed in only a short time. Tattoo removal lasers do not penetrate the deeper layers of skin, making scarring very rare and healing very fast.
An average tattoo takes 3 to 10 treatments to remove completely. The number of treatments depends on the age, color, quality of ink, and technique used to create the tattoo (professional vs. homemade). Learn more about the process in our FAQs section or Tattoo Removal Guide.
Tattoos We Can Remove
As a leading Houston laser tattoo removal expert, New Look has helped patients with a very wide range of tattoos. These are the types of tattoos that we commonly remove:
- Names and words – written in cursive and block letters
- Rings – symbols, words, bands worn under rings or jewelry
- Designs – hearts, characters, animals, flowers, tribal art, barbed wire, ….thousands more
- Sleeves/large artwork
- Portions of tattoos – we can remove just a small part of a larger tattoo (read more here)
Visit our Laser Tattoo Removal Before & After Photos page to see just a few examples.
Laser Tattoo Removal Side Effects
New Look’s Houston laser tattoo removal service is the safest and easiest way to remove an unwanted tattoo. New Look has performed thousands of procedures, and we know how to effectively remove ink while minimizing pain.
Laser Tattoo Removal Machine
With today’s technology, we are able to precisely target the ink in your tattoo with minimal side effects. The laser energy gently passes through the outermost layer of skin until it reaches your tattoo’s pigment and leaves the lower layers untouched. The skin is very rarely broken, although some swelling and sensitivity is common. For your comfort, we use a high-tech cooling system during the procedure to numb the skin prior to the tattoo removal procedure.La
Many patients are familiar with laser hair removal – tattoo removal lasers do not need to penetrate as deeply into the skin and procedures are less painful and much shorter in duration. Still concerned? Read through our FAQs or laser tattoo removal Aftercare Instructions for more information.
Laser Tattoo Removal Solutions:
Premium Tattoo Removal
New Look invests in the best technology to provide unparalleled results for our patients. We proudly use Astanza laser systems, most notably the Trinity, to achieve ideal laser tattoo removal results.
The treatment benefits of our Astanza Trinity include:
- High Power = Faster Removal Results
- Short Pulse Duration = Minimized Pain and Side Effects
- High Repetition Rate = Faster Treatment Times
- Even Energy Application = Safe for All Skin Types
- Triple Wavelengths = Treats All Colors
New Look invests in superior technology to provide unsurpassed laser tattoo removal results for our patients.
We know that our friendly staff and relaxing environment matter to your tattoo removal experience, but that the removal results are the most important reason for why you would choose to come to New Look – that’s why we choose to use the best laser technology available.
Equipped To Treat Any Tattoo
The Astanza Trinity is an advanced, high-powered Nd:YAG + Ruby laser specifically designed to provide impressive tattoo removal results. It can treat the full spectrum of colors and is safe to use on all skin types.
For difficult-to treat tattoos, New Look features a Ruby laser for treating blue, green, and resistant black inks. Together, our Ruby and Nd:YAG lasers from Astanza can effectively remove and fade every tattoo color available.
Minimizing Pain, Maximizing Results
New Look also proudly uses the Zimmer Cryo 6 chiller to blast cold air at the tattoo treatment area before, during, and after our Houston laser tattoo removal treatment, for increased patient comfort. The Cryo 6 pumps cold air at -30°C to numb deep into the skin where ink is located. New Look patients rave about the instant cooling effect and the decreased sensitivity during treatment.
Because the Cryo 6 makes the laser tattoo removal procedure more comfortable for patients, New Look is able to treat tattoo ink more aggressively than other clinics – ensuring that we remove your tattoo in fewer sessions.
What To Expect
Laser Tattoo Removal Consultation:
Our complimentary consultation process is easily and painless. When you come in for your consultation, your technician will speak to you privately in our consultation room after a 30 second tour of our facility. Your technician will then evaluate your tattoo using our Chroma Scale which helps us determine how many treatments it would potentially take to remove your tattoo. From there your technician will go over exactly what we will be doing in the procedure, how your body should react, and what physical changes are happening from within to remove the tattoo. After this, your technician will go over pricing options, and pre and post care. Should you decide to continue with the treatment, you could get started right away if you choose!
Laser Tattoo Removal Procedure:
Once in the room, a quick picture of the tattoo to track your progress over your treatments and you’re ready to start! Your technician will walk you through the entire treatment and work at your pace.
In most cases, you are in and out in 15 minutes. If you are removing a half sleeve tattoo or larger, more time will be necessary.
Unlike many other clinics, we use cold air to cool the area before and after treatment on every patient. Medical grade topical numbing is offered, though it is not needed. Most compare the treatment to a rubber band snap as the laser pulses.
Most patients require 5-12 treatments. There is a very clear reason why multiple treatments are needed. When a tattoo is applied, the tattooing needle inserts at varying depths within the skin tissue. As a result, tattoo ink rests in multiple layers within the skin (inside the dermis). Each laser treatment shatters the most shallow layer of ink. Each progressive laser treatment shatters successively deeper layers of ink until none remain.
