The Laser Chronicles

Recently we put together a study to determine how different laser wavelengths interact with particular colors and more specifically different brands of tattoo inks. This test was designed to present empirical data proving or disproving the following statements:

Presently the four most common wavelengths that are used to remove tattoos are:
1064nm (infrared light) is absorbed by black and most other ink colors
650nm, 694nm, 755nm (red light) are absorbed by green ink
585nm (yellow light) is absorbed by blue ink
532nm (green light) is absorbed by red ink

The study was also designed to further determine the interactions of each wavelength on nonstandard or mixed colors such as orange, teal, purple, etc. In addition, the effectiveness of infrared light (1064nm) was tested on all colors to determine the absorption rates in comparison to the standard complimentary colors. Ex: Green absorbs Red Light.

Many of the inks did conform to the generally accepted light absorption archetype. However, some colors did not and produced some very surprising results. The outcome of this preliminary test identified some interesting ink interactions with every wavelength; most notably the less commonly used 585 (yellow) wavelength.

High resolution photos were taken and cataloged to show each ink’s interaction for side-by-side comparisons. All of the data produced by this study will be available during our lecture at The Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth, October 3rd at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas Nevada:

http://www.tattooexpo09.com/seminar.php?id=18

Just a quick blog entry to announce that on August 21st we passed another huge milestone. We completed our 1500th treatment on one of our favorite clients.

Thank you Sunshine for making the long trip to Dallas and trusting us to perform your laser tattoo removal procedures.

Does the sun fade white tattoos?  The answer is actually quote complex and here’s why:

First, think of tattoo ink like paint that is being used to cover a pinkish red wall. If the wall were painted black it’s highly possible that it could be covered in one coat. If it were painted white it would take numerous coats, or the case of tattooing packing in the color. (This is why covering a dark tattoo with a lighter one is almost impossible) Also, besides “masking” any underlying color of the skin, the ink is still under the body’s natural melanin. (This is why darker skinned people cannot get light tattoos)

Physics and Biology:
Just like melanin, tattoo ink will block and/or absorb radiation. Commonly white inks contain Titanium Dioxide. Ti02 in it’s natural state is white, but when it is exposed to radiation, the composition of the molecule changes giving it a bluish color. Although, this means the tattoo is actually darker, this accounts for some of the fading. Besides changing the ink color, solar radiation also causes the body to produce melanin which is on top of the ink. This tan/brown/black color obscures the ink and in turn makes the tattoo to appear less bright. Furthermore as most people know, sun exposure destroys tattoos through the body’s process of repairing the dermal and epidermal damage caused by UVA, UVB and possibly UVC radiation.

Optical Illusion
Besides all the factors stated above, the more dramatic the difference in color, the less noticeable the fading. If you look at traditional tattoos they normally have a black outline. This is done to create a visual barrier between lighter inks and natural skin tone. Without the separation the tattoo can appear to blend into the surround tissue, giving the appearance of faded tattoo. Lastly, there is ink absorption. As already mentioned the body absorbs ink over time. However, the first month after the tattoo is put into the skin, the body removes ink particles down in the lower levels of the dermis. Even if white is packed in, there is a very good chance that your body’s lymphatic system will remove enough of the white to show some fading. Does sun exposure effect the tattoo during this time? Sure, but the basic healing period is often just a factor people don’t take into account and the sun is blamed for the fading of the tattoo.

On Tuesday May 19th, 2009 Fade Fast hit an amazing milestone, our 1200th treatment! This achievement is especially significant in that every treatment was performed by Allen Falkner, not an accumulation of treatments by multiple technicians. Below is a before and after shot from our client Chris: (The 1200th treatment was done just after the right side of the photo was taken)

Below you can see a step by step series of images from untreated (top left) to the 8th treatment (bottom right). The white frosting in the last photo is actually a normal post treatment response that disappears 10-15 minutes after the procedure. Click Here for more information on frosting.

As you can see, the tattoo is not completely removed, but we are very, very close. Another thing you might notice in the first image is that Chris lost 30 pounds since we first started. Congratulations Chris and thank you for trusting us with your tattoo removal!

