Laser Tattoo Removal - Suitable For All Skin Types

  • City Tattoo Removal removes all unwanted tattoos.
  • Using the Q-Switch RevLite, PicoSure & PicoWay
  • With our lasers, even the toughest colours can be treated.
  • Previously resistant tattoos are regularly handled.
  • Lasers suitable for all skin types on most colours
  • Three centres in Central London, two by Bank, and one by Tottenham Court Road
  • Trained and experienced tattoo removal specialists.
  • Established since 1991 by Pulse Light Clinic Group
Instantly book your free tattoo removal consultation

Before and after photos using the PicoSure & PicoWay Lasers

Gallery

Laser tattoo removal is suitable for all skin complexions

Clinics in Central London

Using the most advanced Pico Technology

  • After 7 PicoWay Treatments & 1 PicoSure Treatment

  • After 5 PicoWay Treatments

  • After 6 Treatments

  • After 1 PicoWay Treatment

  • After 4 PicoSure Treatments. Photo courtesy of K. Andt MD

  • After 5 PicoWay Treatments

  • After 8 PicoWay Treatments, 1 -2 treatments needed

Laser Tattoo Removal In London

Tattoo removal is any method of removing a tattoo from the skin. There is an extensive range of tattoo removal methods out there including dermabrasion, TCA (acid), excision and of course laser, of which there are various types.

Laser tattoo removal works by pulsing laser light into the tattoo which shatters the ink into tiny pieces, the body spots these particles as a foreign substance and removes the minute ink particles using the natural detoxification processes. Laser tattoo removal does not damage the skin, like excision, dermabrasion and acid.

Traditional common lasers known as Q-switched lasers have been around for a while but the newer PicoSure and PicoWay lasers are a breakthrough in laser tattoo removal, allowing all tattoos to be removed. Q-switch lasers are precise and intense, the tattoo pigments fragment instantly and the tissue surrounding it is spared. We provide all three machines in our three clinics: PicoWay in West London Clinic, PicoWay and PicoSure in Peek House Clinic, and the Revlite Q-Switch in Fenchurch Street.

Some of the benefits of Q-Switch Revlite laser tattoo removal:

  • Cheaper than PicoWay and PicoSure
  • Effective on black, red and orange inks
  • Suitable on all skin types especially darker skin types


Conventional Q-switched tattoo removal lasers remove a tattoo successfully, gaps between treatments need to be from six weeks to two months apart, and it usually takes anything from 10-20 treatments to fully remove a tattoo. This all depends on the size, the type of ink that has been used and the length of time between your sessions.  Additionally, the RevLite laser produces short pulse widths of energy, limiting the skin’s exposure to heat making the treatments safe and fast.

Are you interested in Q-Switch RevLite laser tattoo removal? We recommend coming in for a free consultation and patch test at our Fenchurch Street Clinic – our senior technician will be able to give you an accurate idea of sessions and will answer all of your questions.

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Laser Tattoo Removal - Frequently Asked Questions

How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work at City Tattoo Removal?

Laser technology was invented on the principles of quantum mechanics. In tattoo removal, the laser is targeted at the ink of your tattoo which shatters it into tiny fragments, much like a hammer would if you cracked it against a pane of glass. Your immune system recognises these fragments as foreign and stimulates their removal via the natural detoxification processes.

What Makes PicoSure & PicoWay the Best for Laser Tattoo Removal?

There are fundamentally two different technologies, the older Q-Switched lasers, which used nanosecond technology, and the new PicoSure and PicoWay lasers which use picosecond technology.

Simply, the difference between the two is speed of energy delivery, with Q-Switched lasers running at 1000 millionths of a second, and PicoSure & PicoWay in trillionths of a second; so the difference is pretty substantial.

The faster the energy delivery, the greater the impact on the ink, so it breaks up much more dramatically. Additionally, Q-Switched Lasers rely on heat or thermal energy, that reach further out into the surrounding skin unnecessarily, whereas PicoSure & PicoWay deliver a more localised, more powerful, mechanical effect without affecting the surrounding tissue.

PicoSure & PicoWay are the safest, most effective tattoo removal lasers available; they successfully remove complex/multi-coloured/stubborn tattoos, and results are achieved in much less time.

