Burns, scars and blood after PMU laser removal: what’s normal?
Scarring, blistering and blood after laser tattoo and PMU removal are not normal. What causes each one and how correct laser work avoids skin trauma.
Spoiler alert – burns, scars, and blood after laser removal of tattoos and PMU are NOT NORMAL!!!
The science behind laser removal and skin reactions
The sad thing is that many “specialists” who perform laser tattoo and PMU removal are sure that this is how it should be and it is absolutely normal!
No, no, and again NO! Because of this belief, a huge number of people are afraid to remove their tattoos and PMU, although in fact the correct laser removal of tattoos and PMU should be carried out without skin trauma and consequences in the form of scars!
Let’s take it step by step! The very principle of nanosecond and picosecond lasers implies gentle skin treatment and selectivity in the destruction of tattoo pigment and no, or very limited, impact on the surrounding skin!
No other lasers or methods of tattoo and PMU removal are capable of this. What’s the point? Nanosecond and picosecond lasers create such short pulses of colossal peak power that they cause incredibly fast heating and acoustic destruction of pigment particles in the skin (this is very simplified)! In doing so, the pigment particles do not have time to give up heat to the surrounding tissues and burn them, causing a burn after laser removal! Yes, a small trauma to the skin is still inflicted and it manifests as swelling, redness and an increase in local tissue temperature! All these are manifestations of aseptic inflammation, i.e. inflammation in the skin in response to a moderate trauma, with which the skin normally copes and no adverse effects occur! The level of such moderate trauma should be controlled by a specialist! To correctly calculate the exposure parameters, dozens of factors must be taken into account (I’m not kidding: there are at least 30 factors affecting the risk of complications), and the laser itself will not do anything without you; only the specialist decides how to work in each case!
- Swelling, redness, local warmthSigns of aseptic inflammation in response to moderate trauma, which the skin normally copes with.
- The specialist controls the level of traumaAt least 30 factors affect the risk of complications. The laser decides nothing on its own.
- Blood, blisters, scars are not normalCorrect tattoo and PMU removal is done without skin trauma and without scars.
Blood during laser removal: causes and prevention
Blood during laser removal of tattoos and PMU is the result of ultra-high energy density and a laser spot that is too small, when optical breakdown of the skin occurs due to excessive energy in a small area. The skin literally explodes at this point due to the plasma breakdown of the laser beam. In fact, Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers, for example, are used in industry to engrave metal. So it’s no wonder that they tear the skin easily! Skin is a living and rather delicate organ of our body and it should not be treated roughly! Therefore, the appearance of blood is a sign of grossly excessive laser parameters and a gross mistake of the specialist! It should not be like this! This is not what is called “laser tattoo removal”! This is simply the destruction of the skin due to a lack of understanding of the principles of work!
Trainer: read the frost
Pick the intensity and fire a pulse at the pigment.
A simplified scheme based on the frost article: the whitening comes from micro gas bubbles that scatter light. Moderate frost is a range you learn by seeing many examples.
Understanding the risks of burns and blisters in laser tattoo removal
Burns and blisters on the skin after laser removal are a much more insidious complication! By the way, there are schools that consider this to be the norm and even claim that this is how tattoos and PMU should be removed, otherwise, it won’t work! I do not support such an opinion. And now I will explain why! Blisters on the skin themselves are not the worst thing that can happen. Under certain conditions blisters can resolve without consequences and leave no traces, but… there is already a roughly 50% probability that it will not end well! If blisters cause detachment not only of the superficial layers of the epidermis but also of the deep layers, the chances of scarring are much higher!
Therefore, it is better to avoid them altogether than to walk on the edge and tempt fate! Blisters after laser removal are essentially not burns, but a manifestation of severe inflammation in the skin, which causes detachment of the epidermal layer of the skin and leaking of tissue fluid. Calling them burns is not very correct from the point of view of pathophysiology, but they are usually all called burns after laser PMU removal anyway. The insidiousness of such blisters on the skin is that they appear 6–8 hours after the procedure. Their appearance can be predicted by a combination of signs and they can be prevented by correctly selecting the parameters and mode of operation and following the recommendations for cooling the skin after the procedure. In this way, it is possible to achieve excellent results and avoid even the chance of scarring. Once again! Blisters can occur after the procedure of laser removal, but this is not the norm and it is better to prevent their appearance with all your might!
Scarring as the main concern in laser tattoo removal
Scars are the main problem of laser tattoo and PMU removal! Why? Because they are irreversible changes in the skin; restoring normal skin in place of formed scars is impossible! And scars in themselves are not inevitable! Scars are the result of mistakes made by the specialist at any stage of laser tattoo/PMU removal: from the initial examination and the choice of tactics to performing the procedure itself and monitoring the patient’s compliance with the recommendations! The specialist always has plenty of chances to make a mistake at one stage, or at several stages at once, when working with a client! That is why there are so many scars after laser tattoo and PMU removal!
I emphasise: after proper laser removal of tattoos and PMU, normal skin without any traces of change should remain! And this is the norm! This can be achieved in most cases! If your tattoo/PMU laser removal specialist tells you that there will definitely be a scar and there is no way without it – run away from him!
Frequently asked questions
Does laser tattoo removal cause scarring?
It should not. After proper laser removal of tattoos and PMU, normal skin without any traces should remain, and this can be achieved in most cases. Scars are the result of mistakes made by the specialist at some stage, from the initial examination to monitoring the aftercare.
Is blistering normal after laser tattoo removal?
No. Blisters can occur, but they are not the norm: they appear 6–8 hours after the procedure, and if the deep layers of the epidermis detach, the chances of scarring are much higher. They can be prevented by correct parameters and cooling the skin after the procedure.
Why does the skin bleed during laser tattoo removal?
Blood is the result of ultra-high energy density and a laser spot that is too small, causing optical breakdown of the skin. It is a sign of grossly excessive laser parameters and a gross mistake by the specialist.
