Page 18 - An Introduction to Laser Tattoo Removal
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Chapter 2 – Fundamentals of Laser Tattoo Removal v1.0
The inks can comprise of a wide range of materials, including organics, metallics and polymers (see the section ‘Tattoo Inks’). Once in the skin, they tend to aggregate together due to electrostatic forces, and form large ‘clumps’ of ink particles. Any ink particles in the epidermis are soon lost as the epidermis sloughs of over time.
Most ink particle/aggregates are found in the dermis (although badly applied tattoos can deposit ink in the fatty layer below the dermis. These usually ‘bleed out’ leaving a very smeared appearance).
So, what happens to the ink when it is in the dermis? As soon as the ink enters the skin, a rejection process begins. The skin responds as if it has been invaded, which it has! Macrophages are sent in to remove these foreign bodies. But macrophages are only around 7 microns in size (that’s 0.007 millimetres). They can only remove the smaller particles, leaving the larger particles and aggregates behind. Over time, these larger chunks of ink are ‘absorbed’ by macrophages, fibroblasts and mast cells, and they remain in the dermis (see figure 2 below).
Figure 2: The physical structure of a tattoo
Consequently, the ink we see as a tattoo is actually all contained within cells in the dermis. This is important when it comes to laser treatments. If they were left loose in the dermis, the laser treatment would not be effective.
Each cell can contain many thousands of ink particles/aggregates. They also contain tissue water – which is critically important for laser treatments.
Research has also found that some ink particles may be removed in the blood and may be transported to the liver, lungs or the kidneys. Experiments in mice showed that some ink particles/aggregates may be found in the Kupffer cells inside the liver (‘Tattoos – more than just colored skin? Searching for tattoo allergens.” Weiss et.al. DOI: 10.111/ddg.14436).
According to the ‘Joint Research Centre’ the percentage of people with tattoos is: ________________________________________________________________________ 18
Chapter 2 LEVEL A Laser Tattoo Removal
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