A newspaper once reported that a woman who had her tattoo removed ended up with a giant blood blister on her hand, which looked terrifying in the photo. What happened exactly?
The background of the incident is that the woman wanted to remove her tattoo on her hand, so she went to a beauty salon for laser treatment. After completing the treatment, her skin turned dark and numerous blood blisters of varying sizes appeared on the surface, with the largest being more than one inch in diameter! Following the incident, she had to visit the hospital three days a week to clean the wound and may even require skin grafts to replace the dead skin. Apart from the possibility of scarring and affecting the appearance of her hand, it may also affect the functionality of her hand in the future.
The principle of laser tattoo removal is to use a laser with a specific wavelength to heat and break down the ink particles in an extremely short time, which is like a micro-explosion in the skin, turning into microscopic particles, and then being cleared away by the body’s macrophages. However, ink is very stubborn, even if using a nanosecond laser, multiple treatments may not completely remove it. The laser used is a third or fourth-class laser, with a very strong energy, so the operator must receive relevant training; otherwise, improper use may cause burns and other issues. During the treatment, if the patient’s skin reacts abnormally or experiences severe pain, the treatment should be stopped.
The appearance of a large blood blister on the woman is very unusual. There are many possibilities, such as the patient’s own sensitivity to light or taking medication that causes photosensitivity, treatment errors, excessive laser power, or repeatedly targeting the same position. Burns occur when the skin cannot withstand high energy and the therapist fails to stop the treatment promptly. Tattoo removal has always given people the impression of a simple procedure that does not require medical attention. However, in reality, laser tattoo removal is a high-risk treatment, with a higher chance of complications than other laser treatments. Therefore, the medical community has always recommended that high-energy laser devices should only be used under the supervision of medical personnel.
From the picture, it is evident that the woman’s injury is severe, and we hope that she recovers fully and can use her hand without any issues. If consumers want to undergo laser treatment, it is best to consult their doctor first!