It wasn’t long ago that the mention of lasers conjured up images of large-scale weapons that were definitely more science fiction than fact.

The Death Star has a formidable array of turbolasers giving it the firepower of greater than half the Imperial starfleet.

Planetary disintegration? Doubtful modern lasers will ever be used for that purpose. It’s true that the use of lasers to damage or destroy tissue has become more and more common in the medical field. Even in our business of tattoo removal, we harness the destructive property of laser energy to break down the tattoo ink so the body lymphatic system can remove the foreign particles. However, what about using a laser to create, rather than destroy?

Well, it appears that medical science recently made an amazing breakthrough: Laser-Bonded Nano Suturing

Irene Kochevar codirects research into healing surgical incisions with laser light at Massachusetts General Hospital.

After removing a small ellipse of tissue from an anesthetized rabbit, surgeon Ying Wang sews the deeper layers of the wound shut with traditional sutures; the laser that the team uses does not penetrate this deep tissue and so cannot bind it together.

Wang has closed the right half of the epidermal wound with cosmetic stitches. She then drips Rose Bengal dye onto the left half.

Wang and surgeon Min Yao position a metal frame that directs a green surgical laser over the incision. The frame keeps the instrument steady and at a measured distance from the skin. They shine the light onto the cut to activate the dye, leaving it on for three minutes.

A lens in the metal stand modifies the shape of the laser’s focal point so that it’s ideal for healing a long, thin surgical incision. Activated by the light, the Rose Bengal stain causes collagen fibers in the skin to link, sealing the wound.

Once the laser is removed, the left half of the incision remains closed without sutures; it requires no further care and will leave behind almost no scar. The stitches on the right half, however, must remain in place for up to two weeks and will result in small but visible cross-hatch scars.

Story by Lauren Gravitz / Photos by Porter Gifford

Before I get into any of the details, let me give a bit of background on the study and also make it very clear that the implements used are designed to burn and leave a scar, not to remove tattoos. My involvement in this study is to further the research of burn care, wound management and the reduction of scar tissue on burn patients.

It’s been a year now since my first communications with Dr. Vincent Gabriel, Clinical Director North Texas Burn Rehabilitation Model System. He approached me with a with a very radical idea. To find volunteers to receive small burns that could be studied to help future burn survivors. In his own words:

“Our center admits about 500 people per year with serious burns, and I see about another 1000 per year in our outpatient clinics. Overall, about one third are children. Our survival rate is over 94% and as such, scarring is a major problem for my patients.

I contacted you because of a major quandary that we have in researching burn care. As it turns out, hypertrophic burn scars and keloids are uniquely human conditions. Despite the best efforts of many laboratories around the world, there is no acceptable animal model that closely resembles human scars. The closest model is a female red duroc pig that makes a thick scar, but biologically, it is still significantly different from human scar.

Studying scarring is therefore rather difficult. From patients that present to the hospital, we never have pre-existing tissue to study and burns that we can study come from differing depths. As well, our treatments aim to minimize scarring.

As a result, I thought that if I could find a sample of people that wanted to make scars, perhaps I could work with them to study their wounds and scars to better understand the biology behind scarring.”

It’s taken almost a year and several revisions before the review board finally accepted his proposal, but his diligence and hard work finally paid off. The procedure may seem a bit barbaric, but let me assure the branding strikes are virtually painless.

Dr Gabriel taking an initial biopsy

As you can see the biopsy leaves a small hole

An iron being heated to strike the skin

A brand freshly done

The same brand just moments after the second biopsy

The sample collection phase of the study should be over by April.  After that it will take about another 6 months for the analysis done and the results to be published. Once it becomes public record, I will post a link in this blog.

To both Dr Gabriel and the volunteers involved in this study, I would like to thank you all for allowing me to participate. i honestly feel that the work we are doing will advance the understanding and treatment of burns to better the lives of burn survivors around the world.

