Tattoo Removal

Tattoo Removal

Tattoo removal was once a pipe dream for those who made the decision to get "inked" and then felt reluctant about it later on. It used to be that once you got tattooed, you were tattooed for life. That no longer is the case. Today, tattoo removal is a real possibility, although the methods used and the ultimate results may vary based on a number of factors.

How completely your body art can be removed depends a lot on how expertly it was applied and the type of ink used. Professionally administered tattoos are usually applied at an even skin depth, making the ultimate removal more effective because the ink is all in the same layer, receiving equal treatment. Tattoos from more questionable sources such as jailhouse artists or some guy named Chuy who does it in his family room, however, can be much harder to remove.

Laser Surgery

Laser surgery is by far the most effective and most popular method of tattoo removal used today. Laser light is applied to break the ink pigments under the skin into particles small enough for the white blood cells to carry away. This method can virtually erase a tattoo to the point where no one would ever know it was there.

Q-Switched laser light is preferred for tattoo removal because it is delivered in such fast pulses, measured in billionths of a second, that it keeps the skin from burning and prevents scarring during the process. Three types of Q-Switched lasers are used, including Alexandrite (deepest red light), Ruby (red light) and Yag (green light), each effectively working on different colors of ink and offering the most thorough removal of multi-colored body art. Here's how it works:

• Black ink is the easiest to remove by laser because it absorbs all colors of light.
• Yellow ink is highly reflective and is the hardest pigment to remove.
• Blue and green ink is best removed by application of red light.
• Colors red through purple are best removed by application of green laser light.

The immediate effects of the laser are not clearly evident, but over the next four to five weeks, the ink begins to fade away. After this time period, the laser can be applied again if needed to further fade remaining pigments. A well-done, professional tattoo may take five or more treatments to remove because of the superior quality of the inks, but inks used in many amateur inkings tend to break down more quickly.

Laser removal is not terribly painful, but everyone has their own threshold for pain endurance. Most people find a topical or local anesthetic is sufficient to get them through the treatments. The area should scab over, but this will fall away as healing is completed.

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion can also be used to remove body art, but the method is harsher than laser surgery. The area of the artwork is sprayed with a freezing solution, and then the design is literally sanded with a rotary abrasion tool that peels away the tattoo. The area must be bandaged after the procedure and will be tender for several days.

Salabrasion

The salabrasion removal method is an older form of dermabrasion and fairly barbaric. After a local anesthetic has been administered to the site, a wet cloth or piece of gauze is dipped in salt and then vigorously rubbed over the tattoo until the entire area turns a deep shade of red. A modern rotary abrasion tool may also be used to more effectively peel away the skin and pigments. In effect, the area is rubbed raw and will require bandaging afterward. Expect tenderness and some scabbing.

Excision

Smaller body art is sometimes surgically cut away. This method involves the use of a local anesthetic and requires a few stitches to close the site after removal is complete. The method can also be used on larger tattoos but must be done in stages with healing time in between. Very large body art sometimes requires a skin graft for proper healing.

The Cost

Costs vary from one removal provider to the next, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $300 for a small tattoo to over $2,000 for large scale body art. The number of treatments necessary also effects your ultimate price. There are some social programs available that offer free removals for certain types of tattoos, including gang colors and symbols.

Results Vary

In most cases, laser is the safest and most effective way to remove ink, with the other methods mentioned returning lesser results and longer healing times. Many variables also determine how effective any tattoo removal will be, including:

• Size and coloring of the body art
• Type of inks used
• Whether the tattoo was applied by a professional or an amateur
• How deeply the tattoo was applied
• How long the design has been there

Possible Side Effects of Tattoo Removal

Side effects are a real possibility anytime the skin is exposed to trauma. A tattoo removal could possibly result in:

• Permanent scarring
• Infection at the removal site
• Only partial removal of the body art, resulting in a ghost of the artwork left behind
• Skin discoloration

Conclusion

It's easier to think carefully before getting a tattoo than it is to get rid of one. Do you really want to risk putting someone else's name on your body? Have you thought about how the design will look years from now, when your life circumstances may have changed drastically? These are just a few of the things you should consider before you decide to get tattooed. While removal is a possibility, your skin will probably never look completely normal again, so make your choices wisely.

External Links

• TattooRemoval.Org