Laser surgery helps erase tattoos â€" but with a hefty price tag
by Elaine McMillion
Of 45 million tattooed Americans, 17 percent would like to get rid of them, according to a Harris Interactive survey.
There is hope for those who no longer want a permanent ink reminder of a failed relationship or juvenile stupidity.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Abdalla Z. Bandak relies on sophisticated Q-switched laser technology to remove ink without scarring at his Kanawha City office.
Bandak graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk and then taught and practiced at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond for 12 years.
"We used to see a lot of patients with tattoos ranging from small to large and professional to amateur," said Bandak, 46. "A lot of times we would see juveniles who had tattoos and were involved in activities. We try to help them erase those things."
But removing an already costly tattoo comes with an even more expensive price tag.
"In general, it takes three to five treatments to address certain wavelengths and attack color and make pigment break," Bandak said.
Each session takes 20 to 30 minutes and ranges from $350 to $500.
"Think before putting a tattoo on," Bandak said. "It is easier and less expensive to put it on than it is to come in later and remove it.
Variations in the amount, color and type of ink used as well as the depth of the ink in the skin affect how Bandak approaches each procedure.
Adjusting the wavelength to each specific color is the key, he said.
Green and yellow are the hardest to remove while dark blue, black and red will fade the best.
"We adjust the wavelength to a certain color and try to blow it away," Bandak said. "But sometimes it can't take the whole tattoo out and the customer has to let it fade away.
"To have a good result you need to have training and experience with laser. You have to understand the laser and how much energy to give each patient."
Besides the Q-switched laser, other removal options are available. They include excision, dermabrasion, saltabrasion and argon or carbon dioxide lasers. These generally cause more pain and bear a higher risk of scarring, Bandak said.
"Try not to put the tattoo on where you can regret it later," Bandak said. "Consider all of your options in tattoo removal. Know your choices."
Bandak says the pain associated with the laser procedure can be likened to the sting of a rubber band hitting the skin. And the skin should be kept moisturized post treatment.
Bandak said tattoos are not necessarily a bad thing.
"I'm not against tattoos," he said. "I'm talking about people who have a new boyfriend or girlfriend and on the spur of the moment decide to get each other's name tattooed on them. And then they leave each other."
"The people that want to die with that tattoo are different."
Contact writer Elaine McMillion at elainemcmillion@dailymail.com or 348-4872.