Read our heartwarming story of how we helped our client remove a medical stain from an iron infusion gone wrong

Laser tattoo removal is not always as simple as it appears on our website or social media platforms. Our treatments can sometimes extend beyond the removal of conventional skin tattoos or cosmetic tattoos. You may be thinking what can the removal of an unconventional tattoo entail? Let us introduce you to a participant from our Fresh Start program who embarked on a journey that led us into uncharted territory here at Lasertat. A young lady, afflicted with a rare medically caused 'tattoo', presenting us with a unique challenge. Fuelled by our passion for innovation, we embraced her case, striving to provide a solution. Continue reading to learn of our approach to the removal of a truly distinctive medical tattoo, along with the firsthand experiences shared by our client, Lainy.

Let us state that by sharing this story Lainy and her mum hope that they can help others who may have encountered similar circumstances and provide hope for a new beginning.
Lainy embarked on her laser journey with us in 2021, becoming our youngest participant in the Fresh Start program. Following an ill-fated intravenous iron infusion administered by an untrained nurse, Lainy found herself with a sizable iron stain on her arm.
Lainy underwent an iron infusion procedure aiming to address her medical needs. During the treatment Lainy endured an agonizing sensation as if her arm was on fire. It was later discovered that the infusion, intended to last an hour, was hastily completed in just 20 minutes. After the procedure, the nurse tightly bandaged Lainy's arm, and she returned to school. However, upon removing her jacket later in the day, Lainy was horrified to discover patches all over her arm. In a state of alarm, Lainy and her mum promptly revisited the GP, who referred them to the hospital due to concerns of potential necrosis. At the hospital, they were informed of two critical errors during the infusion. Firstly, the area should not have been bandaged, as the tightness caused the iron to seep out of the vein. Secondly, the nurse had removed the needle improperly. The hospital staff initially assured Lainy and her mum that the stain would naturally fade in the following days. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and Lainy's condition worsened, leading to her hospitalization with a fever of 41 degrees celsius.

“I would describe the circumstances I found myself in as scary and uncertain. I had never experienced something like this, so the combination of the physical sickness and the huge stain both freaked me out a lot.” - Lainy

The large iron stain was severely impacting Lainy’s self-esteem and often confined her to her home. Iron stains are generally an uncommon outcome from an iron infusion and can sometimes be permanent without the intervention of any treatment. The appearance of an iron stain can be described as severe hyperpigmentation, being dark brown or grey in pigment. As a result, Lainy often found herself subjected to curious stares and inquiries about the origin of the stain.

Images taken the day after iron infusion:

Upon consulting with a dermatologist, Lainy received disheartening news that there were no viable options available to address her situation. However, driven by her mother's tireless efforts, they discovered our clinic, hopeful that laser treatments could potentially provide a solution. Working closely with Cynosure, the manufacturer of our lasers, we gained access to research papers detailing successful cases of iron stain removal utilizing Q-Switch and Picosure lasers. Despite the promising findings, it was still uncertain for both Lainy and our team, if her iron stain could be effectively removed.

“I felt helpless thinking that the stain was going to be permanent. When it was more prominent, I couldn’t leave the house without multiple people pointing it out and asking about it through the day. It made me very insecure for a while. My mum reached out to a skin specialist to see if there was anything we could do. When we arrived at his clinic, the receptionist told us that he had said he’d researched it and there was nothing that he could do for us. This was an even scarier thought, because at this stage we knew it wasn’t going to fade on its own.

After being turned down by the skin specialist, my Mum went hard-core Mum mode and scoured the internet for hours. She eventually found an article about how laser tattoo removal can be an effective treatment for iron staining, and reached out to LaserTat shortly after.” - Lainy

As we have already mentioned Lainy joined our Fresh Start program & became our youngest participant to date. Our Fresh Start program is something that our business is very proud of and we often speak of it in social media posts and blogs; let’s recap. LaserTat’s Fresh Start program is devoted to making laser tattoo removal more accessible to people in vulnerable and financially unstable circumstances. The program offers free treatments to those who desperately want to leave their past and unwanted tattoos behind. There is criteria in place for applicants to be considered eligible for the program, one of those is having medical tattoos. Medical tattoos are used in the field of medicine to mark areas of the body for various reasons, such as, radiation therapy targets, surgical incision lines, or identification of specific medical conditions or allergies. Lainy's circumstances fell into a category that met this criteria. Amanda, the owner of LaserTat, had no hesitation in accepting Lainy into the program, recognizing the significant impact it was having on a young girl's well-being. Not to mention that treating Lainy's iron stain would have otherwise cost their family thousands of dollars for an unintended mistake that caused the stain in the first place.

With the transparency of iron stain removal being new territory for us, Lainy was happy to proceed and commit to the removal treatments. During each appointment, we evaluated the affected area, discussed the healing process from the previous treatment, and assessed the effectiveness of the settings and wavelengths used. Employing a combination of all three wavelengths, we targeted the iron at various depths within the skin. In numerous instances, we utilized a double pass of the laser, incorporating multiple wavelengths to optimize the efficacy of iron stain removal. Over time, we began seeing remarkable results using these techniques. Lainy faced challenges during her journey, particularly in the initial stages, experiencing blistering, swelling, and occasional pinpoint bleeding, making the healing process demanding.

“My experience having laser has been amazing. Every now and then healing has been quite painful, but that tends to be when we see the best results. It’s a lot easier and quicker than you might think. Not only that, but the team has been absolutely brilliant throughout this entire process. There is so much care and compassion and all of the laser technicians I’ve met have such a strong drive to help throughout this process. I would absolutely recommend LaserTat to anybody struggling with an iron stain like I have.” - Lainy

Post laser images – healing (not from the same treatment):

We have been truly inspired by Lainy's perseverance and commitment to her laser treatments, and we are incredibly grateful to Lainy for allowing us to share her unique story. While we are not yet at the end of her laser journey, we are approaching the final stages and can't wait for the complete removal of her iron stain. We are honoured to be a part of and to have witnessed Lainy's renewed sense of comfort and confidence in her skin.

“The Fresh Start Program has changed my life in so many ways. The stain has faded almost completely in a big patch on my arm, and the rest of the fading is so significant that I rarely get comments or questions anymore. So not only has the fresh start program helped me cosmetically, but financially it’s been a lifesaver. I am so grateful to LaserTat for their generosity and compassion, because if not for that, I never would have been able to have this treatment or have the results I’ve gotten.” - Lainy

Before 1st treatment 12/5/2021: