Northshore Tattoo Removal
Covington LA
Pricing

The Kirby-Desai Scale measures:

 

Patient Skin Type: 1 to 6

Patients are given a score based on the Fitzpatrick Scale, the current gold-standard for clinically categorizing skin types based on their reaction to UV radiation, which will in turn indicate how pigmented the skin is and the amount of melanin present. Melanin absorbs light at almost the same rate as tattoo pigments, meaning both react similarly when subjected to heat. In general, skin types at the higher end of the Fitzpatrick Scale react less effectively to laser treatments

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Location of Tattoo: 1 to 5

The success of laser tattoo removal will depend where the tattoo is located on your body. The head and neck have the largest amount of regional lymph nodes and a larger vascular supply, so removing a tattoo from these areas takes less time. Tattoos on the upper and lower torso also have a large vascular and lymphatic supply, so ink is removed quickly from these areas as well, although not as quickly as the neck and head. Tattoos on your extremities – feet and hands in particular – take longer to remove.

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Color of Ink: 1 to 4

Color can be a tricky factor in estimating number of treatments because there are a nearly infinite variety of colors available at tattoo shops.  Some tattoo artists even mix colors and compounds together to make a unique blend.  In general, the colors used most often by tattoo artists are black, red, blue, green and yellow. 

 

Black pigments are the easiest to remove due to their relative small size in the dermis.  It also absorbs every wavelength of light. Red is also considered easily removable in comparison to other colors. Which one(s) are the hardest to remove?

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Amount of Ink: 1 to 4

The amount of ink within a tattoo is another factor that affects the success of laser tattoo removal.  The difference of ink depends on the type of tattoo the patient has – professional or amateur. Professionally done tattoos have denser ink and therefore, based on size and colors, will take longer than an amateur tattoo.

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● Amateur (letters, words, small symbols)

● Minimal (one color, simple design)

● Moderate (one color, complex design)

● Significant (multicolored, complex)

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Scarring / Tissue Change: 0 to 5

Tattoo placement can sometimes lead to complications and increased collagen deposition in the skin, potentially forming a scar.  Tissue damage varies according to your skin type usually scarring is more susceptible in skin types 5 or 6.  Excessive scarring and tissue changes can make it more difficult for the laser to penetrate the area, thus making it harder to remove the tattoo.

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Layering/Cover-Ups: 0 to 2

Many patients try and remove an unwanted tattoo by simply getting a cover-up (or layering over a new tattoo on top of the existing design.) Laser tattoo removal on a cover-up tattoo will actually remove the new tattoo and reveal the original tattoo.  Therefore, more treatments will be needed to successfully remove the ink from the combined tattoos.

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Ultimately, laser tattoo removal is unique to each patient and tattoo. Various factors come into play when determining the amount of treatments, a patient will need before seeing clear, inkless results. Although there is no resource that precisely determines the exact number of treatments needed for complete removal, the Kirby-Desai scale provides the closest prediction to the real number of required laser tattoo removal sessions. ​Once you’ve completed your complimentary consultation with Northshore Tattoo Removal in Covington, you’ll know exactly what the process will be like and whether or not it’s something you would like to do.

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Northshore Tattoo Removal - New Orleans, Mandeville, Covington, Hammond, Slidell, Metairie

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