Any reason, and occasionally no, is given for getting a tattoo. We acquire tattoos to show our love, to express who we are as individuals, as fans or admirers of a celebrity, as a result of peer pressure to keep up with the Joneses, or perhaps just because it’s cool to do so.
Whatever the case may be, many of us regret this teenage adventure as adults. It can be because the tattoo makes you think of a failed romantic relationship or because it is blocking you from getting a good career or enrolling in a prestigious university. In other words, you must get it out of the way immediately, yet the thought of the gruelling process you underwent to get it done makes you tremble.
There are various techniques to remove a tattoo, or at the very least, make it less noticeable. All but one are quite painful and burdensome. But first, let’s define a tattoo to talk about ways to get it removed.
What a Tattoo Is
A tattoo, also known as dermal pigmentation, is a mark formed on the skin by introducing colour into the skin, as the term itself suggests. This pigment is injected into tiny, deep skin-made holes to provide the desired effect. These tattoos are almost permanent.
There are temporary tattoos in addition to permanent ones. They resemble a decal more than a body sticker. Temporary tattoos are applied to the skin by utilising water to put the design there rather than within the skin. Temporary tattoos are only meant to last a few days; they are waterproof but can be removed with treatments that contain oil.
Techniques for Removing Tattoos
There are various tattoo removal techniques on the market, with varying results and methodologies. The procedure to be employed is determined by the size of the tattoo, its location, and how long it has been there on the patient’s skin. The patient’s capacity for healing also influences the treatment chosen.
Now let’s talk about the procedures.
Surgical Technique
It is one of the most widely used techniques, particularly when the dyed area is modest. The primary benefit of this method is that the entire tattoo can be removed at once, especially if it is a little tattoo. However, larger tattoos necessitate numerous surgical sessions, where the centre of the tattoo is initially removed, then the sides are removed.
An injection of a local anaesthetic is used during the surgical removal procedure to numb the area before the tattoo is removed. The edges are then joined and stitched.
The limited bleeding during this surgery can be effectively managed with electrocautery. In some situations involving huge tattoos, it may be essential to use skin from another area of the body as a transplant.
Exfoliating the tattoo
The tattoo is essentially scraped off using this technique. Even though it is a laborious and difficult technique, it is still used. There are two methods for removing a tattoo from the skin:
Skin abrasion
A piece of the tattoo is sprayed with a freezing solution during this tattoo removal process. Then that area is sanded using a rotary abrasive device, causing the skin to peel. A dressing is immediately put on the region because bleeding is unavoidable.
The Salabrasion
This tattoo removal technique has been used for ages. Similar to the other techniques, a local anaesthetic is administered to the tattooed area and the surrounding area before a solution of regular tap water diluted with table salt is applied. The area is vigorously rubbed with an equipment similar to that used in dermabrasion, or a more basic tool like a wooden block covered in gauze. A dressing is applied when the region turns dark red.
Laser
The greatest treatment option currently offered is laser tattoo removal. Although expensive and perhaps requiring numerous sessions, it guarantees that tattoo removal is largely painless and bloodless. Additionally, the outcomes have been fairly encouraging, with tattoos eliminated or dramatically diminishing.
The tattoo is exposed to light pulses from a laser, often a Q-switched Nd:Yag, Q-switched Alexandrite, and Q-switched Ruby, during the laser tattoo removal operation. The tattoo pigment is dispersed by this exposure and eliminated from the body by scavenger cells. Usually, more than one treatment is required to completely remove the tattoo.