Because every patient and their tattoo is different, the number of treatments needed is unique to each patient. At New Look Houston, we use a variety of factors to assess your tattoo and best estimate the number of treatments you will need.
- Age of tattoo
- Size of tattoo
- Location of tattoo
- Tattoo ink colors
- Depth of ink
- Density of ink
- Type of ink (professional vs. amateur)
- Pre-existing scarring
- Patient health (diabetic, smoker, etc)
Laser Tattoo Removal Pre-Care:
Like any other medical procedure, laser tattoo removal has the best results when you properly prepare for treatment. Follow these tips to facilitate the tattoo removal process:
- On the day of your appointment, wear comfortable clothing that won’t rub against the tattoo. If the tattoo is on your waistline, wear looser fitting pants (or sweatpants) and don’t wear a belt. The area will be sensitive for the following couple of days, and you don’t want to cause irritation.
- Before your appointment, make sure that the treated area is clean. If the tattooed area is very hairy, it may be a good idea to shave, so that you make the procedure easier for the laser technician.
- Confirm with your schedule that you don’t have plans to go swimming/hot tubbing/etc. for the few days after your removal treatment. To prevent infection, we advise that you do not soak the treated area for three days after treatment.
- Have non-stick bandages and ointment (Aquaphor or Neosporin) at home. You will have to keep your tattoo bandaged for three days, and it’s a good idea to have a fresh bandage for each day.
Laser Tattoo Removal Post Care:
Proper aftercare is necessary to prevent infection, skin texture change, or other unwanted side effects. When you visit us at New Look Laser Tattoo Removal, we will give you aftercare instructions to take home after your treatment. Tattoo removal is a relatively simple outpatient procedure, but we take care to inform you of the important steps you can take to achieve a great result.
The laser tattoo removal treatment creates a superficial skin wound. Some patients may experience bruising or swelling. There is immediate whitening of the treated area, which usually lasts for several minutes. Many clients then develop blisters, crusts, or scabs within 8 to 72 hours, which may last for 1 to 2 weeks or more. The treated areas may be pink or pale after the scab separates. Scarring, which can be hypertrophic or even keloid, can occur but is exceptionally rare. Reduced or excess skin pigment in the treated area can occur, and is temporary except in very rare cases. Healing is usually complete within 4 -6 weeks, although this may vary.
Laser Tattoo Removal Aftercare:
- For the next 24 hours: A cold compress and elevation are recommended to help reduce discomfort and inflammation.
- Avoid for the next 24 hours: Physical activity, hot showers and saunas.
- Apply for the next 3 days: Aquaphor, Elta MD Post Balm, Neosporin, Polysporin or A&D Oinment with bandage. Any of these ointments will work. Change the dressing daily.
- Avoid for the next 1-2 weeks: Direct sun exposure, hot tubs, pool water and salt water until tattoo is healed.
- Keep the treated area clean and dry while it is healing. Clean the area with antibacterial soap if needed and then pat the area dry. AVOID HIGH-PRESSURE WATER HITTING THE TREATED AREA.
- Some scabbing, blistering, light bleeding and itching may occur. Immediately after treatment, there may be erythema (redness) and edema (swelling) at the treatment site. This usually lasts 2 hours or longer. The erythema may last up to 10 days.
- Do not pop blisters. If you do blister, continue to apply one of the recommended ointments until the blister has popped naturally.
- Do not pick at the scab or allow the skin to become scraped, as this may result in infection and scarring. Shaving should be avoided in the treated area until it is completely healed
- You may notice that blistering may occur in some treatments and not others. If blistering does not occur, it does not mean that your most recent treatment was less aggressive or your treatment is not working. Sometimes your body will react, while other times it will not. Regardless, the treatment is working.
- You may take only Tylenol to help with discomfort. Please avoid aspirins, ibuprofens and naproxens because they may increase the risk of bruising and/or bleeding.
- Shaving should be avoided in the treated area until it is completely healed (5-10 days).
- Please apply sunscreen everyday to the treated area after the tattoo has completely healed (5-10 days), even if clothing covers the treated area. Sun will travel through your shirt or pants. The use of sunscreen everyday on the area will also help the ink absorb and help with itching.
- No active tan, self-tanner, bronzers or spray tan 4-6 weeks before and after treatment.
- Massage the treated area 5-10 minutes daily after treated area has healed (5-10 days). Daily massage will help ink absorb.
- Remember, not all tattoos will clear 100%. Your tattoo may just fade.
- Please call your primary care physician if an infection occurs.
- If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.
- Remember: Drink lots of water!
Looking for expert Houston laser tattoo removal? Click the Request a Consultation button and fill out our form. Someone will call you back to answer any questions and get you scheduled!
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