Tattoo & PMU Removal
Targeting unwanted tattoo and permanent make-up pigments with precise laser technology while protecting the surrounding skin.
Tattoos and permanent make-up consist of artificially introduced pigments intended to remain permanently in the skin. Where a tattoo is to be removed, significantly lightened, or prepared for later revision, specialised laser systems can be used. Not every pigment responds the same way. Colour, composition, density, depth, and age of the pigmentation influence how well it responds to treatment. At Clinic Selnau in Zürich, before every tattoo or PMU removal, we assess which pigments are present, how they are distributed in the skin, and what treatment goal is realistic.
Our Approach
Laser treatments for pigment removal do not follow a uniform scheme.
Black tattoo pigments behave differently from red, blue, or green colours. Permanent make-up, in turn, can contain pigment mixtures whose response to laser energy is harder to predict. Professional and amateur tattoos, too, can differ significantly in pigment amount and depth.
For this reason, treatment does not begin with the maximum possible energy. What matters is addressing the existing pigment as precisely as possible while protecting the surrounding tissue. Not every pigment reacts the same way. Colour, composition, and depth determine how a laser treatment needs to be planned.
How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work?
In laser treatment, very short energy pulses are targeted at the tattoo pigment.
The pigment absorbs the energy and is broken down into smaller particles. These pigment fragments are then gradually removed via the body's own processes. The tattoo, therefore, does not disappear immediately after treatment. The visible lightening develops over the following weeks.
This biological breakdown process is an essential reason why sufficient time should pass between individual sessions.
Which Tattoos Can Be Treated?
In principle, many different tattoos may be considered for laser treatment. These include, for example:
- Professional tattoos
- Amateur tattoos
- Black tattoos
- Multicoloured tattoos
- Small and larger tattoos
- Older tattoos
- Tattoos for complete lightening
- Tattoos in preparation for a cover-up
- Permanent make-up
- Microblading and other cosmetic pigmentations
How well a treatment can work depends on the pigments used and the individual skin.
Colour & Pigment
The colour of a tattoo significantly influences which laser energy can be absorbed by the pigment.
Dark pigments respond to different wavelengths than certain red, green, or blue pigments. For multicoloured tattoos, different treatment parameters or wavelengths can therefore be necessary. Even within the same visible colour, different pigment compositions can be present.
The visible colour alone, therefore, does not always allow a complete prediction of the treatment course.
Tattoo or Permanent Make-up?
Permanent make-up differs from classic tattoos in several respects.
Pigments are often introduced more superficially and can consist partly of complex colour mixtures. As a result, their response to laser energy can differ from that of a classic tattoo. It is particularly important that certain cosmetic pigments can initially discolour or darken unexpectedly under laser treatment.
For this reason, permanent make-up needs to be assessed especially carefully before more extensive treatment. PMU is not simply a small tattoo. The pigments used can behave differently under laser energy and require correspondingly adapted planning.
PMU on Eyebrows
Permanent make-up or microblading on the eyebrows can change over time.
Colour, shape, or position may no longer match your own preferences. A laser treatment can be used to gradually lighten suitable pigments. The aim does not always need to be complete removal. In some situations, controlled lightening is sufficient to later allow for new permanent make-up & medical pigmentation. Removal and renewed pigmentation should be planned as coordinated treatment steps.
Complete Removal or Lightening?
Not every tattoo needs to be completely removed.
Some patients wish for as extensive a removal as possible. Others simply want the existing tattoo lightened enough to allow a subsequent cover-up. For permanent make-up, too, partial lightening can be sufficient before new pigmentation is applied. The desired final result, therefore, influences the number and intensity of treatments.
How Many Sessions Are Necessary?
The necessary number of sessions cannot be determined by the size of a tattoo alone. Relevant factors include, among others:
- Colour
- Pigment composition
- Pigment density
- Depth
- Age of the tattoo
- Professional or amateur pigmentation
- Treatment area
- Skin type
- Individual response
- Desired degree of lightening
A tattoo can already change visibly after individual sessions, while other pigments require significantly more treatments. An exact number, therefore, cannot be guaranteed before treatment begins.
Why Are Breaks Between Treatments Necessary?
The laser treats the pigment during the session. The subsequent lightening, however, develops largely during the following weeks.
The body needs time to break down treated pigment particles, and the tissue needs to regenerate. An immediately following further treatment does not automatically speed up this biological process. Sufficient intervals are therefore part of the treatment concept.
More treatments in a shorter time do not automatically mean faster removal. The skin and pigment breakdown need time.
Skin Type & Safety
The skin's natural pigment needs to be considered in tattoo removal as well.
