Click on the images to the left to enlarge further
Here at
Michael Rose Visual Art We specialise in tattoo removal and the laser system we have invested in has been acknowledged as one of the best in the industry for tattoo removal. Tattoo removal is a laser procedure that is growing in popularity as more and more patients learn about how safe and effective the treatments are in removing unwanted tattoos.
With state of the art facilities and fully
qualified staff,
Visual Art is able to offer professional tattoo removal with the minimum number of sessions. There are many types of tattoo removal available on the market, but generally laser tattoo removal is the most effective and least intrusive.
Our laser system is powerful and efficient, saving clients both time and money. This makes
Visual Art quite unique in the industry as the majority of competitors either use outdated lasers or lasers purchased for other treatments that are quite simply not capable of removing tattoos. Lasers have been used for tattoo removal for more than 20 years. The laser is the acknowledged choice for tattoo removal.
Many people change their minds about tattoos, when that much loved signature mark is simply no longer relevant or appropriate we can help erase it forever or lighten it enough for you to get a new tattoo over it. Over the years our qualified practitioner has seen an expanding customer base, ranging from solicitors to builders.
Anaesthetic (numbing) can be used during procedures if requested, please
contact Rhiana for details about this
Now most businesses and certainly the military will not employ anyone with a visible tattoo, laser removal has come a long way in the last 10 years and now can be done with NO SCARING. Now we can provide a service that will stop anyone having to have a much larger darker tattoo just to cover up an old one. As we are all individuals and can react to anything at any time no matter how much care you take, allergic reactions are always possible, just remember to be patient & listen to the advice given to you.
Contact our expert
Rhiana now to book a FREE consultation and let her answer any questions on tattoo removal you may have.
Here are some frequently asked questions about our tattoo removal laser.
How does the Q-Switched Nd:YAG tattoo removal laser work?
The laser emits a pulse of light that is preferentially absorbed into certain colours of ink. The light enters the skin at a speed that is too fast to heat the skin (billionths of a second), instead, it produces a ‘shock wave’ effect and breaks up the ink particles into smaller pieces, the body then recognises these particles as something that shouldn’t be there and attacks them, removing them naturally via the body’s own natural elimination system.
Can you treat all colours with the tattoo removal laser?
Not always. Light is measured in nanometres (nm) and there are two wavelengths of light that are emitted from this laser – one is invisible infrared light (1064nm) and the other is visible green light (532nm). The infrared wavelength is preferably absorbed into black and dark blue inks, whereas the green light is absorbed by red ink. It is possible to treat some other colours although white, yellow and bright colours are difficult. This is not usually a problem however, as lighter colours cover very easily. If you wish to cover-up an existing tattoo then the darker colours will be faded or removed, allowing you greater choice of size and colour of the cover up artwork.
Will the tattoo be removed in one treatment with the removal laser?
No, the light from the tattoo removal laser can only disrupt a certain amount of ink in one treatment, so several treatments are needed at monthly to 6 weekly intervals to work through the layers. You will notice the tattoo fades more and more with every treatment you have. A test patch will be performed before a full session goes ahead to check how you react to the treatment. A professional tattoo can take an average of 10 treatments although some Indian ink and amateur tattoos can be removed within 6 treatments and sometimes only take 1 or 2. There are several factors that influence the number of treatments required, these can be down to how easily you heal, size of the tattoo, how deep the ink is in the skin, and the types of ink that were used. Generally speaking the longer you have had the tattoo and the darker it is; the easier it is to remove.
Why is a tattoo so difficult to remove?
The tattoo pigment injected into the lower layers of skin (the dermis) becomes sealed away by a tough collagen ring. It is very difficult to remove the tattoo pigment without affecting the surrounding tissue. The alternatives to laser treatment are, either to physically remove the pigment with the surrounding skin by surgical excision and skin grafting, or chemically destroy the pigment using concentrated salts or acid. In either case the surrounding skin is damaged and significant scarring would be an expected outcome to these, non-laser removal methods.
What are the costs likely to be?
The cost of a single treatment will depend solely on the size of the tattoo. The bigger the area, the more time it will take to treat and the higher the charge. Again, until we can see the tattoo, we cannot measure the area or price the treatment.
How long does the treatment take?
This depends on the size of the tattoo; a small tattoo might take 5 minutes, where a large or multiple tattoos could take an hour or more. Again, the assessment will provide this information.
Does it hurt?
The amount of pain felt will depend on the type of tattoo, the amount of treatment required and your own pain threshold. Some clients would describe it as no more than uncomfortable, where others will describe it as an elastic band flicked against the skin. The truth is that you will only know how painful it is, once you've tried it! We can offer advice on pain relief which will be given during your assessment.
I Am Dark-Skinned. Will Laser Tattoo Removal Work on Me?
Yes, laser tattoo removal can be performed on people with dark skin. Because both hyper-pigmentation and hypo-pigmentation are possible, we will proceed more conservatively in order to minimize the risk. This usually means that more sessions will be necessary and removal or lightening may not be possible if the ink colour is too close to the skin colour. Darker-skinned people also tend to be more prone to forming keloid scars. We would perform a small test patch in an inconspicuous area of the tattoo before proceeding with laser tattoo removal if we fear you might be prone to forming keloids. If you are aware that you are prone to forming keloid scars please inform us straight away.
Does the laser cause scarring?
Although there is a risk of scarring with any laser, in most cases, scarring is not a significant risk for tattoo removal with our laser. Tattoo removal has become associated with scarring because the first lasers used for tattoo removal were very aggressive and carried a very high risk of scarring. To reduce the risk, we carry out an extensive evaluation to identify high-risk clients.
Are there any other side-effects?
After each treatment, the area may blister; this is quite normal and usually resolves in a few days. Once any blisters or crusts have subsided, the skin around the tattoo will look shiny for a number of weeks. Treatment cannot be repeated until your skin has returned to normal; this will usually take from 4 to 5 weeks. The highest-risk side effect is skin de-pigmentation. (Loss of natural skin colour) Because the laser targets dark pigments, the energy is also absorbed by the melanin in the skin. The most frequent side effect is for the natural colour in the skin to ‘bleach' after a number of treatments. While normal skin pigment will usually recover, it can take months, or even years to do so. As a general guideline, the darker the skin or the more treatments required, the more risk there is of long term de-pigmentation. Because of the risk of damage to skin pigment, we will not treat tanned skin and will postpone treatment until any sun-tan has faded.
Is the treatment safe?
Our chosen laser has been used around the world for many years and has treated thousands of tattoos safely. Using tattoo lasers has had no linkage with any skin disorder or any increased risk of skin cancer.
