There are a lot of questions circulating this topic and quite a bit to unpack!
Some companies are providing an explanation of organic and safe non-laser tattoo removal that are not only dishonest but also make claims on laser tattoo removal that are highly uneducated.
Let’s just be transparent.
These methods of tattoo removal are not FDA approved. Meaning there is no backing for the products they are inserting/applying to your skin. Some claim to be FDA registered, but this does not mean FDA approved. Below I will list the definitions of both.
What does “FDA approved” mean?
The FDA approval of a medical product (e.g., drug, device or biologic) means the product's safety and effectiveness have been reviewed by the FDA and the product's known and potential benefits outweigh the known and potential risks.
What does “FDA registered” mean?
Owners or operators of places of business (also called establishments or facilities) that are involved in the production and distribution of medical devices intended for use in the United States (U.S.) are required to register annually with the FDA. This process is known as establishment registration.
The FDA has not approved the product nor tested it making it not deemed safe or even close to. It is only a standard requirement of the business to register with the FDA.
Non-laser means manual removal in all cases. If they are not using a laser, they will have to reach the ink manually. This comes in a few forms but what we would like to touch base on specifically is the method of using lactic acid to remove tattoos. This is a method used where a device manually opens the skin via dermabrasion or similar, then the solution is applied which is a mixture of lactic acid percentage 40% and distilled water. This solution is described as Trans-Epidermal Pigment Release Solution. Which you can find here https://trademarks.justia.com/866/01/teprsol-86601075.html.
Lactic acid is a known acidic molecule that is absorbed by the skin and is mostly used as a chemical peel in medspas to treat the epidermis layer of the skin and remove dead skin cells. It technically is organic and vegan by the ingredients it is made of and heavily relies on carbon. The product would need to be made in a very sterile environment in order for efficacy, reliability and safety. Understanding that this is not regulated by the FDA you are trusting in the company for the quality of their solution.
The skin cells absorb the acid and become agitated and inflamed. The acid is supposed to kill and disrupt the skin dermal macrophages that store the color pigments in the skin. This acts as a disruption to the cells so they cannot recapture the ink and pushes the pigments out for extraction, meaning scabbing.
Understanding the percentage of the acid concentration is highly important as it is really recommended that higher than most 10% acidic solutions for tattoo removal should be administered by a dermatologist.
The lactic acid solution mainly used would need precise application to the skin using a sterile machine (typically similar to tattoo shading gun with smaller needle cartridges) described as doing your tattoo in reverse.
More common than not this method leads to scarring regardless of application technique or precision. Hypertrophic scarring typically is the result which is very difficult to improve the appearance of. The only scar revision offered is advice for clients on cover ups. What is not told to the clients is how tattooing over scar tissue is more difficult, less accurate and not typically achieving the desired result due to the poor quality of the skin texture, and if you don’t believe us ask a reputable tattoo artist in your area they will tell you the same.
These topics are not taken lightly nor should they be. We get one set of skin in this lifetime, knowing the facts and being transparent about something that could potentially save years of further regret is important to us.
This statement can be fact checked if you would like, but our laser is backed by clinical research confirming the safety and effectiveness of picosecond laser technology, The Quanta Discovery Pico Plus used in all of our clinics is an FDA-cleared Class IV medical device, approved for tattoo removal.
Our technicians are highly trained and backed by education that has been proven over 10 years. At Think Again we take every precaution to get you back to bare skin. Meaning unscarred, unharmed, and natural pigmented skin. Our before and after gallery is our pride and joy because it just shows that results speak louder than words do. We hope this helps many clients do their own research and allow time to make the decision that is correct for you.
Have questions?
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1 888 985 5399
