Tattoos are one of the most infamous after-effects-a decision taken hastily under the influence of alcohol, easily regretted the morning after. Another source of post-tattoo remorse is that after separating with a partner, the identity of a previous person persists, or maybe the offending tattoo is a childish image that was performed in the younger days of an individual. Laser tattoo removal is increasingly common, whatever the cause, and is also an efficient way to safely remove tattoos with only slight discomfort. To do this, a variety of laser tattoo removal technologies are available.

It is definitely an increasingly important sector, with the global tattoo removal market estimated to hit just under $5 billion by 2023. While the field of tattoo removal is divided into three categories: laser tattoo removal, topical creams and surgery, it is by far the most common laser tattoo removal, estimated to hit a market size of just over $ 3 billion by 2023.

Although regret about tattoos acquired in the youth of a person is still a significant cause for removal, market observers often point to military recruiting policy and incompatibility with body sensor systems as major factors for individuals who choose to remove tattoos.

How widespread is removing tattoos?

• There is evidence that laser tattoo removal is common, and increasingly so, with estimates that as many as 25 percent of people in the US who have a tattoo now regret having one.
• The same study also states that, including half of all millennials, 30 percent of people in the US have a tattoo, which underlines the sheer numbers involved. In Hong Kong, the use of laser tattoo removal is also rising, mainly due to shame about decisions taken in younger days, but also due to the common correlation of tattoos with triads, not just in the US.
• Surveys have disclosed that people with tattoos also found that 19 percent of British people with tattoos were influenced by guilt, and 11 percent of Italians.
• The notion that the personal preferences of a person have evolved to the point of no return, with the limited further change required after a certain period, is part of the illusion of the 'end of history' which has been linked to the cause of widespread removal of tattoos.
• Another explanation for tattoo removal is the termination of marriages where the name of a partner and other information have been tattooed, with the practice of celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie and Eva Longoria getting an especially high profile.

The demand for tattoo removal is rising strongly, with dermatologic surgeons conducting 110,000 procedures last year. In 2013, this number soared by 52 per cent. The total expense, over 7 sessions, is around $1,400. The technology of laser equipment is improving, and the cost will no doubt decline as new and improved devices reach the industry. Average start-up expenses, between $50,000-$175,000, are greater than a tattoo parlour. Most commonly, tattoo removal is carried out by medical spas, dermatologists and other MDs.

Choosing laser for removal of tattoo

Laser removal is by far the most common form of tattoo removal, primarily due to its quick, low-risk nature and the minimal discomfort faced. Technologies such as the laser Technologies provide a highly accurate procedure where only the tattooed areas are treated and laser treatment prevents the underlying skin from being damaged.

 It operates by focusing brief, high-energy bursts inside the tattoo at the wavelengths of the colours, dispersing the ink into tiny particles that then move as waste out of the body. While irritation is kept to a minimum, minor amounts of pain from the laser heat will occur.

Since the removal of tattoos by laser depends primarily on the targeted photothermolysis process, where chosen parts of the skin are purposely affected by radiation, there are a variety of factors in its effective use to induce natural restorative processes.

Firstly, to reach the tattoo ink, the hue of the laser light must dig deep enough into the skin-the darker the pigments the harder they are to erase. The laser colour must also be more absorbed by the tattoo pigment than the usual skin around it, and the colour chosen must be right. For example, green tattoo pigments are receptive to absorbing red laser light.

The laser energy pulse must also be very short; it should be nanoseconds in the case of tattoo removal. This is to allow the heating inside the tattoo ink to move through the underlying skin efficiently, or burns or scars will occur. And to fragment the pigmentation, each pulse must contain ample energy.