How Many Treatments Are Required?

On average, it takes between 4-8 treatments to remove a tattoo using PicoSure or PicoWay, treatment requires gaps of 4-8 weeks between sessions, this is 2-4 times faster than any previous laser technology.

No two tattoos are the same (colour and density of ink for example) and no two people are the same (your immune response and detoxification capacity play a significant role in the process), so this does vary from person to person. Your practitioner should be able to give you an estimate at your initial consultation.

How Frequent Are Treatment Sessions?

The recommended time between treatments for PicoSure & PicoWay is 4-8 weeks. During this interim period your immune and detoxification processes can perform their role in the procedure.

What Happens During a Treatment Session?

The duration of treatment depends on the size of your tattoo. It may be a few minutes for a small tattoo, or over an hour for a very large tattoo. The practitioner will help you prepare for the treatment and once you are ready the treatment begins.

The practitioner will direct the head of the machine at the tattoo, from which the laser is fired directly at the ink. The head of the machine is carefully moved over the tattoo to ensure it is all targeted.

As this happens, the ink of the tattoo commonly turns white, with a frosted appearance. Laser tattoo removal does involve some discomfort, but it is often described as less discomfort than actually having the tattoo in the first place.

Following this, there is usually some redness and a slight swelling of the treated area that lasts a few hours. Methods of cooling the skin are advised post-treatment, and numbing creams can be used before treatment if necessary, so be sure to discuss this with your practitioner.

What is The After-Care Plan Following a Treatment Session?

  • For the first 24 hours after treatment the area should be covered with ointment and a bandage to protect the area from any abrasion.
  • When showering/bathing, avoid the use of personal care products on the treated area, just rinse it with warm (not hot) water.
  • Keep the area covered for one week post-treatment to prevent abrasion, and promote healing.
  • For at least two days post-treatment, avoid any sports that may result in injury to the treated area.
  • For a minimum of one week post treatment, avoid saunas/hot tubs etc.
  • Avoid shaving the area, especially if a scab has formed.
  • Protect the area from sunlight/tanning-bed exposure as the skin will burn more easily, and it can increase the risk for developing hyper-pigmentation (darkened patches of skin). If the sun cannot be avoided, use SPF 30 or above over the entire treated area. Follow this protocol until your tattoo is fully removed.
  • Avoid the use of perfumed products or those containing alcohol on the treated area.
  • Follow the aftercare instructions provided by your practitioner.

Are There Any Potential Side Effects?

With Q-Switched lasers that use thermal energy, there is a risk for heat damage and scarring, but this risk is very minimal with the PicoSure & PicoWay lasers because the energy used is mechanical rather than thermal.

There may be some blistering, itching, redness/flaring, bleeding, crusting of the treated area, but following the aftercare recommendations will help keep these to a minimum and assist in a swift recovery.

Hyperpigmentation or Hypopigmentation (darkening or lightening of the skin) may occur as a temporary reaction that commonly returns to normal after 2-6 months.

In the majority of cases the potential side effects do not occur, but a small percentage of people experience one or more of the above.

Is Laser Tattoo Removal Painful?

Some discomfort is to be expected, but it is generally described as less painful than actually getting a tattoo in the first place. The individual experience will vary from person to person, but it is usually described as similar to ‘being pinged with an elastic band’. Your practitioner can advise you on how to minimize any discomfort that you feel.

Is there a difference between the PicoSure, PicoWay and RevLite?

These lasers are very similar, using the same picosecond technology, but made by different companies. The PicoSure laser is produced by CynoSure and the PicoWay is produced by Syneron Candela.

There are some technical differences, but without getting unnecessarily complicated the only real difference, is that the PicoWay is suitable for darker skin and the PicoSure is not. RevLite takes slightly longer to remove the tattoo which varies between clients and is suitable for all skin types.

If you would like more information on which laser is more suitable to you, just ask your technician at your free consultation.

 

Bank Clinic

0207 593 8055

1st Floor, 150 -152 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 6BB

Tottenham Court Rd Clinic

0207 205 4085

5 Percy Street, London, W1T 1DG