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 Or maybe that name that is tattooed on your arm is no longer valid, and needs to be changed?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