Sometimes life changes and what was once important now seems less relevant. Tattoo regret, relationship break-ups and job-hunting are among the reasons people opt to erase their body art. If you’re rethinking your ink, then Q-Switch Laser Tattoo Removal may be a good option for you.

Tattoo removal with Q-Switch laser is currently the most effective means of removing or fading tattoos with the lowest chance of scarring in comparison to other methods. Q-Switch laser works by pulsing beams of light into the skin at billionths of a second. The differing wavelengths and pulse durations are absorbed by specific colours, allowing for single or multi-coloured tattoo treatment. The shockwave breaks-up the pigment colours into smaller particles, which is then absorbed and removed by the body’s natural filtering systems without damaging the surrounding tissue. With each treatment the tattoo becomes progressively lighter. The amount of sessions or treatments will depend on how large your tattoo is, what sort of ink has been used and the length of time between your sessions.

Melasma is an extremely difficult condition to treat using traditional methods. Most commonly seen on the facial skin of women, it is a hormonally induced pigmentation condition which is generally characterised by a roughly symmetrical pattern of darker blotchy grey-brown pigmentation around the eyes and cheeks, and above the lip, chin or brow. Melasma is stimulated by UV light, and if treated incorrectly, can worsen.

Q-switch laser is a very effective and safe treatment for melasma on the face and works great on all skin types, including Asian, Indian and African skin. Whilst epidermal pigmentation may possibly be temporarily faded with topical lightening agents, the deeper, dermal form of melasma needs to be safely treated by the Q-switch laser. Similar to laser tattoo removal, the treatment procedure works by the laser light breaking up the pigmentation in the dermis and epidermis. The extremely short pulse duration of the Q-Switch laser shatters the pigment into micro particles so that the pigment can be removed.

Q-Switch laser is currently the gold standard for pigmentation treatment.

Treatment is surprisingly quick, with even large numbers of brown spots able to be treated in less than 20 minutes. No preparation is required, makeup and sunblock should be removed prior to treatment. The Q-Switch laser can effectively remove lentigines and freckles in a single treatment in the majority of cases. The firing of the laser feels like the flicking of an elastic band, and does not usually require local anaesthetic beforehand. Post-laser, skin may feel slightly sensitive for a few days and redness may occur over the treated site which should only last for a few hours. For reticular vessels, results can be seen within 24 hours. For pigmentation, lightening is best seen within 1-2 weeks. Skin will appear significantly rejuvenated.

A course of 4-6 treatments of Q-Switch Laser is recommended. Intervals of 2-5 weeks between treatments will return the best results. After the initial course of treatments, touch up sessions can be utilised to maintain results in the future.

Q-Switch laser treatment is very safe, whilst being effective. Scarring and infections are unlikely side effects of all laser treatments. Compliance with after care will minimise the risk of these side effects.

There may be some initial mild redness after the treatment, similar to mild sunburn, which typically fades within hours. You may resume your normal activities after treatment, but do take care to avoid sunlight as your skin will be hypersensitive to sunlight post-treatment.