It is estimated today that 20% of French people are tattooed, this proportion is even higher among young people: a quarter of 35-49 year olds and a third of 25-34 year olds have a tattoo. Dermatologists believe that regrets also increase. So to meet this growing demand, a first salon 100% dedicated to tattoo removal opened its doors a few months ago in Paris.
In this brand new living room, ten doctors watch patients pass by all day long. The average age is 32 years old. “We have such a demand that we are going to open three other centers this yearin France and abroad”, indicates Jordan Gendre, the medical director of the Ray Studio salon.
He explains that patients come to have their tattoos removed for several reasons: “Of course, there is outdated tattoos : the dolphin, the tribal sign on the arm, very fashionable at a certain time”. There are also tattoos that we wish to erase after a romantic separation : the first name of the ex, the word of love, the date of the meeting…
Jessica came to the center to have a symbol between the star and the sun removed, tattooed on her lower back. “I did it when I was 18, it has no meaning. I was young, I think it was madness. I did it because it was the fashion”. At 35 today, the young woman regrets. She no longer feels comfortable with this pattern on the body, especially in a swimsuit.
The price of tattoo removal is ten times more expensive than the tattoo itself
The price of laser tattoo removal varies depending on its size and whether the pattern is black or colored. It is necessary to count on average between 100 and 450 euros per session and on average eight to ten passages under the laser! In total, Jessica estimates that she will have to pay “in the range of 1,200 to 1,300 euros. But I expected this substantial budget”. His tattoo had cost him 90 euros.
After a consultation in Dr. Gendre’s office, Jessica lies down on the operating table. To prevent the process from being too painful, the doctor desensitizes the tattoo area with cold air. Then pass the laser over the entire tattoo line, for about ten minutes. The laser looks like a large pen that sends out a beam of red light.
The laser, the only safe technique for tattoo removal
After the session, “we can have small redness, blisters or crusts, this is normal“, says Dr. Jordan Gendre. Despite these short-term side effects, due to the heat of the laser and the irritation of the skin, this medical procedure is reliable and without risk to health. Only doctors can use the laser of tattoo removal.
Except that other techniques are flourishing on the internet and this worries doctors. Dr. Marie Jourdan, dermatologist and specialist in laser treatments, explains: “When you put yourself in the patient’s shoes, and type on the internet ‘remove a tattoo’, you realize that the laser does not arrive immediately. after !”
“We are not very good communicators as doctors. And suddenly, we see people on the internet giving lots of advice: why not burn the tattoo, or scrape it with salt and lemon. centers with beauticians who offer to inject magical (and cheaper than laser) products that remove the tattoo. they are acids that they inject into the skin”. Acids which certainly make the tattoo disappear, but which especially burn the dermis and this can be very dangerous for your health.
Dermatologists therefore repeat that if you want to remove a tattoo without taking any risks, you have to do it with a doctor who practices laser, not elsewhere. The black drawings can disappear completely, on the other hand, light colors are difficult or impossible to erase.
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