Want To Get That Tattoo Removed?
Tattoos are designed to be a permanent form of body art, but there might come a time when you regret the youthful and impetuous streak that saw you end up with some unsuitable tattoos drawn on prominent places on your body. Obviously not everyone loves their tattoos and some look better than others, which is why tattoo removal techniques are big business. So if you want to get that tattoo removed, you need to start looking into the most effective tattoo removal method you can afford.
What methods of tattoo removal are available?
If you subsequently change your mind about a tattoo, there are several ways you can try to minimize its appearance. Some can be used to remove the tattoo completely, whereas others will fade or disguise the tattoo so that it is less prominent. However, not all methods are appropriate, so before you try one, find out exactly what each tattoo removal method does and if there are any side effects you should worry about.
Laser tattoo removal
Laser treatment is the most commonly used way of removing unwanted tattoos. It works by firing very highly concentrated beams of light at the tattoo, which penetrate the skin and break down the ink of the tattoo. This allows the ink to be slowly reabsorbed by the body, which causes the tattoo to fade and eventually disappear.
However, although laser treatment is very effective at removing unwanted tattoos, it is not without its side effects. Laser treatment is readily available and technology is now so advanced that the potential side effects of the treatment are minimal, but it can be painful and larger tattoos usually need a lot of laser treatment sessions, which can sometimes lead to blisters and scarring. The other downside to laser treatment is the cost: each laser treatment is likely to cost hundreds of dollars, and if you need a large number of treatments, having a tattoo removed is likely to cost you a great deal more than the cost of the original tattoo.
Alternative methods of tattoo removal
Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL) is an alternative to laser treatment and some dermatologists believe it to be more effective. IPL is not as popular as laser treatment, mainly because it is considerably more expensive, but you may find it on offer at some clinics as it is less painful than traditional laser treatment.
Dermabrasion is another way of removing tattoos and it was one of the few available treatments on offer before laser treatment came along. Dermabrasion works by sanding down the upper layers of skin, which as you might imagine is extremely painful. It is also very damaging to the skin and the patient is likely to end up with significant scarring after the treatment.
An old fashioned form of dermabrasion involves the application of a local anesthetic and rubbing the tattoo with a mixture of salt crystals and water (salabrasion) until the skin surface breaks down and bleeds profusely. Naturally this is not a pain free method, but for small tattoos it could work.
Smaller tattoos can be surgically removed via a process known as excision. The area of skin is cut away and the edges of skin cauterized and sutured together. Larger tattoos can also be surgically excised, but the treatment may require skin grafts from a different area of the body.
Tattoo removal at home
If you have a burning desire to lose a bothersome tattoo, but you cannot afford to pay for professional tattoo removal treatment, there are many products available on the internet that claim to be able to fade or remove tattoos. Although these products offer all kinds of guarantees, until you actually try them, you have no way of knowing whether or not they actually work, so be very wary of spending a large amount of money on a product that might be worthless.
How to fade a tattoo
Some people swear by the injection of saline into a tattoo in much the same way as the ink was applied in the first place. You might not find many tattooists willing to try this method, but it will cause you no harm and it will potentially fade an existing tattoo.
How can I disguise rather than remove a tattoo?
A popular alternative to tattoo removal is to cover the unwanted tattoo up with another tattoo. The success of this method is very much dependent on the original tattoo, but a skilled tattoo artist should be able to come up with a suitable design that effectively disguises the hated tattoo with a new piece of artwork. However, the cover up job must be done right, or you will end up with two unwanted tattoos instead of one, so spend time looking for the right tattoo artist who has lots of experience in this type of work.
