Laser tattoo removal is a growing trend among people who had "ink" done in their youth, but now view it as outdated or as detrimental to their career. Others may be dissatisfied with a tattoo that was poorly done. Whatever your reason may be for removing a tattoo, laser procedures are the most common and effective method for erasing the ink. Previous methods of tattoo removal included dermabrasion ("sanding" the area) and excision (cutting inked skin out of the area and possibly grafting skin into the area). While these methods may still be used occasionally, the use of laser pulses has become the standard method. 

The laser device fragments the ink with short pulses of intense, concentrated laser light. The method of delivery and the wavelengths used are designed to target only the tattooed pigments, without affecting the surrounding pigments and layers of skin. Different laser lights are used for different ink colors. Passing through the surface layers of your skin, the light is absorbed by the tattooed pigments, causing them to break into smaller particles. Your body's immune system then removes the fragmented tattooed particles. And because your immune system works best in areas of greater blood circulation, ink can be removed faster in those areas. Thus, it's more difficult to remove tattoos in the hands and feet, where there is less circulation.

photos of an actual case Before & After