The ink is deposited by the tattoo artist at the derme. Unlike the epidermis, which constantly renews itself, the cellsof the derm are much more stable. During treatment, the tattoo is subjected to laser energy and the ink particles will be fragmented and then removed by the immune system.

The number of sessions depends on severalfactors:

• The amount and type of ink
• Depth
• The age of the tattoo
• Is the tattoo amateur or professional. Recent tattoos are harder to remove than older ones.
• •The ability of your immune system to get rid of ink particles is also a consideration. Some ink colors are difficult to remove, especially yellow or skin-colored ink.

The average number of sessions will be 5 to 7 for amateur tattoos and 8 to 12 for professional tattoos.

Some pain comparing to being hit by a rubber band occurs during treatment. This is minimized by the cold anesthesia offered by the Clinic (Cryo 5). Pain can also be reduced by applying anesthetic cream such as Emla®, Betacaine® before treatment. A certain feeling of sunburn will be felt especiallyin the hours followingtreatment.

After treatment, some areas will be edematous, bruising. A bandage and antibiotic cream will be applied to the Clinic. The dressing should be changed the first few days and the treatment area will need to be hydrated. We can take a shower the next day without a problem. The area will gradually fade in the following weeks.

• Pain and burningor pinching sensation during treatment
• Bruises, edema andsometimes oozing
• Burn
• Change in skin pigmentation including discoloration (hypopigmentation) that may be irregular. The color of the treated area may be slightly different from the unaddr crayoned skin at the end of treatment. Residual hyperpigmentation is also possible.
• Persistence of tattoo pattern
• Scar formation.
• The risk with lasers such as MedliteC6is very small.
• Infection at the treated site