Hi guys! New to the forum :) I am pursuing my Doctorate of Optometry, and I have several visible tattoos. The last thing I want is a patient to come in, see my tattoos, think I am uneducated and irresponsible, and leave. Most people would just say, "forget those people; who cares what they think?!". I used to have the same state of thought until my entire livelihood depends on patients' perceptions. Granted, my tattoos can also show an artistic side that some other patients can appreciate. I know I am not the only professional student that is having this internal battle.
With my background in science, I like to thoroughly understand procedures before I delve into them. After doing some research, I found a few websites that explain the whole procedure of laser tattoo removal. To be honest, I did not even understand how tattoo ink stayed permanently without being sloughed off daily as regular skin. To my understanding, tattoo ink really is made of dispersed pigments, and these pigments submerge themselves subcutaneously deep under the layers of skin that become removed. The way the lasers work to remove these deep ink clusters is by sending waves through the top layers of skin to break up the clumps of aggregated pigments molded together under the skin. (source: I. Science of Tattoos | New Look Laser Tattoo Removal Clinic)
There are plenty of choices for doctors these days. My tattoos are very conservative, yet visible. How do I assure that my patients are not going to shy away from a little ink? Is laser tattoo removal the way to go to ensure my professional credibility? Thanks!
