A lot of people love their tattoos and keep them forever. But others decide a couple of years down the road that they really don’t like that rose on their ankle or snake on their bicep anymore. Or maybe that name that is tattooed on your arm is no longer valid, and needs to be changed? For centuries people have been following many traditional methods to get their tattoos removed.

Here, it is important to note that many cases of tattoo removal have resulted into scars, skin diseases and wounds. All this depends on several factors including size of the tattoo and its location as well as the length of time it has been on the skin.

There are several excellent methods of tattoo removal available today.

Laser treatment is one of the most common methods. Different wavelengths of light are used for different pigments. The laser beam passes through the skin and is absorbed by the ink. This causes the ink to break down so that it can be removed by the body’s lymphatic system.

Excision, where the dermatologic surgeon removes the tattoo with a scalpel and closes the wound with stitches (In some cases involving large tattoos, a skin graft from another part of the body may be necessary).

Dermabrasion is another removal method, which involves freezing the skin, then sanding the surface with an abrasive instrument. Because the pigments are located in the middle of the skin, pain, bleeding and or discomfort can be expected.

Salabrasion, in which a salt solution is used to remove the pigment, is sometimes used in conjunction with dermabrasion, but has become less common.

Surgical removal sometimes involves the use of tissue expanders (balloons inserted under the skin, so that when the tattoo is cut away, there is less scarring). Larger tattoos may require repeated surgery for complete removal.

Regardless of which method of tattoo removal is used, some scarring or color variations are likely to remain. And last but not the least - tattoo removal can be pretty expensive. Depending on factors like the size and design of the tattoo, removal can cost significantly more than the actual tattoo.

tattoo removal techniques

For one reason or another, individuals often decide to have a tattoo removed. Perhaps it depicts a former lover that is no longer a part of that person’s life or perhaps they just no longer want that specific tattoo on their body. Whatever the reason, it often becomes a consideration and one that must not be undertaken without some serious thought.

If you are considering having a tattoo removed, the first thing to do is to make an appointment with a local physician or dermatologist in order to discuss your wishes. He/she will examine the tattoo, it’s condition and will then determine which method is the best for complete removal. It is important to note that tattoo removal does involve surgery which, in itself, does carry potential risk and side effects. Even the simplest surgery can result in complications, so be sure to consider tattoo removal very carefully. This is why it is so important to make sure that you really want the tattoo before going ahead with it’s application.

In most cases, your physician or dermatologist will be able to give you step-by-step explanation of how the procedure will be done, how long it will take and what type of recovery you can expect. Understandably, the site of surgery will be tender for some time and will likely result in some type of scarring. However, with time both will lessen until the scarring is minimally visible. The ultimate answer as to the level of scarring will depend on the size of the tattoo. A larger image will result in a larger scan than, for instance, a small butterfly tattoo. As one would expect, certain areas of the body are more sensitive and are therefore more likely to be sensitive to pain.

Once a decision has been made to remove the tattoo, an appointment will be made for the procedure. This may or may not be an outpatient surgery, which will determined by any complications that arise during the procedure, the patient’s overall health and/or the likelihood of an allergic reaction to any medication given. Often, patients are held overnight for observation before being sent home. It is important that patients speak with the surgeon regarding any possibles risks associated with the procedure.

The cost of having a tattoo removed can be quite high, especially if the tattoo is large. The majority of health companies will not cover these cost unless the tattoo must be remove for medical/health reasons. Otherwise, the full financial responsibility will be assigned to the patient who must then figure out a way to pay for surgery. Many hospitals offer a payment plan to those who cannot afford the total cost upfront. Arrangements for any type of payment plan must be made prior to the surgery and must be approved through the hospital’s billing department.

tattoo removal

Author: Robin Derry

Ahh the joys of youth. Rebelliousness and anti-authority impulses. Edgy friends and edgy garage and hip hop music. Late nights. New found freedoms of expression. No wonder that tattoos caught on with kids, athletes, musicians and artists, businessmen and even your local book-organizing prim librarian. Why not show that you’re unique, that quiet smug knowledge that you’re-still-you and not entirely the Company Man?

It seems that around 25,000 people receiving laser tattoo removal treatments each year have concluded that “my tattoo just doesn’t look right anymore…it’s not me”. Art, ego or simply a pragmatic understanding that people-in-careers need to project a clean “professional look”?

What’s Involved In Laser Tattoo Removal? Unlike getting your tattoo, which may have taken minutes or an hour, removing tattoos is more involved. Why? Because, your “artwork” is not clinging to your skin surface like a band aid, rather is imbedded deeper within the sub-dermal tissues. With laser tattoo removal, you’ll undergo a series of treatments, each spaced 1 to 2 months apart in order to allow your skin rejuvenation to occur. Your total treatment period may be 6 to 12 months in order to achieve the sort of skin resurfacing results you’re aiming for.

What Are The “Obstacles” Blocking Your Results? It’s in the nature of a tattoo to be “permanent”. It’s no wonder that “permanent” artwork may take some serious treatment before it yields.

* Color Of Tattoo Inks - Light Colors Stay On. Laser tattoo removal succeeds best when applied to red and black colors. Once you add lighter colors into a tattoo design, then not even a laser can truly treat these skin areas with success, due to the fact that these color do not absorb the laser. For example, white colors actually turn black when laser treated.

Result? These lighter colors merely fade or convert into a “smudge” rather than disappear.

* Better Tattoo Artists Create Technical Hurdles To Laser Removal. When you were impulsive, the idea of getting a tattoo from a “virtuoso” tattoo artist would be the crowing touch to what may now be considered “one of the dumbest decisions I ever made”. When it comes time for laser tattoo removal of a highly artistic and intricate design, then the artist usually wins over the machine. Meaning? Some areas of your tattoo remain impervious to laser removal therapy.

* Ink Chemistry - Whether FDA Sanctioned or Not. Inks are not simply inks. While the FDA does supervise the class of ink chemistry applied to tattoos, this doesn’t mean that the local screwball tattoo shop might not see the opportunity to make more money by substituting the class of “printer inks”. These dangerous inks set into a tattoo that in many cases will not respond to laser light treatment. Reason? These inks have an unique chemical profile or “signature” which does not permit the levels of laser light absorption necessary to actually remove the coloring.

Health Risks Of Laser Tattoo Removal. Local anesthetic is used to numb your tattoo treatment area. Only one section of your tattoo is treated at each session. You’ll need 1 to 2 months before your next treatment in order to heal. Could you get infections, or not heal properly? Of course. And what about “mixed results”, where the tattoo more-or-less is gone, yet your skin pigmentation has been damaged? Yes, skin pigmentation

laser removal tattoo