Laser energy should be absorbed as precisely as possible by the tattoo pigment. For more pigmented or tanned skin types, however, the skin's natural melanin, too, can absorb part of the energy. This can change the possible treatment parameters and the risk of pigment shifts. Skin type and sun exposure are therefore considered for every treatment.
Tattoo Pigment or Pigment Spot?
Artificially introduced pigments and naturally occurring pigment changes are not the same.
Sun-related or other natural pigmentation & pigment spots require a different diagnostic and therapeutic assessment. With tattoos and permanent make-up, it is known that pigment was artificially introduced into the skin. With a newly appeared dark skin change, by contrast, it must first be clarified what it actually is, before a laser treatment is performed.
Preparing for Treatment
Before treatment, the area to be treated is assessed.
Intensive sun exposure and active tanning should be avoided according to individual recommendations. The skin should be as irritation-free as possible at the time of treatment. Where inflammation, open skin areas, or other acute changes exist in the treatment area, it can make sense to postpone the session. For permanent make-up, additional precautions or a test treatment can make sense depending on the pigment and starting point.
The Treatment
During the session, short laser pulses are targeted at the pigmented areas.
The treatment is performed systematically over the desired area. How the treatment feels depends on area, size, pigment density, and individual sensitivity. Duration is mainly determined by the size and complexity of the pigmentation to be treated. For multicoloured tattoos, treatment can additionally be adapted to the different colours.
After Treatment
Immediately after a laser treatment, the skin can react noticeably.
Temporary redness and swelling are possible. Depending on the treatment, superficial skin reactions can also occur. The treated area then needs time to regenerate. The pigments will not disappear immediately or completely. The actual lightening develops gradually over the following weeks. The exact aftercare is determined according to the treated area and skin reaction.
Scars & Existing Skin Changes
A tattoo can already contain scars or structural changes before laser treatment.
These can, for example, have resulted from the original tattooing process. Successful pigment removal does not automatically mean that existing scars disappear. Where relevant structural changes remain after pigment reduction, these can be separately assessed within scars & acne scars. Laser skin resurfacing can represent an additional option for selected structural changes.
Can a Tattoo Be Completely Removed?
Complete removal cannot be guaranteed for every tattoo.
Some pigments respond very well to treatment. Others can be significantly more resistant, or remain partially visible despite several sessions. Colour changes, pigment shifts, or so-called ghost images can also occur.
For this reason, a realistic assessment of the possible result is more important than the promise of complete removal.
The aim is as controlled a pigment reduction as possible. How far this is possible is determined by the existing pigment and its response to treatment.
Risks & Possible Pigment Changes
Laser treatments can cause temporary, and in rare cases longer-lasting, skin changes.
These include, in particular, changes to natural pigmentation. The treated skin can temporarily appear lighter or darker. Scarring, too, is possible, particularly where skin reactions, individual predisposition, or other risk factors coincide. For permanent make-up, there is additionally the possibility of an unexpected colour change of the pigment. These risks are discussed before treatment according to the individual starting point.
Other Laser Treatments
Tattoo & PMU removal is part of skin & laser, but differs fundamentally from other laser treatments.
With pigmentation & pigment spots, natural skin pigment is treated. Redness & vascular laser targets vascular structures. Laser hair removal uses the pigment of the hair to treat the hair follicle. With scars & acne scars and laser skin resurfacing, skin structure and controlled regeneration are the primary concern. The target structure, therefore, determines which laser technology is used.
Long-Term Result
A successfully treated tattoo does not spontaneously form new tattoo pigment.
How much pigment remains visible after completion of a treatment series, however, depends on the individual starting point. Changes to natural skin pigmentation, too, can influence appearance during the course of treatment.
Where new pigmentation is planned following PMU removal, the skin should first be fully healed and the lightening result sufficiently stable. Only afterwards can new permanent make-up & medical pigmentation be planned.
Consultation
During your personal consultation at Clinic Selnau in Zürich, we assess the tattoo or permanent make-up, colour, pigment density, skin type, and desired change.
We discuss whether a possibly extensive removal or a controlled lightening is the goal. For permanent make-up, we particularly consider the possibility of unexpected pigment reactions and plan the treatment accordingly cautiously.
Where renewed pigmentation is planned later, treatment can be timed to coordinate with permanent make-up & medical pigmentation. Where structural skin changes or scars remain following pigment reduction, these can be separately assessed within scars & acne scars or laser skin resurfacing.
We discuss the likely number of necessary sessions, treatment intervals, possible skin reactions, aftercare, and limitations and risks.
The aim is not to promise a specific number of sessions or complete removal. It is to controllably and gradually reduce the existing pigment, while protecting the surrounding skin as much as possible.