How laser tattoo removal works
Tattoo ink sits in the dermis. The laser passes through the melanin in the upper skin to reach it. A picosecond laser delivers very short pulses that shatter ink particles, mainly by pressure and with less heat than the nanosecond pulses of a Q-switched laser.
Your immune system then carries the fragments away slowly. This is why treatment comes in stages. Dr Sin Yong plans each stage after looking at ink colour, density, location, layering and skin type. He carries out the treatment himself.
How ink colour changes the plan
These respond most readily. They suit 1064 nm, which is also used for darker skin.
These absorb 532 nm. Red inks can provoke an allergic reaction as they are released.
These need a different wavelength, confirmed at evaluation. Green is more stubborn than black.
Most wavelengths are poorly absorbed, so these are the hardest colours.
These can darken or turn grey, so they are assessed cautiously with a test area.
Who is suited to tattoo removal in Singapore
Professional or amateur tattoos on intact, healthy and untanned skin.
You accept that treatment is staged and that clearance is not guaranteed.
This is a shorter course. A tattoo artist does the cover-up, not the clinic.
Who should wait or be checked first
Please wait if you are pregnant, or if the skin over the tattoo is broken, infected or freshly tanned. Tell us about recent isotretinoin, medicines that make skin light-sensitive, previous gold injections, or a tendency to keloid or hypertrophic scars. Raised, scarred or keloid-prone tattoos are assessed first. Medium and darker skin, including Fitzpatrick III to V, carries a higher risk of darkening or slow lightening, so wavelength and energy are chosen with your skin type in mind.
What laser cannot do
Removal takes several stages, and no number is fixed in advance.
This cannot be promised for any tattoo.
A tattoo that was raised or scarred when made stays that way.
Small tattoos may suit excision if a linear scar is acceptable. These are referred to a plastic surgery specialist.
Risks and side effects
Whitening, redness, swelling, pinpoint bleeding, blistering and scabbing are expected. Scarring is uncommon with appropriate settings and good aftercare. The risk rises if blisters or scabs are picked, or with infection, sun exposure or a tattoo that was already raised. Skin can darken or lighten, and this may recover slowly. Broken blisters can become infected. Some inks cause an allergic reaction, usually local itching and swelling, and rarely something more widespread. The laser can injure eyes, so protective eyewear is used.
What to expect
Aftercare
Keep the area clean, and covered as advised. Leave blisters intact and do not pick scabs. Avoid friction, soaking and heat. Keep treated skin out of the sun, and use broad-spectrum sunscreen once healed. You will receive written aftercare on the day.
When to call for help
Contact the clinic if broken blisters look infected, if crusts turn thick, yellow or oozing, if pain, swelling or warmth increases, or if itching spreads beyond the tattoo. Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat with difficulty breathing is an emergency. Go to A&E or call 995.
Sessions and fees
No number of sessions is fixed in advance. It depends on ink, skin and location, and is revised at each review. Fees are not published. They depend on size and location, ink colours and density, layering, scarring or cosmetic status, wavelengths needed and staging. A written quote follows your evaluation at consultation, and it is reviewed as treatment progresses.