2023-07-02 10:09:59
by Vera Martinella
Laser is usually used. Who to contact in order not to risk, the number of sessions necessary, the costs, when borne by the Health Service. In case of exposure to the sun, total protection is required for the month following treatment
A slogan launched by the American health authorities in the face of the rampant phenomenon of tattoos a few years ago was prophetic, it said: Think before you Ink. The pun not reproducible in Italian, but the clear concept: Think about it before you cover yourself in ink. A very timely warning given that in the US and Italy the ranks of repentants who would like to remove or at least hide part of their tattoos are growing. For the removal, however, you need a lot of time, a lot of money and not a little pain, without however the certainty of succeeding in the enterprise. in case of exposure to the sun, it is necessary to use a total protection filter
Needles, inks, machinery in accordance with the law
For this good, first of all refer to professionals who use needles, inks and machinery in accordance with the law, and take the necessary precautions both for health and to avoid the danger of wanting to cancel them, paying a high price on several fronts. Before proceeding with the tattoo, the client (or parents in the case of minors) must sign an informed consent form – recalls Ketty Peris, councilor of the Italian Society of Dermatology and Venereology (SIDeMaST) – . it is an important tool because on the one hand the professional who carries it out undertakes to use standard materials and to respect health laws, on the other hand the customer must declare, under his own responsibility, that he does not suffer from allergies.
Removal
How does the removal work? In the vast majority of cases, with the laser technique – replies Dario d’Angelo, representative of the Italian Society of Reconstructive-Regenerative and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (Sicpre) –. The laser beam strikes the pigment with a high amount of energy, breaking it up and thus making it possible for it to be eliminated by the body. In a few, rare cases (urgency to remove very small tattoos) surgical removal can be resorted to, which leaves behind a scar. The light is more effective on dark colors than on light ones (so much so that, when used for depilation, black hairs are easier to treat than blonde ones): for this reason black or darker tattoos are easier to remove compared to clear or polychromatic ones.
Types of lasers
Are all lasers the same? The gold standard of treatment represented by the Q-switch laser, now also available in the “pico” version, to indicate that the high energy administered for very short times, the picoseconds. This allows you to hit only the pigments, avoiding causing thermal damage to nearby areas. The very precise removal and the pain for the minor patient explains d’Angelo, medical director at the Plastic Surgery and Major Burns Center of the Cardarelli hospital in Naples.
Who to contact
The specialists to address are plastic surgeons and dermatologists, verifying that they have competence and experience in this area. Here too, in fact, preparation is important: despite the minimally invasive treatment, it is still possible that the laser used incorrectly can cause damage and scars. There is a risk of irritation, blisters or swelling, therefore it is necessary to follow an adequate course of care after the sessions – explains Ketty Peris, director of the Dermatological Clinic at the Cattolica-Irccs Policlinico Gemelli University in Rome -: the skin must be kept hydrated with ointments and greasy creams (also antibiotics) because there is a risk of infection and it must be protected from the sun (better to use protection 50). When crusts form, it is better to apply emollient and soothing ointments until they are eliminated naturally without removing them.
How many sessions and how many months are needed
The number of sessions and consequently the necessary times depend on the size and characteristics of the tattoo, in particular on how “dense” – says d’Angelo -. In general, 5 to 8 sessions are necessary, with an interval of a couple of months between one and the other: the time necessary for the skin to fade the pigment and eliminate it. The treatment is not completely painless and based on the patient’s requests, an anesthetic ointment can be applied. For the month following the treatment, in case of exposure to the sun, it is necessary to use a total protection filter.
How much does it cost
How much does each session cost? From 150 to 450 euros, based on the characteristics of the tattoo and the specialist – concludes d’Angelo -. Watch out for: Not all tattoos can be removed. In fact, some pigments are not “reached” by the laser beam, which therefore cannot break them up; the case of those of yellow and white color. And then there is the question of size: the larger the drawing, the more it is almost impossible to go back without leaving a trace: the most probable consequence is that a kind of halo will remain.
Tattoos with medical purposes
What does the SSN reimburse? There are tattoos that can, in certain cases, be reimbursed by our National Health Service, to those who are entitled to them and only by following precise indications. They can disguise ugly scars left over from burns, injuries, or invasive surgery. Or make the contour of the mouth more harmonious in those suffering from cleft lip. Or, again, it is possible to mask the patches due to skin diseases such as vitiligo and alopecia areata. Tattoos with medical purposes and permanent make-up do not differ much from common decorative tattoos, except in the fact that they last for a long time (even a few years), but they are not definitive. The best known medical example today (and the best regulated) is the one dedicated to those who have had a tumor: it is, in fact, possible to redesign the nipple area on an operated breast to remove a carcinoma and reconstruct eyelashes and eyebrows, perhaps lost due to chemotherapy (but it also applies to patients with other pathologies).
Precise rules on inks
Several times in recent years the alarm has been sounded by the European and Italian authorities because various sample analyzes have highlighted the presence of dangerous, allergenic and carcinogenic chemical substances in many commonly used inks. In particular, the colored ones contain many chemical components and heavy metals such as nickel, cobalt and chromium which can cause allergies, even important ones in sensitive people. So ad hoc rules have been drawn up: each country has its own rules and the Italian Ministry of Health is more restrictive than the rest of Europe in protecting the health of citizens. Starting from 4 January 2022, tattoo artists can only and exclusively use inks that comply with the requirements of the REACH Regulation, which establishes the chemical requirements that inks must possess and the correct labeling of products. The tattoo artist should be able to provide full information on the inks used, including identifying details of the supplier, possible health risks and compliance with relevant rules and regulations.
July 2, 2023 (change July 2, 2023 | 10:09)
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