As
growing numbers of people rue the tattoos they got in their youth, a new study
has found that tattoo removal is less likely to succeed if the person is a
smoker, the design contains colors such as blue or yellow and is larger than 12
inches.
The
study is believed to be the first research that looked at several factors—which
included tattoo size and location on the body—involved with successful tattoo
removal, according to the researchers.
As
more people rue the tattoos they got in their youth, a new study has found that
tattoo removal is less likely to succeed if the skin design contains certain
colors.
The
standard procedure for removing tattoos currently is treatment with a laser
called a Q-switched laser, or QSL, applied over a number of sessions. But the
technique can lose its effectiveness depending on certain variables, according
to the study, published online on Monday in the American Medical Association's
Archives of Dermatology.
Smoking,
for instance, can reduce by 70% the chance of successfully removing a tattoo
after 10 treatment sessions.
Dermatologists
have long known certain colors are easier to remove than others, but the
findings on the impact of smoking on tattoo removal are new.
The
research was conducted at a laser-surgery center in Milan, Italy, from 1995
through 2010. There were 352 people in the study, of which 201 were men, with a
median age of 30 years old.
As
many as 22% of U.S. college students have at least one tattoo, according to
background information in the study, and about half of people who get tattoos
later try to have them removed.
In
order to remove tattoos, patients must undergo about 10 laser treatments
several weeks apart. The light from the laser targets pigments in the ink of
the tattoo and helps the ink break down. Over time the ink is removed through
the body's lymphatic system. Each treatment costs about $200 and isn't covered
by insurance.
Overall,
the study found about 47% of people had their tattoos successfully removed
after 10 laser treatments and it took 15 treatments to remove tattoos from 75%
of patients.
Black
and red pigments in tattoos were most easily removed. All-black tattoos had a
58% successful-removal rate, while tattoos with black and red pigments had a
51% success rate after 10 treatments. The presence of other colors such as
greens, yellows or blues reduced the chances of effective removal of a tattoo
by as much as 80%, the study found. Other factors that reduced the procedure's
success included a design larger than 12 inches or one located on the feet or
legs.
Karthik
Krishnamurthy, director of the cosmetic dermatology clinic at Montefiore
Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y., who wasn't involved in the study, explained that
black and red inks absorb the wavelength of light emitted by the QSL laser
better than other colors.
Older
tattoos are harder to remove in part because the ink particles move deeper into
the skin over time, the researchers said. And smoking is believed to hinder
tattoo removal because smoking is known to hinder wound healing.
The
researchers also found that the amount of time between QSL treatment sessions
was important to the technique's success. Treatment intervals of eight weeks or
less were found to be less effective for tattoo removal.
A
separate study, also published in the Archives of Dermatology, however,
suggests a different type of laser currently in development called a picosecond
alexandrite laser, can remove tattoos with fewer treatments than the QSL laser.
The
study involved 15 patients and was partly funded by Cynosure
Inc., CYNO
+1.44% a Westford, Mass., firm that is waiting for the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration to clear its picosecond laser for marketing.
Most
patients could have their tattoos removed with four or fewer treatments, said
one of the study's authors, Nazanin Saedi, who was a fellow at SkinCare
Physicians in Chestnut Hill, Mass., where the study was conducted. Dr. Saedi is
now an assistant professor and director of laser surgery and cosmetic
dermatology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
A version of this article appeared
September 18, 2012, on page D2 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal,
with the headline: Color, Size and Smoking Affect Tattoo Removal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443995604578002543545271044.html
