It is estimated that currently 25% of the Western population (10% in France according to a 2010 Ifop poll) is tattooed. 2/3 of the tattoos were made before the age of 20. This is why more than 1 in 3 customers later regret their tattoo and more than 1 in 2 when the tattoo was done before the age of 16 years old.
Tattoo removal, a delicate and uncertain surgical procedure
Many methods of tattoo removal exist, excision surgery (intervention which consists of removing a harmful foreign element from the human body) often associated with a skin graft, CO2 laser burn or chemical products… These traditional methods which damage the skin have been supplanted by the appearance of the new “Q-Switched” lasers. Their ray causes the ink to burst into particles which are then eliminated naturally by the cells of the dermis.
“We have made great progress since the mid-1990s thanks to the use of specific lasers to avoid scarring, but the process remains long and expensive”, summarizes Dr Jean-Michel Mazer, director of the Center Laser International de la Peau de Paris (Clipp) which performs between 20 and 25 tattoo removals per week.
tattoo removal remains a delicate medical procedure with uncertain results. If the laser technique helps to avoid unsightly scars, it generally requires 8 to 12 sessions, spaced two months apart, depending on the size of the area to be treated. “Each session can cost between 150 and 300 euros, not covered by health insurance,” explains Dr. Mazer, director of the Center Laser International de la Peau de Paris (Clipp).
Pay attention to the color
According to a dermatology study published in 2012, only 50% of patients had their tattoocompletely erased after 10 sessions and 75% after 15 sessions.
“The result may be imperfect with a risk of modification of the color (2 to 50%) or the texture (1 to 50%) of the skin after treatment. This risk of failure is greater in the event of multiple colors, high density, recent tattooing, sessions that are too close together and active smoking,” reminds Dr. Naouri, secretary of the laser group of the French Society of Dermatology (SFD).
