What should you know about candela laser tattoo removal?

Laser tattoo removal is selective: the wavelength and pulse style are chosen to target particular ink colours and depths while limiting heat in nearby skin. Q-switched and picosecond approaches deliver energy over very short time scales, but the suitable option depends on the ink, location, age, layering, skin tone, and previous treatment. Some colours respond more readily than others, and complete clearing cannot be promised.

The area may look white or swollen immediately, then become red, tender, crusted, or blistered during healing. Pigment can temporarily become lighter or darker. A gap between sessions allows the skin to recover and the body to clear fragmented ink.

Tell the clinician about tanning, scarring, pigment changes, allergies, medicines, immune problems, and any previous attempt to remove the tattoo. Avoid tanning before and after treatment as instructed. Keep the dressing or ointment routine exactly as advised, wash gently, avoid picking crusts, and protect healed skin from sunlight. Do not apply unapproved creams or expose the area to friction while it is open or tender.

Get medical advice for worsening pain, spreading redness, increasing warmth, pus, fever, extensive blistering, or a wound that is not settling. A marked colour change or raised scar should be reviewed. Seek urgent care for facial swelling, breathing difficulty, or severe symptoms near the eye.

Ask which wavelength fits each ink colour, whether a test spot is suitable, how your skin tone affects pigment changes, what dressing and washing routine to use, and what outcome is realistic for a layered or cosmetic tattoo. Ask how a Q-switched laser differs from a picosecond laser for your ink.