Unwanted tattoo or faded permanent makeup

Choosing a removal route for unwanted tattoos and cosmetic ink

Your practitioner looks at the ink under magnification and works out whether it is body art, usually denser, deeper and more saturated, or cosmetic pigment, which is lighter, shallower and often contains colours that laser struggles to read. They note colour shifts such as brows faded to grey, blue or orange, or lip liner that reads dusky, and whether old ink has blurred, spread or been layered by a previous cover-up.

Tattoo Removals covers both routes: Q-switched laser is usually the route for dense body ink, while saline lifting usually suits cosmetic brows and lips and colours laser cannot read. Q-Switch 1064 Laser Rejuvenation is chosen for uneven pigment, and Scar Relaxation for tissue that healed tight, raised or ridged. Not every tattoo can be fully removed, and many clients find fading enough for a cover-up is achievable and faster than chasing complete clearance.

What happens when you come in?

Your first visit is a free consultation at the Aldergrove clinic. A practitioner looks at the area in good light, asks how long you have noticed it and what you have already tried, and checks anything that would affect which treatments are suitable: medication, recent sun exposure, previous treatments.

You then hear which of the options above suits your skin, what it realistically achieves, how many sessions it usually takes and what recovery looks like. If the honest answer is that none of them will give you what you want, or that something needs a doctor first, you will hear that instead.

Worth mentioning at your consultation

• When you first noticed it, and whether it has changed since
• Products and treatments you have already tried
• Any medication, supplements or diagnosed skin conditions
• Holidays, events or sun exposure you are planning around