How to Choose a Tattoo Removal Clinic.

Are you carrying the heavy burden of tattoo regret?  If so, you need to know how to choose a tattoo removal clinic.  With this article, you’ll learn exactly what to look for, to ensure that you’re getting the safest treatment possible.

This industry has evolved enormously in the last few years.  Most clinics have advanced with the changing times.  However, some clinics are still adapting out-dated methods, and using out-dated laser technology.

Below, we’ve outlined the most important questions that you need to ask, to ensure that you’re getting the best treatment possible in your area:

• Is your Clinic Certified?
• What Type of Laser do you use?
• Do you Apply Active Cooling Methods?
• Is there a Medical Director?
• Do you Specialize in this Procedure?
• Do you Guarantee your Work?

Certification requirements and regulations vary from state to state.  Regardless of whether or not it’s required in your state, here at Ink Revoke we strongly recommend that you choose a certified clinic.  By doing so, you’re ensuring that the technician removing your ink is educated and trained properly & extensively with laser safety.

A Laser Academy graduates will have the most knowledge and training possible.  They provide unmatched laser safety training, real world hands on education, and even laser physics.

To get the most for your money, you need to find a clinic utilizing new-generation Nanosecond Q-Switched Laser Technology.  These are the gold standard, safest and most powerful devices on the market.

Avoid clinics making outlandish claims about “faster” Picosecond Lasers claiming to produce results in half the time.  Lasers don’t remove the ink, your body does.

Nanosecond Q-Switched Laser Systems have multi wavelengths to treat and remove all colors of ink.  The leading Picosecond lasers have only one wavelength.  They can’t treat red pigment, and they do a sub par job at targeting black inks.

The two leading Nanosecond laser manufacturers are Quanta Aesthetic Lasers & Astanza Laser.   Find a clinic utilizing a laser system from one of these two companies.

More and more clinics are adapting to these systems.  Chances are, you can find a clinic in your area who has one.

Avoid old laser technology if you care about your skin.

The new-generation Q-Switched lasers target your ink without damaging heat.  They’re designed to protect your surrounding skin.

However, they do still generate some heat and discomfort.  All lasers do.

To protect your skin, and reduce pain & discomfort, active cooling needs to be applied before, during, and after each procedure.

Active cooling means the use of advanced cold air skin chillers.  There are several on the market.   The Cryo-6 from Zimmer is the absolute best one for your skin.  All serious clinics should be using the Zimmer.

Passive cooling means the use of ice packs.

This method used to be widely adapted by many clinics.  However, we don’t recommend the use of ice packs anymore as a viable cooling method.  It can still be done, and many clinics still do it, we just believe that skin chillers apply more protection and comfort.

A medical director is a physician who provides both on-site and off-site supervision for a clinic.

A medical director monitors the quality and appropriateness of a medical aesthetic practice.  He or she will also provide guidance, leadership and help develop policies and procedures, while overseeing charts and documentation.

Every state is different.  Most states, including Colorado, require a clinic to have a medical director.

Even if your state doesn’t require it, we strongly recommend that you find a clinic who’s chosen to have a medical director on staff.

Most certified laser specialists are not doctors, so it helps to have a quick line of communication with a medical expert, should the technician need medical advice, or questions about certain medications.

Here at Ink Revoke, we engage with our medical director regularly for questions and concerns regarding medications.

A clinic that doesn’t have an open communication with a medical director is ultimately operating at a disadvantage.

Choosing a clinic who specializes in this procedure is heavily advantageous.  This type of clinic will most likely be advancing constantly with the changing times.  Their laser equipment will more likely be specifically designed for this procedure.

Another key advantage would be the high amount of experience the technicians will have.  They devote all of their working time perfecting the skill and laser settings.

In order to get the most bang for your buck, you need to get the most ink fragmentation out of every treatment.

A highly skilled & experienced technician will use the highest fluence (power) necessary as it pertains to your skin type & ink density.

Ink density is everything, and it changes with every treatment.

A skilled technician will know how high to set the power, with every session.  This is a unique skill that takes lots of real world experience, practice and expertise.

Try to avoid dermatologists when you’re deciding how to choose a tattoo removal clinic.  The cost of a dermatologist will sometimes be triple that of a specialist, with no added skill.  A dermatologist does not devote all of their practice to one procedure, they’re practicing a wide range of different procedures.

Providing the client with piece of mind is extremely important in this business.  There is no denying that this procedure is an investment, and you work hard for your money.

We’re not advocating unrealistic promises, but here’s how a guarantee should work:

If you’re given an estimate of 8 treatments, but by treatment number 8 you’re not quite where you need to be, the clinic should provide at least a couple more treatments at no cost to you.

Every clinic is different.  Some provide additional service for free up to a year, some don’t at all.

We recommend a clinic who provides at least three additional sessions at no cost if desired results haven’t been reached within the given estimate.

Note – Since the human body controls how fast or slow results occur, it’s unprofessional to promise full removal during initial consultation.

It’s also impossible to know the quality of ink you have in your body, or how easy or difficult it will be to remove.  For these two reasons, steer clear of clinics promising full removal during consultation.

There you have it!  The most honest and updated advice on how to choose a tattoo removal clinic.  Choose honesty & professionalism over unrealistic, too good to be true promises.  Choose new-generation clinics, specializing in this procedure, and adapting expert medical advice.  Your skin will thank you!

Related: Do the Treatments Scar?