Laser tattoo removal can be one of the most effective ways to clear an unwanted tattoo. The technology works with the body’s natural immune system to kickstart a response to the foreign ink pigment that continues over the weeks following a pico laser removal treatment.
In this blog post we will look at exactly what is happening in the skin when we get a tattoo, consulting recent scientific studies into macrophages and pico laser removal.
There are other techniques for removing a tattoo, including salabrasion and dermabrasion, that do not work in the same way with the lymphatic system.
The benefit of working with the body in the way that the LightSense™ laser system does is that as soon as the laser has done its job, the work can continue removing the ink pigment from the client’s skin outside of a clinical setting. The immune system takes over from here on in.
A macrophage is a form of white blood cell. Its job as part of the immune system is to engulf foreign substances such as ink pigment and other microorganisms, as well as to remove dead cells.
Macrophages detect, engulf, and destroy bacteria and harmful organisms. Phagocytosis is the scientific name given to the process of engulfing harmful bacteria.
In 2018 French scientists looking at the relationship between ink pigment and macrophages in mice found that despite our perception of tattoos as being fixed and static, the interactions beneath the surface in the dermis are in fact dynamic.
Macrophages consume the ink pigment through the process of phagocytosis (from the Ancient Greek words for eat and cell), as if it was a pathogen. What was discovered afresh, is that when these cells die and release their pigment they are then immediately consumed again. The process is much more dynamic than had previously been assumed.
Essentially, a tattoo consists of ink held in place in the dermis that is constantly being consumed and regurgitated.
Macrophages are an incredibly effective tool for keeping us fit and healthy. They get to work as soon as the laser has shattered the ink pigment apart and respond to harmful foreign substances.
Studies have focused on their positive contribution to cancer treatments and laser tattoo removal.
Laser tattoo removal works with the body’s natural immune response to set off a process that continues over the weeks after treatment with the laser. Once the laser has shattered the ink particles into smaller parts, the rest of the process is up to the body.
This is why the most effective pico laser treatments depend in part on the client. If the client is fit, healthy, and rested there is a much higher chance of achieving great removal results.
The laser begins the work that the body finishes off.
