Body art is a huge with today’s youth and it is not surprising to find tattoos, piercings, and other professionally done mutilations on your waiter or doctor’s receptionist. Of course, fashion goes in cycles and if was just a few short decades ago that tattoos were all the rage and many a woman would have certain portions of their physique tattooed with intricate patterns showcasing snakes, lace, and other designs. Yet life happened, and so did marriage and pregnancy and now a scant 20 years of carefree living and tattooing, the stretch marks marring the legs and thighs are making tattoos look like doilies that have been in the dryer too long.
Laser skin therapy removes unwanted stretch marks and tattoos quickly and safely! Here are some facts to consider:
- Laser skin resurfacing will help to get rid of the top layers of skin affected by unsightly stretch marks, even if you have a tattoo in that area! Yet if you choose to have the tattoo or the stretch marks removed, the odds are good that you need to add a bit more treatment to make the area look consistent. For example, if you are removing the tattoo and are also removing some stretch marks in the process, you will be wise to continue the stretch mark removal. Otherwise you will have an oddly smooth portion of skin surrounded by stretch marks.
- If you choose to opt for laser skin resurfacing but would like to keep your tattoo intact, you most likely will need to go for some touchup work after the area of skin had a chance to heal. Discuss this with your dermatologist to investigate the potential ramifications of tattooing in that area.
- Tattoo removal is a bit of an iffy procedure even with laser skin resurfacing. Some colors will fade easier and faster than others, and some methods of applying tattoos lend themselves more readily to removal than others. Prior to undergoing laser skin resurfacing it is crucial that you tell the practitioner everything you remember about getting the tattoo, such as the ink used, if known, whether it was done professionally or in the privacy of your home, whether there was a lot of bleeding or only moderately so, and also the length of time that you have had the tattoo already. All these facts are required to help the practitioner ascertain the effectiveness of the treatment and to give you an honest assessment of the results you may expect.
Remember that even with successful laser skin resurfacing there are no guarantees! Sure, laser skin resurfacing removes unwanted stretch marks and tattoos in general, but the degree to which this removal will be successful is entirely up to the practitioner’s skill, the patient’s skin type, and the depth of the stretch mark’s reach as well as the history of the tattoo itself. Although some clinics make very favorable claims, it is impossible to make a bona fide promise to any patient about the outcome of the procedure without a thorough examination.
