FDA Gives Go Signal To New Tattoo Removal Lasers

The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved new laser removal options for people who want to have their tattoos removed.

The new tattoo removal options that the FDA approved will prove to be of great help for dark-skinned people. When in the past, tattoo removal is more effective for light-skinned or fair individuals due to the limitation in techniques and equipment, the new laser that has been approved by the agency could change that.

“These lasers utilize a phenomenon called ‘selective photothermolysis,’ which is the specific targeting of ink pigments by the laser energy,” the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health spokeswoman Michelle Bolek, stated in her e-mail to the AFRO.

She also adds that “This method is often preferred by patients and physicians due to less ‘down-time,’ although they do require multiple rounds of treatment to lighten a tattoo to a point where it is not noticeable. For the tattoo removal lasers currently on the market, blue and black colored tattoos are usually the easiest to remove; red and yellow or multi-colored tattoos might require more treatments.”

To add to the existing lasers in the market for tattoo removal, the new lasers require prescription from your doctor. It is named PicoSure, the device announced by the company Cynosure last December 2012. During a test that they conducted using the machine, it has shown that it can actually remove about 94% of green or black ink tattoo.

“Depending on the location, depth, color, shape and size of the tattoo, it could take more than one session to fully remove the ink from your skin,” says Dr Daniel H. Lin of Shine Cosmetic Surgery in California. He adds that “Laser has been known to be an effective method for tattoo removal and thanks to more technological advances, more techniques and equipment have been developed for better results.”

Ink used in tattoos is regarded as cosmetic by the FDA and included in the list that are being monitored by the agency along with the equipments and machines used for tattoo removal.

In a poll survey done last year, it was found out that 1 in every 5 Americans have one or more tattoos. The data also showed that more women have gotten inked than men. Respondents say that tattoos help lift their self-esteem by allowing them to express themselves and boost their sex appeal. Those who got tattooed are usually between ages 30 and 39.