Removing tattoos might be our business, but removal can often mean editing an existing piece or making room for better work. Today is prime example of that. I have an old armband that has been treated twice and is now ready to be covered. Well, not quite. Mike worked on it for an hour or so today, but stopped because some of the areas are still too dark to cover. Looks like one more treatement before the tattooing can go any higher.

Wow the elbow is uncomfortable

I want to thank Mike for all the work he has done on my left sleeve…and in case you haven’t heard of the guy, here is a little background on him:

Some of you might know him from his tattoos on The Lizardman

…or possibly from his portrait of Maddox Jolie Pitt

One day everyone will really know him for his controversial paintings

…but me, I know him as the light handed tattoo artist with the SWEET ‘STACHE

Sorry, Mike….it had to be done.

Mike Tidwell Awards
Best Color Small – Texas Tattoo Roundup – 2002
Best Color Medium – Texas Tattoo Roundup –2004
Most Realistic– Texas Tattoo Roundup –2004
Best Portrait – Texas Tattoo Roundup –2004
Most Unusual – Texas Tattoo Roundup –2005
Most Unusual – Texas Tattoo Roundup –2007

Flash by BHG Digital

Brent I cannot thank you enough for this gem

The real story here is that The Enigma and Serana drove up from Austin to have a tattoo removed from her foot. But in true Enigma fashion this story deserves a bit of embellishment. So for reading pleasure I give you, “Attack of The Enigma!”

It was an average day here at Fade Fast when a strange thing suddenly appeared in our office.

It seemed friendly and curious so we decided to let this strange blue creature stay and observe.

Suddenly it became extremely agitated.

But the gift of protective eyewear seemed to soothe the savage beast.

The creature became inquisitive. What was about to happen?

Its native language was strange, but I swear it said, “Why Would She?”

Questions soon turned to Confusion…Confusion turned to Horror.

“Why remove tattoo???”

“OOOOO Evil Green Light!!!”

It poised to attack.

I had to think quickly…or I new I was doomed!

Of course his only weakness.

Threatened by the awesome power of the laser, the giant blue puzzle stood quietly and watched.

Would the laser have stopped the Enigma? I guess we’ll never know.

In all seriousness, I would like thank The Enigma for making the trip to Dallas and trusting us to do a removal and his lovely girlfriend Serana Rose.

And of course thanks to Stacey Potter for coming in and shooting the photos.

Channel 11 news was in the shop two days ago doing a story on story on Lilly and now it’s exploding all over the internet. I heard it even made the front page of Yahoo News and CNN.

span class=”cbstv_attribution”>DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ― According to Lilly Hibbs, tattoos are a way of life. Her mom works on body piercing and her dad is a tattoo artist. The 9-year-old said she just wants to follow in his footsteps.

“Monkey see, monkey do,” said Stephen Hibbs, Lilly’s dad. “I guess she watches us everyday she wants to be a part of it.”

Stephen said he just couldn’t be prouder. “Most parents would say, ‘I can’t believe your kid wants to be a tattoo artist.’ Where I say, ‘I can only be lucky if my kid turns out to be a tattoo artist,’” he said.

Lilly spends her day at Suffer City Tattoos in Dallas, doing what she says comes naturally, learning the skill of body art.

“When I was 7, my dad asked me if I wanted to tattoo him and I said yes,” she said. So, Lilly tattooed her dad with a picture of Patrick from SpongeBob SquarePants.

The video was posted on YouTube. “One person saw video of me tattoo. They just stopped in saying they wanted a tattoo by me,” Lilly said.

One person even drove from North Carolina to get a tattoo by Lilly. “He wanted an anchor, so she drew him an anchor,” said Stephen. “He loved it.”

But Lilly has a little help. The needle is heavy, so her dad holds on while she draws.

At only $5 for each tattoo, Lilly realizes that she won’t get rich any time soon, but she is saving up for something a little zany: a gigantic plastic gingerbread man.

“I don’t think I will ever buy her a plastic gingerbread man, she will buy it for herself,” said her dad.

Lilly has drawn about six tattoos and says she realizes she has a lot of art classes to take before she can perfect her skill. Meanwhile, her dad worries that, like most kids, she will rebel — throw in the needle and run off to join a sorority.